Why The Airline Industry in the US is Struggling

A few weeks ago, I was at the airport traveling. When I was at my gate, the sky started to darken and eventually it started raining. I knew the inevitable would happen….a series of flight delays.

Like most people, delays frustrate me, however, in situations where the weather is bad I completely understand why flights are grounded.

After a couple hours, the sky cleared and other flights around me started to take off. My flight, however, continued to get delayed.

I talked to the desk agent and asked if she had any information about my flight. She then told me that the plane that was supposed to come to our gate and pick us up was diverted to another airport. I asked if there was a way I could get to a neighboring city on a different flight, but the desk agent reassured me that everything would be fine and I should just wait at the gate. I complied.

About an hour later, I noticed that my flight was no longer showing up on the airport television monitors and it was no longer updating on the mobile app. I was confused so, once again, I went up to talk to the desk agent. She then informed me that for some reason the flight was no longer in her system and she couldn’t access information about it.

At this point, I was frustrated. This was no longer an issue about the weather, but rather a technology and operations issue on American Airlines’ part.

Eventually, my flight was cancelled and I had to fly out the next morning.

When I was trying to rebook my flight, the desk agent refused to offer my request for a hotel voucher or a meal voucher. As a frequent traveler, I’ve accrued a certain member status with American Airlines, so I thought they would treat me slightly differently. I decided to contact American Airlines via e-mail the next day to explain what had happened.

In their e-mail response, American Airlines took no ownership for what happened and seemed to place some of the blame on me stating, “While I understand that you feel we experienced a system error…” I didn’t feel they experienced a system error...a system error did actually occur.

This lack of customer focus is one of the primary reasons why airlines in the US, including American Airlines, rate so poorly on satisfaction surveys and never rank as one of the best airlines in the world.

Contrast that experience to a similar one I had in Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific Airlines. Like my American Airlines story, my flight was delayed due to weather. Immediately, they apologized for the delay and brought out snacks for all passengers near the boarding gate and on the flight they gave us additional snacks and goodies. Furthermore, they automatically changed my connecting flight without me having to do any additional work and added miles to my account. I’ve had similar occurrences happen to me with other international airlines.

There are a few key differences between the two situations I experienced that I believe can make or break a business, and they deal with creating a strong customer experience.

Take Ownership and Never Blame the Customer:Even if the customer is wrong, businesses should take ownership of the problem and assume responsibility.

Be On the Offensive, Not the Defensive: Anticipate customers’ needs and wants (such as rebooking them a flight without them having to call in, or crediting miles on a basis of goodwill) without them having to ask for it.

Think About the Customer’s Long Term Value:  In general, it’s much easier to retain customers than it is to find new ones, so businesses should try and do everything they can to make their current customers happy. Even if they have to shell some money up front (such as providing snacks, crediting an account with miles etc.), businesses should think about the long term value the customer might give back to the company. Customers' respect for companies will typically increase if the company handles a problem in a tactful and effective manner.

What are your ideas to create a strong customer experience? Let me know in the comments.

#StudentVoices