One of my favorite quotes from Stephen Covey is (paraphrased), “you can’t be efficient with the customer.” For some reason, the airlines have recently decided that the path to profitability is to milk their customers of every last penny they have. The most likely cause of this was some pointy headed bean counter with a spreadsheet and too much coffee going to the management team with some presentation that sounded something like, “if all we do is charge customers $50 to check an extra bag, $125 for a 3rd bag, $80 for an overweight bag, and charge for snacks on our flights, we can make millions and pull ourselves out of the red!”
The reason I know these numbers is I literally just went through this experience on Delta Airlines. I was on a week and a half trip to Europe and was on my way home from Zurich when I got into Salt Lake City too late to continue on to Boise. I grabbed a hotel for the night and headed to the airport in the morning. After traveling tens of thousands of miles, Delta wanted to charge me $175 for 2 extra checked bags on the very last leg of my journey – a 45 minute flight. This was the result of 2 cuckoo clocks I bought in the Zurich airport (I know, I am a sucker for that kind of stuff). If I had made it to the SLC airport 3 hours earlier, I would have been checked all the way through, no problem. If I hadn’t bought the cuckoo clocks, no problem. But I just happened to get little miss grumpy as my check in agent. After about 15 minutes of sweet talk and a discussion with her supervisor, I was finally able to reduce my punishment for flying Delta reduced from $175 to $50.
This brought to mind a few thoughts, to say the least. There is a reason Southwest has had 35 straight years of profitability in an anemic industry. They focus on happy customers first and operational efficiency second. There is a reason Southwest was the only airline identified in the book “Creating Customer Evangelists”. They even improved their experience recently by creating a more orderly “cattle call” process. In a time when every other airline if following Delta’s suit and looking for ways to bilk their customers, Southwest is making the experience even more enjoyable. Who do you think will win out in the end?
The second thought that I had was how too many employees hide behind “the policy”. As I mentioned in a previous post, one of the worst things you can say to a customer is “there is nothing I can do, that is our policy”. Any business who doesn’t empower their employees to solve customer problems on the spot will “policy” themselves right out of business. There are just too many other options to deal with difficult companies.
One airline who did pleasantly surprise me was British Airlines. The service was great, there was no nickel and diming, the seating was much more comfortable than most American airlines, and they even served lunch on a 2 hour flight. I would fly them again in a heartbeat. It is not hard to stick out when most of your competition sucks.
In such a competitve marketplace, airlines can’t afford to trade customer service for small revenue gains because the impact to the bottom line will always be disastrous. When will they get the hint?
Marketing Consultant, Social Media, Word of Mouth, Strategy, Digital, Search, Keynote Speaker 
I concur, although it’s been awhile since I’ve had to fly. It’s still true that the airlines are insane. However, the “cattle call” is rightfully so, have you seen some of their customers?! That just brings up a whole new issue of making the customer buy an extra seat because they’ve taken up half of yours!
Missed you while you were gone! Glad your back safe with a matching coockoo, cuz you ARE coockoo!
If baggage chrages are a necessary criteria for choosing an airline for your flight, then you will have exactly two options Southwest (who does not charge for the first two checked bags per passenger) and JetBlue (who does not charge for the first checked bag per passenger). Of these two airlines, you’ll need to see whether they serve the airports you’re looking to fly from in California both of these airlines have service between California and the Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI), but both of these airlines don’t serve every airport in the state, either.
I totaly agree Bri! Great post! and yes, British Airways does rule supreme!
I’m really enjoying the design and layout of your website. It’s
a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more pleasant for me to
come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a designer to create
your theme? Outstanding work!
Aw, this was an incredibly good post. Finding the time and actual effort to make a superb article… but
what can I say… I procrastinate a lot and never seem to get anything done.
My spouse and I absolutely love your blog and find nearly all of your post’s to be what precisely I’m looking for.
Does one offer guest writers to write content for you?
I wouldn’t mind writing a post or elaborating on many of the subjects you write with regards to here. Again, awesome site!
Just want to say your article is as amazing.
The clarity to your post is just excellent and i can assume you’re an
expert in this subject. Well along with your permission let me to snatch your RSS feed to keep
updated with approaching post. Thanks one million and please continue the rewarding work.
It’s an awesome post in support of all the internet visitors; they will take advantage
from it I am sure.
Every weekend i used to pay a quick visit this
web page, as i want enjoyment, for the reason that this this site conations actually nice funny data too.
Does your blog have a contact page? I’m having trouble
locating it but, I’d like to send you an email.
I’ve got some creative ideas for your blog you might
be interested in hearing. Either way, great website and I look forward to
seeing it improve over time.
Great post. I used to be checking constantly this weblog and I am
inspired! Extremely helpful information specifically
the remaining section 🙂 I deal with such information much.
I was looking for this certain information for a long time.
Thanks and good luck.
I loved as much as you’ll receive carried out right here.
The sketch is tasteful, your authored material stylish.
nonetheless, you command get got an nervousness over that you wish be
delivering the following. unwell unquestionably come more formerly
again since exactly the same nearly a lot often inside case you shield this increase.
This site was… how do you say it? Relevant!! Finally I’ve found something that helped me.
Many thanks!
This is very interesting, You are a very skilled blogger.
I’ve joined your feed and look forward to seeking more of your excellent post.
Also, I have shared your web site in my social networks!
Hi, i think that i saw you visited my web site thus
i got here to go back the prefer?.I am trying to find things to enhance my web site!I
guess its adequate to use some of your ideas!!
I do not even know how I ended up here, however I believed
this post was once great. I do not realize who you’re however definitely you’re going to a well-known blogger in the event you are not already.
Cheers!
Excellent way of explaining, and nice article to take information on the topic of my presentation subject,
which i am going to convey in school.
Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it.
Look advanced to more added agreeable from you! However, how could we
communicate?
I visited several blogs but the audio feature for audio songs present at this site is really marvelous.
Heya i am for the first time here. I found this board and I
find It really useful & it helped me out a lot. I hope to give something back
and aid others like you helped me.
I every time spent my half an hour to read this blog’s content daily along with a mug of coffee.
I rarely leave a response, but i did some searching and wound
up here And Airlines Wonder Why People Think They
Suck | Marketing Consultant, Social Media, Word of Mouth, Strategy, Digital, Search,
Keynote Speaker. And I actually do have some questions for you if you usually do not mind.
Is it simply me or does it give the impression like some of the
remarks come across like written by brain dead folks? :
-P And, if you are writing on additional places, I would like to follow anything new
you have to post. Could you list of all of your social pages
like your Facebook page, twitter feed, or linkedin profile?
Great site you have got here.. It’s hard to find quality writing like yours these
days. I really appreciate people like you! Take care!!
I just like the valuable info you supply for your articles.
I’ll bookmark your blog and take a look at again right here frequently.
I am quite sure I’ll be told lots of new stuff proper right here!
Good luck for the following!
Hi there, just wanted to say, I enjoyed this article.
It was helpful. Keep on posting!
These are really fantastic ideas in concerning blogging.
You have touched some good points here. Any way keep up
wrinting.
If you desire to increase your know-how only keep visiting this web page and be updated
with the newest news update posted here.