German vlogger gets death threat over critical review of Singapore Airlines
- Josh Cahill described SIA cabin crew as a ‘letdown’, as they did not spend much time engaging with passengers
- He said he has previously made more critical reviews of other airlines, but this was the first time he had received such backlash
A German travel vlogger who posted a critical review of a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight on January 7 has received more than 100 abusive messages over Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, many more abrasive comments on his YouTube and Instagram pages, and even a death threat.
Josh Cahill, who started posting videos airline reviews in January 2018 on his YouTube channel, said despite previously posting reviews of other airlines that were more critical, it was the first time he had received such “intense” criticism.
The 33-year-old went to the police for advice but stopped short of making a police report as it was difficult to track down the account holders without a name or proper profile.
The account holder that made a death threat claimed to be an SIA employee.
I will not surrender to the bullies.
In response, SIA said it was in contact with Cahill about the threat made, but “without the details or any additional information”, it was unable to confirm if those who allegedly made the threats were their staff.
The company added that should the police contact them about the matter, it would assist in investigations and ensure appropriate action was taken.
“If Mr Cahill’s allegations are found to be true, we will ensure that the appropriate action will be taken. As an airline that is committed to service excellence, Singapore Airlines takes all feedback seriously and requires our staff to treat our customers with professionalism and respect,” it said.
The post that drew flak from viewers was an 11-minute video titled “Singapore Airlines economy class – not worth the dollar!”, which drew 170,000 views.
Cahill, who sat on a 13-hour flight from London to Singapore, praised the in-flight meals and seats, but said that the cabin crew was “the biggest letdown” of the flight.
He described the crew as having a “zero-engagement policy” and that the service was “performance based” with “little time left to engage with (their customers)”.
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He had paid S$1,200 (US$890) for the ticket, and said it was “definitely” not worth it, and that other airlines offer cheaper prices with “so much more” on offer.
“But overall, it is a brilliant product, don’t get me wrong,” he clarified in the video.
SIA has bagged Skytrax’s world best airlines title four times since it was introduced in 2001, the latest being in 2018. Out of the 19 iterations, the national carrier has been in the top three spots 17 times.
In 2019, Qatar Airways beat SIA to take the top spot. SIA won other key awards, including a number for best cabin crew.
Since his review was posted, Cahill’s YouTube and Instagram profiles have been filled with comments from irate SIA supporters.
“Your title is definitely over the line. Do not judge or make conclusions based on one flight,” read a comment by Instagram user @alicetan.93.
Many commenters also pointed out that cabin crew members had many passengers to tend to and were not obliged to make small talk with passengers, and that such personalised service could be sought in first class or business class.
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While Cahill considered these fair comments to be taken as “feedback and criticism”, he was also confronted with a flurry of xenophobic and abusive comments, which he has since removed.
TODAY saw screenshots of some of these messages which commented on his race and also messages that were sent to his Singaporean girlfriend urging her to reconsider her choice of a partner.
“All I provided was honest feedback based on my experiences,” he said.
He added that aside from the negative reviews, which are “the ones that stand out”, he has also received an “equal amount of supportive comments too”.
Cahill is currently travelling across Vietnam, reviewing airlines in the region.
