Posted on 03/19/2013 12:50:53 PM PDT by William of Barsoom
Dear Mr. Airline Executive, (...or an assistant who monitors the web for intel.)
Do you realize that in all the history of commerce no industry has ever been as intrinsically hostile to its customers -- the ONLY source for its revenue -- as the airline industry? Since you fly deadhead, or in a corp jet, do you know how totally out of touch you are with what we "ordinary people" put up with?
From the 19-inch pitch seats, to the five-hour tarmac holds -- after an "on-time" push -- to the abuses of the TSA, which you permit, because if you stood up on your hind legs and pressured The Right People you know you could at least improve things, it's a wonder anyone puts up with it anymore.
I don't. And this is no small loss to your revenues, because as a frequent business traveler I rode your skies often, and after I retired, we were good for several thousand dollars a year in vacation and pleasure travel.
But it's no pleasure anymore.
We have essentially given up air travel. Really. We won't stand to be abused like that. I'll wager we're not alone, either. Frankly, I think you have no idea of the scope of todays air travel drop-outs. Together we cost you millions. Apparently, you're blind to it.
If it's under 1,000 miles, we'll drive and take two days to do it. If it's over 1,000 miles -- only for a dire emergency would I go through what you've permitted a once enjoyable and elegant experience to become. Other than that, the insults to our dignity and our physical persons are simply more than we will endure.
We mostly simply don't travel by air at all any more.
I hope somebody over the rank of Third Assistant Deputy Regional Vice-Manager For Fiber Products Supplies reads this, and takes it seriously. But, frankly, I doubt it.
Your customers resent you and hate the humiliation you put us through -- and many of us just don't travel much any more. But you don't see it, or believe it.
Pity. It could easily be so much nicer...
Part of the problem is that fliers usually opt for the lowest price.
This forces all carriers to cut services to the bone.
I used to fly Alaska in the early 80’s and the food they served in coach was way better than most business class meals today.
If you are flying overseas, and can afford it, business class is still quite nice.
bravo
former frequent raveler BUT
have not flown for 4 years myself, dread the thought of what I would do if someone humiliated me or groped my teenage daughter
will only fly if no other options
Limiting freedom of movement is one of the major requirements of Agenda 21. TSA is just another player in 0bama’s ‘Civilian National Security Force’. Won’t be long until they are deployed on America’s major roads and highways. The Feds don’t want us to be free and they are tireless at making us feel guilty about it.
There are still passenger air services that will provide you with what you seek. However, you must be willing to pay the price. This is no different now than it was 40 years ago. What the no-frills air service has done is to provide the speed of flying to a clientele that couldn’t access such a convenience in years past. My first flight was first class to Daytona Beach in 1970. The cost was well over $200. in today’s dollar that would be several thousand. Are you willing to pay that? Not many are.
Right after 9/11 my cutoff for flying was 6 hour drive time to any destination (business or personal). In the last several years, my cut-off has become (across the country). I have not flown since 2006. I have driven from IN to TX (4X), IN to FL (2X) and IN to NC once. I’m not even counting the local Midwest trips (IL, KY, MI, OH, MO, IA, WI, etc.).
I have turned down flights and opted to drive for business as long as I could show it was more cost effective.
As for amenities, my daughter flew JetBlue from Newark to Tampa. What used to be their cut-rate service is now pretty attractive compared to the larger, cattle car operations.
My worst experience was getting our family (two small children) kicked off of an over booked flight during a stop over in Newark, NJ.
We did not volunteer to be kicked off, but were told we would be reimbursed $400 per ticket.
So, we spent the night at a crappy hotel in Newark, missing a day of vacation. Then we had to leave the hotel at 4am (two small children again), and take a taxi across NYC to JFK airport.
Finally, we were reimbursed $60 per person, based on the assertion that they had gotten us 80% of the way to our destination. After a lot of screaming, and pointing out that it was a *$%%#$^ good thing they hadn’t gotten us 80% of the way to London, and also that I’d rather be any on Earth than Newark or NYC, I got them up to $170 per. Still less than half of what they promised.
The airlines do indeed suck.
All I want is the olive in my salad. Is that so hard to do?
My worst was December. Our connecting flight into Chicago was cancelled (no plane) but not in time to do make the connection by driving. They bussed us to O'hare while they rebooked us through Minneapolis. No flights for us at all from O'hare to Denver until late the next day. They offered to put us on standby but we declined because we didn't want to check (lose) our luggage w/o boarding passes on and actual flight.
Ended up renting a car and driving from Chicago to Denver. We beat the only flight we could be guaranteed a seat on by 18 hours.
The airlines suck, but the government rules on them are a huge part of the problem.
the golden age of air travel is long gone.
.........
today, there seems to be too much everything.
overcapacity in the airline industry.
overcapacity in housing.
overcapacity in the auto industry
at one time, flying from the west coast to China
was ‘exotic’.
But don't expect much to come from your plea. Air travel continues to grow and grow. We're a tiny minority.
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