Maybe if folks had to pay for an airline ticket based on the inflation rate that started the year that deregulation came to the airline industry. Airlines would be able to pay for passenger amenities such as food, etc. They would also be able to pay for employees that would be a bit more friendly.

I’m not an economist, but I suspect the only folks who would be flying today, would be the rich and famous. For all its drawbacks, (late flights, mad employees) the general public is able to move around this country and the world relatively easily. Folks are getting a true economic benefit that we should be mostly satisfied with. While the system is not perfect, it is certainly a better alternate to walking.

“Now you’ve made me mad”

The title of this blog brought a smile to my face. You have been so cheery and optomistic in 2008 that I was afraid we had completely lost the crumudgenous Bing. Good to know he’s still there ready to pounce.

Stan,

I used to travel regularly and had a rule that if a destination was more than 200 miles away, I would fly. In general, flying has become such an ordeal that I now try hard to find ways not to travel, and my pain threshold for driving vs flying has expanded to about 400 miles. The industry has fundamentally changed with respect to its customer service, so I have fundamentally changed with respect to how often I use it.

It’s interesting that in this time of telecommuting, internet meetings and blackberries that make everyone accessible at all times, airports and airplanes are more crowded than ever. I think that the airlines have responded to the lower cost threshold of communicating effectively with remote associates by making it overly cheap to meet face to face. The result is that we travel much more than we need to, subject ourselves to being prodded like cattle thru airports, and suffer inadequate service and cramped, barely flying airplanes so that the airlines can afford to offer those low-cost fares. Competition has truly made flying more accessible to the public at large, but its not the same sort of flying that it used to be.

I remember a couple of years ago reading in your Fortune magazine about an airline that was introducing first-class only service. I haven’t haven’t seen anything more about it since then, so I guess the concept didn’t work out. The lesson there is that unless road warriors like yourself are willing to pay for service, it is gone forever, so the only defense left is to avoid flying whenever possible.

No it starts with Alfred Kahn in 1979

Skybus flight attendtants make $9/hr. Associates at Wal-Mart and Baristas at Starbucks make about $8/hr with a comparable skill set. That, unfortunately, is Glenn’s problem – not the “massive personal wealth” of AA management.

All airline executives should be required to fly in middle-seat coach without any special treatment.

If they don’t have anywhere to go, put them on a long flight anyway – call it “research”.

What I find striking is this. Since 2001, forget me saying when that year, since its a well known date, but after the airline bailout by the federal government, we still had airlines go bankrupt here in the US. The ones that went bankrupt were even the airlines that were directly affected by the events that year, namely Delta and Northwest Airlines.

Being a former US Service member, I had the opportunity to fly around the world utilizing numerous air carriers and seeing a wealth of different situations. One thing that I have found, that has puzzled me since, was the amount of respect and courtesy I received while coming into or leaving a foreign country. They had people that do something that Americans forget to do, provide customer service.

Now maybe the airlines have cut your pay and they fly beatup POS equipment that should be in the aircraft graveyard out west in California, but don’t take it out on your customers. We just want to get from point A to point B and actually be treated like human beings as opposed to cargo that can be pushed around at your leisure.

One notable is that the folks at US airports that work the ground at airline ticket counters often times have no clue what is going on, give bad information, or one of the least forgiveable in my opinion is give information in an uncourteous and impolite manner, making me as customer think gee, sorry to interrupt your busy day by asking you anything.

Yes, we know the people at the top are the problem. Don’t take your grief out on us as customers, because ultimately, that affects the future of your company. Treat customers with respect and they have an enjoyable flight, guess what can happen? More than likely they will gain loyalty to you, which has been the case for me with Northwest Airlines, and the other side, is they might tell others about their flight and say hey they were great you should with them too!

Stop trying to find faults and instead find fixes to the problems.

I hate flying. I didn’t used to hate flying, but I now find myself avoiding it if I can. I know that my troubles are somewhat self inflicted; I shop for cheap tickets. But these days, I am learning to avoid certain carriers and certain hubs.

Too bad we don’t have a better rail system.

Great Response Bing! I read the article yesterday, as well as most of the comments. I remeber when it used to cost $500 or more to fly from Kansas City to Salt Lake. It cost that much because you paid for the convenience, as well as the oh so gourmet food. I just booked a flight for two of my siblings to fly from Kansas City to Salt Lake for $500 together. I was thrilled with my $100 round trip from Denver. I do agree that if airlines were to follow current inflation trends, we would be luck to get a $500 ticket. However, poor working conditions to do not constitute poor service, as Bobbi showed that. I think some of the posts on this blog prove the point that the general population is so used to the status quo of service (which is crap) that your situation is typical, so why are you complaining? If they were to get a glimps of truly exceptional service (like Bobbi) they would have a hard time accepting anything less. So Bing…this is YOUR blog, you write about what you want without having to justify it. You did receive poor service from American, just as you have received poor service from that restaraunt a few weeks ago. It is not necessarily the company, it comes down to each individual. Someone once told me, “They may give you a recipe for a crap sandwhich and expect you to make chocolate chip cookies…you will never be able to make cookies, but you can make the best crap sandwhich anyone has tasted!” Keep up the good work, I look forward to future rants.

Take Virgin Atlantic cross Country. Their service across the pond is exceptional, expect similar things across the US.

I really see the airline industry as any other with costing pressure. Until they feel it in the wallet, nothing changes. Even then, bankruptcy is too easy and wipes the slate clean.

We as individual consumers can only uphold our end of the transaction. We pay the fare, we show up on time, bring reasonable carry-ons and expectations and show airline workers and our fellow passengers the respect we demand.

First and foremost, we have to admit most of our flights go without much of a hitch. Planes may not be right on time, but they’re usually close, and our luggage usually makes it, and the wings keep the airplane in the air until the crew decides otherwise. We just don’t notice these times. That’s human nature. Our expectations gravitate towards total success, every time.

Those times when the experience leaves a lot to be desired, we have but one reasonable and rightful avenue: complaint. No, not to the beleagured staff that is only fulfilling their role in the breakdown of the civil transaction, but to the airline management. When we complain to the staff over delays, dog poop and poor treatment, we shoot blanks at people who will pass us off as grouchy fliers who want it all. When we let the moment pass and take the time to sit down afterwards to compose a dignified, objective complaint to the airline, we fire a shot that at least leaves a mark. And when a good many of us do the same over a particularly painful experience, the effect becomes more pronounced.

Unfortunately, it seems that most consumers are willing to get angry, pop off, then stew about the issue a while before forgetting about it and moving on. If it really needs changing, it’s worth the time to document for the airline. If not, then we need to accept it as a product of our buy low mentality and the inevitable poor service that brings.

Blame me, the consumer.

If I place a premium on service, Airlines will charge what they need to deliver (think Emirates, Singapore Air, etc.). If I place a premium on price, services will be adjusted to deliver that which I value most (think SWA).

Why are we blaming Reagan, de-regulation, airline companies, service agents, or corporate greed? Stupid.

Hi Bing,

You really want to get mad? Try Safety! I’ve been at the piloting game at AA for more than 20 years. Remember flight 1400 a few months ago that burned up in STL? A friend flew that plane a couple days earlier and like several other Captains wrote up a start valve that was not working properly. AA just signed off the device as the FAA and our MEL (minimum equipment list) allows them to. Stupid? Yes! Legal? Yup! Instead of FIXING the thing, it fragments sending shrapnel into the engine and catches on fire, the relays that are supposed to work for electrical distribution fail as well and that plane nearly took the lives of 140 people. Thanks to the pilots on that day for saving everyone. Other bonehead ‘cost saving’ ideas that our upper management has had in recent years is deleting overnight maintenance checks. The result? Microbial growth in the fuel tanks as the wing sumps were not drained of water (from condensation). Microbes grew and literally ate up the fuel probes that tell pilots how much gas is in their tanks. AA had a couple planes flame out an engine because the tanks showed fuel when there was none. Oh, how about another item that used to be done at night, relieving the trapped air in the hydraulic systems. AA has set a record for burned up hydraulic pumps due to this, causing failed systems. There’s more….Just the other day an AA plane had its nose gear fail to retract properly; one of dozens in the past few months because AMR used to ‘repack’ them at every “heavy C” check now AMR does it every second one. Boy I bet the CNN coverage on that was worth the savings for upper management bonuses. AA had a 757 emergency land the other day due to electrical arcing in the pilot’s window another known defect that AA won’t fix. Manning is another issue, 10% of the entire 777 fleet pilots retired last month because if they didn’t and stayed until their normal retirement date would have worked more than a year for free. Upper Management has now been forced to cancel flights and give our former passengers to rival carriers. Now that’s sound economic planning and business principal! Don’t forget the American Eagle problem finding qualified Pilots….applicants there barely have to have more than a few hundred hours of total flight time in small unpressurized single engine planes.
No high altitude JET experience is required!!!! Hope you and the travelling public feel a bit safer now!

The list goes on…..Demoralized underpayed employees, worked to the bone, with no rewards for our sacrifices. Enjoy the cheap seats y’all.

You know, this type of situation is not unique to the service industry. Excessive demands by consumers for cheaper coupled with ever-present shareholder expectations of rising sales and profits have doomed many an industry.

I was in K-Mart the other day and I saw a microwave oven for $49. A couple was evaluating it. They were giving a clerk (clueless teenager) the third degree as if they were going to invest their life savings. PEOPLE…IT’S $49!!!

What is disturbing here is that most people think they have a god given right to a $49 microwave. Those same people DARE to question why nothing is made in America anymore.

Gee… you tell me.

Simple Solution No. 862: CEOs are paid based on two criteria: 1) customer satisfaction, and 2) employee morale.

You can sum this entire ‘Now You Made Me Mad’ article with two words: ‘personal responsiblity’ which you do mention. Successful people take responsibilty and don’t sit back and blame the ‘man’ for their own down falls.

All I can think is…a flight attendant had to save for 10 years to “design and build” her own home and I’m supposed to cry? Last time I checked it didn’t take a college degree, particular technical skill, or really much of anything (besides, of course, the same patience it takes to work at starbucks) to be a flight attendant. There are a lot of “full time” jobs out there that have watched their wages and healthcare butchered, so get in line. Clearly I know I’m in the wrong industry when the person with free travel, no unique skills and apparently no ambition in those 20 years to train herself for a higher skill level job, can afford a house quicker than I can. I do think it’s unfair, yes, because I think everyone should make a living wage and have healthcare. But it’s typical in all industries right now, ask those UAW workers if they think their kids will follow in their foot steps and work a living wage at an auto plant. And the CEOs? Per usual, they are the only employee who never takes a pay cut.

This is perhaps one of those scenarios where the govt needs to step up and recognize that this is a tanking system the way they did when they took over the railroads as they tanked, and regulate a set price. I am not saying costs wouldn’t increase do to this how ever I am saying this is a system that is failing and clearly shouldn’t be a corporate game anymore taking out their bloated salaries and obvious lack of caring for the American consumer is dooming us all to having extremely inflated prices and worse and worse service, at least when I take the train its fairly nice and I’m not overwhelmed with gloomy people that complain about there job if its so bad find a new one. Your humble military employee.

Also forgive my grammar and punctuation I am the product of public education you all should find something funny in there.

Though I feel Glenn’s pain and can sympathize with his experience, I cannot totally accept his point of view. I agree that airlines are taken for granted and we all need to realize their importance in enabling us to visit family, go on vacations and add a personal touch to national or even global business. I am a strong believer in free markets and I believe that if a company cannot meet the standards and prices that people are willing to pay, they should go out of business or be acquired. I think that Glenn could have easily quit his job at AA and found profitable and more stable work elsewhere. You should not accept the cuts that were handed out and if you do not agree with the compensation awarded to the company heads, quit! No one is forcing you to stay and be miserable. Our unemployment rate is around 5%. By remaining in a job that is unfulfilling or against your moral grain, you are implying that you are less marketable than 95% of the country. Just the fact that you turned on your computer and read Bing’s Blog tells me you are better than that. Yes, consumers bitch and moan a lot, but that privilege comes with the dollar in their hand. Please do not project your unhappiness and malice on consumers. Your resignation, and hopefully those of many others at drowning companies, will show the decision makers there is a crisis at hand. Without that, they continue to pass the buck to you and pull major profits while you suffer.

Finally someone who recognizes that the destruction of the US economy, jobs, way of life didn’t start with George Bush, but started with Ronald Reagan. This supposedly “great” president did more damage than anyone other the George Bush the second. It is too bad the the elite referred to are so dumb that they don’t realize that when they destroy the people who work for them, and agrivate their customers that soon they won’t have any profits, and then they too will disappear.

I notice that Bing offered no response to Glenn’s assertion that AA executives prospered while the airline, its employees and customers carried the burden of cost reductions. There was a time when employees were regarded as an asset. Now management treats them simply as expenses to be squeezed and cut as ruthlessly as possible.

Passengers are schizophrenic when it comes to the airlines. They shop for the cheapest fare and then want to be treated like they are in first class. “Where are the pillows?” they wonder. “Why aren’t we getting fed? What? No peanuts? I have to *pay* for them??” All that stuff costs money. The reason those amenities are gone is the same reason you are bragging to your friends that you found a Kansas City-to-Vegas round trip for only $205.

I am so old I can remember when it felt so classy to be jet setter. but now lately I hate air travel. you can be guaranteed a late & delayed flight and spend so many hours in air travel you could almost drive there in 2/3 the time!

Alas! alack! NOW I CAN’T afford to drive there! (forget about walking! or wagon train!)

Is it time to invest in Amtrack?

I appreciate that these expensive air fares are still a bargain.

but am concerned about the safety infractions.

And as an ole fuddy duddy, I am terrified of the cattle car – (or sports stadium) experience flying on that new jet that holds 2,000 people will have to be.

Which no doubt will be the ONLY way to get to Europe for middle class (and lesser)travelers.

Bing, I want to say that I understand the frustration that you have. I have worked in the airline industry for my whole adult life. From baggage screener to ramp agent, ticket agent to flight crew. I have seen some profound changes in the industry. I even grew up in the industry prior to deregulation.
The airline indusrty has some very severe problems. You got caught up in the constant tug of war of providing a service and an industry that is continually trying to cut costs. I am sure that many others have told you that your comments were unjust and that you did not understand. There may be some truth to this. You may not fully understand until you have been on the otherside of the fence, looking outward at customers such as yourself. Even as an employee traveling, I have come across the same frustrations. The best is when a third flight in a row got cancelled because the catering truck ran into it.
Another airline employee did have the best advice to you and that is to be vocal. I can say that airline employees get just as frustrated. As a gate agent for United my fellow workers and I would scream daily at our managers to fix the problems that we say every day. We even provided some easy solutions. These always fell on deaf ears. The only real recourse was for us to ask disgruntled customers to please write letters to management to voice their complaints. It really is the only way to enact change.
If I may offer my two cents worth, I know one thing that will solve most every problem within the industry today. It is called MONEY. With money, airlines can afford to hire more employees. Ones who specialize in cleaning aircraft and airports to make them more pleasing to the eyes of the customers who see them every day. It would also allow airlines to be able to once again afford to have airplanes sitting idle on the ground just a little bit longer between flights so that arrival delays do not translate into departure delays. This would also allow time for people to clean airplanes between departures. It would allow airlines to have extra gate space that would allow for airplanes with air traffic control delays to remain on the gate without creating a conflict to other arriving flights who are scheduled to use the very same gate. With money airlines could hire more people to take care of people such as yourself and your luggage. Right now airlines run with minimum staffing. Remember the days when departures had twice as many people to assist customers and did not rely on automated computers and phone lines??
Perhaps with money, employees may even be properly compensated. it is sad that a career that once could sustain people with a worthwile income, even for those who only provided customer service or made sure you bags actually would get to your destination, has devolved into a job that has high turn over and pays no better than the high school kid that gives you your hamburger at you local Mc Donald’s restaurant. Just to Emphasize this know that on a recent trip through Denver, I saw that a full time Mc Donald’s employee at the airport would make $76 more a month than a Co Pilot at Great Lakes Airlines flying the maximum allowable by law.
Let me end my ranting a raving by offering you an idea for your next article. I would love to see an article that would focus on the cost cutting of airlines and the toll it has taking on all of us. Discuss how the quest for the the cheap airfare has devolved air travel from elitist transportation into nothing more than Mass Transit. Also discuss how dirt cheap airfares have led us from all inclusive to ala cart pricing. WEll I have to get ready for my next flight. Good luck on yours and I look forward to seeing what you find out.
Good Luck

Maybe it’s time to scrap the airlines as a method for transporting millions of ppl every year? A good rail system can do more for less. Considering the airport delays, “security” delays and weather delays rail travel isn’t any slower.

I don’t see mention of age here.

In the fifties “jet flight’ was refered to as a “champagne flight. 36th street around Miami Int’l Airport just bubbled with “jet set” flight attendents, pilots, and flight engineers–then.

Now, the Chinese have referred to people as being to our “Mother earth” as “HIV” is to people.

A political office costs more to acquire than the position pays. Politicians got on the soap box and the rhetoric was: “We must make our futures better for our children.” Today, one wonders “whose children”? Their children or children of the population at large? We’re getting older now.

Skillphil in the workplace was the buzz word, our work is recognized by the quality of our products. Then.

Glenn tells his age and the changes he encountered as his length of service unfolded.

Bobbi, I am guessing, is a newer employee in a better airport location with high aspirations?

We find ourselves from time to time like “Jimmy and Tammy Baker”. “A fall from grace”. The Governor of New York is currently experiencing a “traumatic crash” from “euphoric enrapture”.

Technology continually increases cramping in peoples lives. The Earth doesn’t increase its capacity. our population is as inflated as our currency. We can produce more than we can consume. the “Circuit Court Of Apology” increasingly sounds like a great idea for relief to taxpayers.

“Confession and penence” have been diluted by age to “Public Apology” and the “ACLU”.

Chapels and Chaplins in the work place and jails leads to sanctioned permissiveness.

Crafty people will continue to create change as they permeate through the future population.

Thank goodness we live in America. A land where we have the right to make the choice to no longer work in any environment in which we feel ownership or management are overpaid and out of touch. What we should not do is allow our personal dissatisfaction to be exhibited in our customer contact. This only further exacerbates tenuous relationships, both personal and financial.

Actually, it is a big conspiracy (or at least one exec feeding off another). The executive who runs the company you work for pays you the minimum amount necessary to get the job done, and when you have to travel, allows you to do so but only on the cheap (e.g. the ever popular nonrefundable and non-upgradeable ticket). The executive running the airline pays his help the minimum amount necessary to get the job done and taking a cue from your boss, gladly sells you the aforementioned cheap ticket. Then, both pat themselves on the back for saving their respective companies from paying more than they have to, except, of course, their multi-million dollar bonuses at the end of the year.

Which is why a sage once said something like “No man is free who works for another.”

The Emperors of Industry (their egos are too big for them to be mere captains anymore) have told us for a long time now that labor unions are evil and are destroying America. They’ve worked hard at destroying any and all labor movements that have stood in their way. They worship at the alter of the God Almighty Dollar and nothing else matters to them. Glenn hit the nail right on the head. We get substandard service, substandard products, substandard pay and substandard treatment from substandard morons, whose only clame to greatness is that they entered their chosen professions with a daddy-bought portfolio so large that working wasn’t really necessary to begin with. It’s the new Goood Old Boys Club. Only today, the goal of the club is not to excude this group or that, but to reduce everyone to complete servitude.

Like Glenn in SF ,too, am an airline employee who has wathed his salary and hours drop tothe point where I had to sell my house and retrench economically.

And while, too, I am not an economist, Ihave to wonder if htere truly is a net positive economic befit to our current long distance transportation structure —essentially flying.

At my airport, a hub, most passengers are flying short distances that could easily be served by other means like rail and bus, if thye truly wanted cheap transportation and if it had the capacity.

In fact, for the mearly 20% of pasengers at my terminal who are travelling to destinations within 200 miles of us, the total travel time between air, road, and rail is about equal.

I can’t but wonder if those families that fly with us, struggling to keep children entertained and under control, might not prefer a mode of transportation that allows the kids to stretch and play instead of being strapped down in a narrow seat.

The rail trip between here and the state capital is a joyful adventure for the dozens of schoolkids who make the trek daily.

I believe that air travel does have a vital social and economic place in the US, but I can;t but wonder if that economic interest is being misread.

Glenn really makes the case for re-regulation. Once ALL of the airlines are held accountable to an increased set of standards, including on-time arrivals, lost baggage complaints, maximum seating capacities and wages, real improvement in the customer experience can improve. Until then, all of the airlines have to look at cutting EVERY possible cost, including customer service and maintenance, in order provide a product with a competitive price.

I’m no fool. I understand that regulation is essentially a price floor. The effect of price floors is to increase supply and decrease demand. Sure, that will mean more seats available. It will also mean higher prices for seats, which means fewer people schlepping off to grandma’s for Thanksgiving. That, however, is a trade-off that I would be willing to make.

Wow. I learned some things over the last couple of blogs that reinforced by personal actions. I used to think that the people that manned the gates were, pardon the pun, “flighty” with the brain wattage. These responses have made me realize that more of the responsibility lies with leaderless organizations. I will remember this the next time I HAVE to fly.
Around 10 years ago, I realized that every time I flew, I arrived in the pissiest mood possible due to various airline/attendant/gate attendant issues, and swore to fly as little as possible. While I realize this isn’t possible for business, I drive my gas suckin Yukon and LOVE it. I don’t loose my luggage, I can crank the tunes and belt out the lyrics as loud as I care to, I can stop if and when I choose for whatever reason, my seat is comfy and the best part??? Driving across the nation is cheaper round trip than a flight scheduled within a couple of weeks of use. My record is 22 hours straight thru. Yeeeeha!

Airline “leadership”, airport “management” and the FAA disgust me.

After reading both posts and the various comments that follow, I feel as though AA management is caught between a rock and a hard place, so to speak. No matter what the issue is, in this case it was a delay and poor customer service, the fingers always seem to point back to the leaders of the company. They are not, however, on the front line dealing with the customers day in and day out. They are simply employing and entrusting those they hire to provide exemplary customer service and hospitality. Most delays are not caused by management, but rather weather, the FAA, and unexpected mechanical issues. A delay due to a crew that is not hasty in the cleaning of a cabin as described in the posted narrative is caused by the employee not employer. But, in true fashion, some are expeditious in their blame of management for all that ails the airline industry.

“We all live within the belly of our own particular beast. How human we are within that confine is up to each of us.”

Bing – that’s a sharp comment. Good job.

Bing,
I generally like your blogs, however, this one really shows a different side of hypocrisy. Sure your example of the gate agent implies that he could have been human and more willing to bend the rules to help out the poor costumer. However, do you really understand the HIS story? What if he loses his job, which I might even assume is already insecure because of all the cuts in the airline business? Another person commented that the airline staff are caught between a rock and a really hard place, which is true. They WANT to be human; but they CAN’T. YOU, who wants to fly cheap, is putting them in that hard place. The big cooperate head is the rock that is trying to squeeze every ounce of work from them. (In addition to talking about being human, do you feel as a writer for the media you have a invisible responsibilities to talk about the horrors of the cooperative rock that squeeze the little guys? I mean, come now, they are getting big pay even which the company is doing poorly. If you do not step above your duties and write about them, why in the world will the gate agent need to step above his duty and be “human” as you call it.)

Note: I read your “I’m open to any suggestion. As long as I don’t have to walk.” as a double meaning. You are open to talk about rants, and bash back at people, but aren’t willing to actually do anything to make a difference. If you talk about being “human” and all, be ready to back it up with your own deeds. Elsewise, its just air talk.

i have found if you bring the gate agents and flight attendants a gift, usually chocolate, things go much better. call it karma or whatever. at least making someone else happy makes me happy. please don’t forget to tip the pilot. (read hilarious frommers thread)

Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, made $10.6M in 2007. The Barista at Glenn’s neighborhood Starbucks makes $8/hr. I bet Glenn still expects 5-star service when he orders his latte. Glenn probably makes 2-3x as much as the Barista, so why does he feel entitled to his own demoralized state? Would he prefer the job at Starbucks?

I read blogs like yours all the time. You complain about the airlines but when you go to buy your ticket, you’ll do whatever you can to save a penny. This forces the airlines to cut costs. In short, you (the public) are getting exactly what you’ve demanded.

If you want to get the best read on the airline, investigate the morale of the pilot group. Sure there are other groups, but the airline won’t be on time if this group is unhappy. And right now, they’re all quite pissed.

If the state of things continues much longer, most of the skilled pilots will quit and be replaced by the industry equivilent of trained monkies. The airline accident rate will spike.

The good news is you’ll no longer be so concerned with service or on-time performance. You’ll be happy just to have arrived alive.

What I don’t understand is why some airlines provide excellent service (SWA, Virgin, Midwest, etc.) while others fail miserably (AA, Northwest etc.) These companies are all basically operating in the same environment, and it is not our fault that oil is over $100 a barrel. I understand that, as an employee, having your pay reduced and such would suck… but no one is holding a gun to your head making you keep your job. As a customer, we are essentially paying your (minimal as they may be) wages and ensuring that you HAVE a job. Keeping the customer happy, gives way to return business, more butts in seats, and happier passengers, thus, making your job easier. I guess misery really does love company. But the whole maintenance (or lack there of) issue is scary.

Bing – I wouldn’t want you to walk… or drive from NY to CA. It is much more dangerous… and who would write this blog if something happened to you?

Jessica – where’s the “it’s so nice, it feels like summer and I can drive with my windows down” in St. Cloud today??

As I sit and read all of the comments on this, I realize just how clueless the general public is on how airlines work. Unless you have had the “pleasure” to work for an airline, don’t lay blame. I have been an airline employee for over eight years, working gates, ticket counter and baggage service. Most airline employees (at least at my company) have to go thru strenuous training, and if they don’t pass the training, they don’t have a job. Have you ever really stopped to think what it’s all about? First of all, ticket counter agents may not always have the right information. We work off what we are given. That is sometimes call “lack of communication”.
Granted, 99 percent of the passengers I check in are there in plenty of time for their flight, but then there are always those, that for one reason or another, cannot seem to get to the airport on time and expect us to hold the plane and then turn around and complain because they aren’t on time! Emergencies such as getting stuck in traffic in an accident situation can cause problems, but give yourself plenty of time to get there on time. Don’t expect us to hold the flight, it ain’t gonna happen. Then there are those who know that there are weight limits on bags but expect you to waive the charge because they overpacked. I ALWAYS give my passengers the option of taking things out of a bag to make the weight limit instead of just charging them money. Is that not customer service? Please study up on airline rules before leaving home. And while you are packing your bag, don’t pack the spray starch, laundry detergent or the paint for grandma’s house. These are things that can cause an airplane to burst into flames during flight. Working during extreme OSO (off schedule operations such as thunderstorms or snowstorms) are not fun for us either. I have worked many 12 and 14 hour days because I am not allowed to leave until all the passengers have been taken care of. I feel like I have a responsibility to try and get each and every one of my passengers to their destination. Their trip is just as important to me as it is to them. But sometimes situations do not allow to make ALL passengers happy. To put it quite simply, there just are not enough planes and seats to go around for everybody. Don’t yell at me when your flight is cancelled because the thunderstorm is too dangerous to fly through or the snow and ice makes it too slick to land an airplane. These are done for safety reasons, not just to inconvience you. And let’s not forget the few and far between situations such as control tower radars and communications going out. Would you really want a pilot to “blind-fly” an airplane just so you can get to your ski resort on time? And mechanical issues come into play here. Granted there are issues that are not taken care of when they should be, but have you not ever driven your car when the oil is too low or you have a bad tire? Get a grip folks, these things happen. As far as lost bags go, I lost your bag just to make you have to go without clean clothes or don’t have the materials for that presentation you have to do. Has anyone actually seen how bags are distributed in a major hub? Mind boggling. Most of it is done by machines and computers, and how reliable are those? In smaller stations where the tags are read by hand and put on each aircraft, there is much less margin for error. When it comes down to the times and delays, let’s get one thing straight. I can’t speak for other airlines but the one I work for expects answers to why that airplane did not leave the gate on time. Yes, we have to be accountable, at least at MY station. And don’t blame Reagan for the high prices on tickets. Blame the terrorists that screwed up the airline industry on September 11, or have you all forgotten? Blame the Middle East for oil prices that are making hard for us to buy gasoline for cars, let alone for airplanes. Blame Bush for putting up with it. We have plenty of oil in our own country. Why can’t we use it? It is true that the airline industry is not what it used to be, but don’t blame it on the front line employees. There are those of us out there who still believe in customer service, but keep in mind, we can only work with what we have. Yes, we as employees, of all the major airlines at least, have all taken pay cuts and concessions since 9/11, and yes we could find other jobs, and yes we complain about it, but we are still there to check you in, and board you for your flight. And also, to find that bag and have it delivered to you when we didn’t have it there just to make you mad. Next time you walk up to an airline ticket counter agent or gate agent, stop and really think about maybe what that person has to go through so that you can make your trip. And most of all, remember, there is NO perfect job!

For every idiot employee that works at American or any other airline for that matter, there are many, many more employees like Bobbi that you speak so highly of. I can’t imagine having a gate agent’s job. When something beyond your control happens, you are at the mercy of literally hundreds of angry passengers that spit, scream, curse and basically want to tear your head off for trying to do your job. And, I might add, at less than standard wages. You have to applaud the employees that do go above and beyond their duty, they really do care. They don’t get paid extra to care for irate, mean passengers. And,as far as the ones that don’t care, at least for what I’ve seen being married to a pilot with American for 22 years, they really are few and far between. Contrary to poplar belief, most employees I know still feel something warm and fuzzy about working for American Airlines although it seems that AA management is taking that away with everything else. It’s a pretty sad state of affairs.

Mr. Bing,

Your frustration flying today’s airlines is no longer anything new. It’s my opinion this -frustration- carries over to airline employees as much as it does to the customers.

While your well written article this morning identifies some of the -problems- of today’s airlines. You either ignored the cause of what’s wrong in the industry or you have not accomplished the research to understand -why- the US Airline Industry has fallen so far in customer service.

Here are some startling details of what has actually occurred in the Airline Industry yet is virtually never recognized by the media.

The following data is from SEC filings and the most recent BTS reports and recognizes the 7 largest US Airlines which account for 72.4% of the US Airline market share [mainline data].

Since year 2000, the -last annual report prior to 911- and through 2007:

* Total passenger revenues were up by less than one percent.

* The average passenger fare increased from $137 to $153 [+13%]. After accounting for inflation, there has been no real increase in passenger fares.

* There are over 34% less employees for the 7 Major Airlines.

* The average number of passengers to employee ratio has increased by almost 36%.

* Average wage/salary [W2] expense is down by 29% before accounting for inflation.

* While all of this financial loss to the average airline employee has occurred; The employee revenue productivity has increased by an astounding 52%.

* The average labor cost per passenger one way fare has dropped from $60 [39%] to $37 [22%].

(fares noted above do not include government taxes and fees that are not included in airline revenues).

* At the same time rank and file employees worked more for less, management salaries [W2] increased by nearly 108%.

Mr. Bing, respectfully, the US Airline Industry use to lead the World. We now trail most foreign airlines in every measurable metric, especially, customer service.

The above is for information and not meant to provide a blind defense for rude, albeit frequently over-worked and underpaid employees.

One only has to consider the increased cost to drive your car across the state today compared to year 2000 to realize how low airfares really are today.

I suggest before the industry can improve, recognition of exactly what the problems are must occur first.

Then we must be willing to pay a relatively small additional amount per ticket at the same time well paid airline managements are encouraged to return this industry to what it use to be.

Sincerely,
Robert Herbst
Airlinefinancials.com

Come on, guys. What are we really doing here?? We’re paying next-to-nothing for our seats (especially on an inflation-adjusted basis), jet fuel prices are sky high, and airline salaries are in the hole. Under these circumstances, how many of us expect to be treated like kings?? And *what* do we think we really deserve, anyway?? Yet, it doesn’t take long for me to find an American Airlines employee with a kind word or a smile … working in one of the hardest businesses in the world. And the other day, a flight attendant I had never meant sprinted from one end of ORD to the other to bring me an item I negligently left behind on her plane. Considering the horrors of 9/11, all of the insults they take every day, and all of their hard work, these people (management included) deserve the biggest gold stars we can give them. How about it … *act* like a human being, and maybe you’ll be *treated* like one!

Sorry about my spelling! English is my fourth language. My native language is Portuguese. But here we go:

Airline employees are carefully selected and well qualified.
To work at starbucks, you don’t need to pass drug test, medical exams, background check ( past 10 years), and be fingerprinted/investigated by the FBI. Airline employees do!

To work at some places, You can even be an illegal immigrant. Not for an airline…They do check!
So, stop the ignorancy! Flight crew are responsable for people’s lives and safety. I wouldn’t say anybody can do that! Get a life people! To work a coffee house or store is a respectfull thing to do(anybody that works and is not lazy deserve respect for that) but to qualify for an airline job is a lot more dificult than you think.
For all of you out there that have crimminal convictions(dui for example)or use drugs, have certain medical issues, bad appearance/bad higienne habits, and are illegal immigrants, you would never even be considerated for an interview. Besides that, if you do have what it takes, and pass a few interviews, you can start trainning. And it’s intensive! More than 40 hours a week for 6-7 weeks. A lot of it, is computer application SABRE, medical, safety, and many other things that passengers don’t see. If you make it(A lot of people don’t) , you have to make it through the probation period (several months) and then you have to make sure you can handle the lifestyle. Not to mention that you have to have money saved for those weeks that you attend trainning,(you don’t get paid for that) and also to relocate usually to the most expensive cities in the US, and they tell you where at the end of trainning. Also you have to buy your Uniform and Luggage just to start working. It’s very different than work at a restaurant or a store. So, stop comparing things that are completelly different because you look like an ignorant and clueless person!

Stop the ignorance people! The part of the job that you do see: Serving drinks, it’s a very small part of the job. It’s just like saying: Police officers are stupid and deserve to make little money because all they do is to write speeding tickets!

I hate ignorance! Stoooooooooop it!

Also, after you invest all that money, relocating, and start climbing the seniority list, it’s just difficult to just simply quit. Because you can’t take your experience or seniority with you. So, you loose everything you invested for all those years.

It’s NOT as simple as you may think!

I bet there are a lot of Baristas at Starbucks who don’t do drugs and are regularly responsible for peoples’ lives (e.g., driving a minivan with kids in it). We have an economic system based on free trade that rewards people with advanced educations and punishes those without. If you’re making $40K with benefits as a flight attendant right now, enjoy it while it lasts. I wish everyone could make more money, but that’s just reality and all the bad attitudes and management pay cuts in the world won’t change that.

No, not all druggies work at the same place, some make millions in show Biz. I respect people at Starbucks; I respect all people that contribute to society in a legal and decent way. However, working at a store is not the same as working as Flight Att.
So much for your society that rewards education: Porn stars make good money, prostitutes, drug dealers, terrorists… That’s not the point! All I’m saying is that it does take certain qualification to be a Flight Att. Just like not everyone qualifies to be a model, or a singer… I’m not here to dictate how much money anybody needs to make. I’m saying stop comparing things that are different!

We know terrorists are still targeting airplanes, not Starbucks! Therefore, if you are a criminal, you can’t be trusted with the safety of passengers and have access to sensitive info about terror threats. I don’t care how smart your diploma says you are, or how carefully you drive your kids in a minivan… By the way: Don’t we have people dead or injured on car accidents every second? How about airline accident death related? Get the point? Wasn’t it a Flight Att that busted Richard Reed(the shoe bomber) trying to blow up AA flight and saved all those people‘s lives and probably the company as well?
Don’t some terrorists have diploma and are very educated as well? Some are doctors… there is a high demand for that! Some doctors/terrorist were busted, in England not too long ago (i guess the night club bombing event?!)…
It’s not about a “diploma”; it’s about safety in a terror targeted environment. Just look up the word “different”. It means, NOT THE SAME THING! While you’re at it, research an event known as 9/11. It involved Airlines not Starbucks!

Jesse, you are right… it was a lovely day yesterday. Weather is warmer finally and Spring is not that far away!! Yipee!!

Can you please post an additional comment where you explain why Ronald Regan is to blame for the airline industry’s issues? [If deregulation is your reason - keep in mind Jimmy Carter signed that law!]

Understandable frustrations
http://www.bajansunset.com