4 free things that airlines could do to improve flying
In an era of decreasing services and increasing fees, flying has become an increasingly stressful and unpleasant experience. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
After a long Labor Day weekend spent in the air, I’ve identified four free things airlines can do to help their customers:
1. Communicate. During a connection through Dulles, a United gate agent made the “we will be boarding in a few minutes,” announcement. Then a little later, with many passengers lined up, she said it would be a “few more minutes” because they had experienced air conditioning issues and they couldn’t board until the plane had cooled off. After about 20 minutes with no more announcement, I walked up and nicely asked how much longer, the agent said, probably at least another 10 to 15 minutes.
Not that anyone wanted to board a hot plane, but had the agent simply said “it’s going to take about 30 minutes to cool the plane,” people in line could have relaxed instead of simply standing around. Or purchased food to bring on the plane. The lines were incredibly long and one man complained that had he known, he could have purchased a hot dinner instead of having to buy a snack box on board.
And in general, being told how long you have to wait, even if the honest truth is “we don’t know,” makes a delay much easier. Some gate agents and pilots are better than others. But honest updates should be airline policy.
2. Keep the boarding area clear and enforce boarding priorities. There’s nothing like being in one of the first groups to board, and not being able to get to the gate, because people are stacked up waiting to board later. It wouldn’t be that hard for airlines to simply say “If you are not in the first/next group, do NOT stand in the boarding area.” And then ask people who are just standing around to get out of the way. Besides the fact that it’s annoying to have to push your way through people, it delays boarding.
Similarly, if someone who is supposed to board later tries to jump the line, gate agents should politely ask them to wait. Southwest is good at this, even at times gently making fun of line-jumpers. Other airlines are more sporadic in their enforcement.
3. Make sure passengers use their overhead compartments and space in front of them first. When you get to your assigned row and there is no one sitting in it, but the bins are jammed so tight you couldn’t get a laptop inside, it’s not just annoying. It may delay your trip when you have to check luggage. Or you may have to check valuable items you had hoped to keep with you. On another flight this weekend, most passengers in the first two rows of economy had to check their carry-on luggage because the bins were full from passengers in the back.
A flight attendant shrugged and said, “Yeah, well people like to have the space under their seat empty so they put everything in the overheard.” “Just say no” would be a fine solution here. If there’s a problem with emergency equipment or crew baggage that’s a different issue, but bin hogs shouldn’t be able to ruin it for everyone else.
4. When an airline gets connecting gate information, especially when a flight is delayed, passing along which flights are also delayed would be incredibly helpful. Sure, some delays are last-minute, but many are known well in advance. One woman on our delayed flight was frantically pushing her way to the front because of a very tight connection, I saw her standing and muttering at the departure board a little later, as her flight wasn’t leaving for another 45 minutes.
I certainly am sympathetic to the stresses on gate agents, airline crews and flight attendants, but implementing these measures, which might take a little more time up front, would almost certainly result in calmer and less cranky passengers during the flight.
Of course there are probably a number of other ideas. My son would be happy if flight attendants or cleaning crews just checked the magazines to make sure that no one had done the puzzles yet, or simply had Xeroxed copies of blank puzzles.
How about you? What’s your suggestion to the airlines? I’ll try to combine the best responses into a future post. And who knows, maybe someone in the airline industry will actually pay attention to what we say.
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7 Responses to “4 free things that airlines could do to improve flying”
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Janice, Janice, JANICE.
Number #1—OK, the agent announced boarding. Then incurred a delay due to air conditioning. Now, you state she made another ANNOUNCEMENT SAYING, boarding would be DELAYED. Doesnt that tell you to GO SIT DOWN?
Number #2–Enforce common courtesy? Let me tell you about an agent: Angelo Stottile who was ENFORCING a boarding procedure. The jetway, which is a SECURE AREA. His neck was broken by a passenger. No one listens.
Number #3-Enforce passengers to use overheads, directly over their seats? You’re fellow passenger could CARELESS if you have space as long as their bag makes it. Furthermore, Flight Attendants who attempt this enforcement get labeled as control freaks. Frequently have to deal with arguments. JUST SAY NO? How simple, I WISHED that worked. IT DOESNT. In fact, I once told a passenger we could accommodate his bag, but it would be in the back of the aircraft……he throw it at me and said, “fine, you put it back there”. You want to lecture him on overhead bin etiquette?
Number #4-Not a bad suggestion. IT departments at the airlines should take note. But, passengers are DEPLANING. A long list of delayed flights may take a long time to announce. Any good traveler knows to ASK or CHECK THE DEPARTURE BOARDS.
And, come on, you want flight attendants to check for “used” puzzles? Ground times are brief, I have a FEW minutes to maybe, EAT…….make a phone call, sit a minute. Here’s an idea: http://www.puzzles.com……………PRINT SOME.
Next time you compile a list like this, stand behind an AIRLINE employee for say, 15 minutes. I’m betting your “new” list would be realistic.
Yikes, hey, Frank, I am in the industry with a lot of airline employee friends. And actually think you all get royally hosed by airline execs…
A few points of clarification. On the delay she said “just a few minutes” No one wants to go sit down for a “few minutes”, especially with the other boarding issues I mentioned and the carryon problem. I know very several frequent flyers who used to wait in the lounges until closer to departure time who now go extra early to hang around the gate, just to avoid full overhead bins.
Air rage is a problem, but this weekend - and other times - I have seen passengers just as upset or worse when boarding procedures didn’t get enforced, and when carryon space was gone. One passenger was screaming at the flight attendant that she was not giving up her bag, it had valuables in it and she wanted that space, wasn’t going to check it, etc. That situation didn’t turn violent but it could have. Have also seen near fights break out as folks in boarding group one try to shove folks from say boarding area four out of the way.
Maybe airline management needs to try a strict no-tolerance policy. Verbally or come close to physically abusing an employee and you are off the plane, period. Frequent flyer or not. Yeah, I know, we can dream. But the anarchy that often exists now isn’t making it any better.
And the puzzle thing was a joke. Though maybe the airlines could board a few extra magazine copies…
I would much prefer to wait in the club and board a little later, but I can’t risk it, especially if I have a bulkhead seat (where I can’t put my backpack on the floor).
That said, I took 5 flight segments last weekend and they were all on time or even a little early. The weather was reasonably decent. The crews were all nice and in a good mood. I think there was one gate checked bag, but the passenger was fine with it. Fortunately, this airline actually will do a claim at gate when the bins are full so the passenger would not be excessively delayed and would know that his bag will make the connecting flight.
On September 3rd, 2008 at 11:37 am Janice Hough said Yikes, hey, Frank, I am in the industry with a lot of airline employee friends. And actually think you all get royally hosed by airline execs…
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thanks for the reply, Janice.
TIMELY INFORMATION should always be a given.
All the other chaos works itself out. I’m all about NO confrontations. Case in point: The passenger who doesnt LISTEN to me, tries to rearrange an overhead and the bag still doesnt fit. I stand there and watch them until they are ready for my advice in the first place. You’re bag hangs over the side of the overhead, I have no problem telling a passengers, “dont leave it like that, I’ll check it!!”
I WATCH the overheads like a “hawk”, but I let them fill up. Phone up front and let the agent deal with the overflow of bags that MUST be checked.
Alot of your article advocates COMMON COURTESY. I think it disappeared around the early 90’s. Few respect my authority onboard the aircraft anymore. I get into daily confrontations over the “electronic device sign”….this wasnt the case in the early 80’s. People actually followed instructions.
Frank
(royally hosed)
The airlines could really stop all the problems with overheads if they actually enforced the size limits for carryons. Although there are templates at nearly every gate, have you ever seen any agent tell a passenger his carryon was too large and it will have to be gate checked? Only on the RJ’s, which in my opinion should be banned from air travel.
As for electronic devices, I have an idea - give passengers some warning prior to actually requiring the hardware to be shut off. There is never any warning, just a “turn ‘em off now” announcement. Sometimes you can’t just turn off the computer until you save what you’re working on. Having a few minutes to wrap up would be nice. But that, of course, would mean treating passengers like customers, and God knows that’s not what the airlines are doing right now!
On September 4th, 2008 at 1:24 pm Lyngengr said;
Sometimes you can’t just turn off the computer until you save what you’re working on. Having a few minutes to wrap up would be nice.
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That’s NOT the issue.
WE know YOU”VE HEARD the announcement. As we pass by to pick up garbage, visually check seatbelts, carry-ons, WE VERBALLY say, “Please turn OFF your electronic device.” That’s the SECOND REQUEST. Go up or down the aisle, check everyone, and everything……………and THERE YOU ARE, STILL “TYPING” AWAY. Now, you get a THIRD REQUEST. And, generally, the flight attendant will STAND THERE until you do so.
Another issue. People do NOT turn off their IPODS. They still have their earplugs in and LIE TO US that the device is OFF. The passenger has it FACE DOWN in their lap or tucked into their shirt pocket. I request to see the device and see that it’s turned OFF. Quite OFTEN they turn the device over and turn it OFF.
When were the RULES so hard to follow????????
LOL, I rest my case:
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24292830-2,00.html
A QANTAS passenger was this morning led off a plane at Sydney airport and taken into custody after refusing to turn off his laptop before the jet landed.