Are the Airline Companies Finally Getting the Message?

With some of the airline CEOs getting drilled by Congress earlier this week, just maybe the airlines will finally get a wakeup call that Passengers are totally fed up with the treatment they are receiving by the airlines. Remember the time when the airlines would strive to make the trip experience as comfortable as possible? Now, the Passenger is thought of as a Liability rather than an Asset, with these companies continuing to find newer and more creative ways not only to make the trip more expensive but to eliminate comfort and to cram more and more people onto their planes. For instance, just this week, American airlines have announced that 2 inches of space between rows will be removed, as well as smaller bathrooms! Things like this will only make passengers even more frustrated causing more fights on-board. What is next – charging to use the bathroom, or having to slide in a credit card in case oxygen is required?

One area that is a personal pet peeve, is having to pay big bucks to check in luggage. When my wife and I returned from our Hawaii honeymoon, several years back, one of our suitcases went MIA from the checked-in luggage, and was never found. I assumed that it was stolen. I learned some interesting facts, as a result of this horrible experience, that I want to share with you.  First of all, we had to take connecting flights in going back home. While both planes were from the same airline (United), it was interesting to learn that checked luggage is not re-scanned when changing planes. Because of this, we were unable to determine where our luggage was last located. When your luggage arrives at the airport carousel, there are not guards to check you claim tickets against each piece of luggage. What this means is that if your luggage arrives at the carousel before you do, anyone can go to the carousel and pick up any piece of luggage without being checked or challenged! Did you also know that before your flight, you are supposed to have written a complete inventory list of every item in each suitcase, in case your luggage is stolen? How many people would actually go to the effort of doing this? Doesn’t this make you happy in having to pay to check in your luggage?

I recommend watching these old airline commercials, to see what things used to be like when customer service and comfort were truly high on the list for the airlines:

      United Airlines -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuyt1EkkTKE

     Continental Airlines -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGSaE2QOd00

     TWA -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIavXew9bPY