Lift makes air travel like before

The people who work at Lift Airline must be really happy because it shows in every aspect of how they treat their passengers.

It truly feels as if the staff at Lift wanted me to fly on their airline. I arrived at Cape Town International Airport late, and after, for some reason, not being able to book online, I tried my luck at the Lift ticket sales counter. But it was shuttered up.

The check-in staff were between flights and, luckily, still at their stations. “I’d like to buy a ticket, but your shop is closed,” I told a staff member named Rory.

For a moment, I expected a vacant look, the kind of look that many other airline staff reserve for customers.

It never came. Instead, he looked at the flight controller and asked her to get me a seat. And he was as chipper as a happy emoji might be. It was so nice.

The flight was full. I was not going to get home. But Leanne, the flight controller, called me over. “Let’s go check on the system,” she said, “to be sure.”

It was the last flight of the day, and I hadn’t the urge to go counter hopping to see if anyone still operated beyond 7pm.

I followed Leanne to the ticket sales counter; she opened up for me, twiddled the keyboard, and discovered the last seat on the aircraft.

It wasn’t cheap, but I swiped for it, partly because I wanted to get home and partly because the Lift staff treated me as if I were gold.

Shiny, happy people who got me away. It was a wonderfully charmed experience and major kudos to the airline.

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A smooth and friendly boarding experience

Unsurprisingly, the onboard experience was equally pleasant. Herding cats can sometimes be easier than boarding an aircraft.

People don’t know how to queue without loitering and bunching up to create chaos. Acsa staff are normally fantastic at getting queues wrong.

The Lift folk just popped everyone past the post, efficiently.

The crew on board were just nice. Not cup-of-tea nice. The in charge, Nicole, was friendly, efficient, and on top of it.

I have not seen someone operate on an aircraft with such a sense of getting the job done, but with a smile on her dial. The rest of the cabin crew were equally friendly.

I always measure service and its qualitative aspects by how I see the crew treat children and seniors. I was impressed.

The meal was yum: lasagne and a creamy ginger, biscuity almost-Tiramisu. I wanted to see what would happen if I asked for seconds.

“Of course, you can have more,” Nicole said and then brought me the other option on the table, a veggie lasagne.

It was as nice as the beef, and a second dessert wasn’t unwelcome either. Best part, I did not feel judged for being hungry.

I was just treated as I feel a customer should be. After all, a customer’s cash is what pays the bills. Well done to Lift.

Not just because the airline got me from A to B in one piece, but because it was more than just a functional experience.

For the first time in a long time, from retail through to hotels, restaurants, and even airlines, I was made to feel that a company actually appreciated my choice to spend my money with them.

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