It has probably happened to all of us. We dutifully get to the airport 2 hours early, take off our shoes to pass through security, and watch as the TSA guy throws out our forgotten full-size tube of toothpaste. Watch out, that thing could blow up any minute!
The individual airline companies have little – or nothing – to do with the TSA and other ridiculous homeland security policies that don’t actually make us safer (although these policies have spawned a whole cottage industry of 3 ounce toiletry products). A consumer wouldn’t be out of line to think, however, that airlines would acknowledge the indignities of air travel, and do their very best to assuage this for their customers. Think again. With US Airways now charging for water, and Jet Blue charging for in-flight blankets and pillows, the nickel-and-diming of air travel passengers has hit a new low. In no way does the airline industry indicate that it believes the customer is king, always right, or even worthy of respect.
Time Magazine compiled a list of the stingiest airlines. It’s an interesting read; Southwest and Virgin America are the most passenger-friendly, while United and US Airways the least. Yes, we all know that fuel prices have gone through the roof, and that airlines have to do their best to turn a profit. The ill will generated by added fees is not the way to go, though.
Jet Blue, ranked in the middle of Time’s list of stingiest airlines, still manages to remain relatively
unblemished and garner customer loyalty. I have a hard time reconciling my own warm feelings toward the airline with its claims that making passengers buy on-board pillows and blankets is somehow “good for the environment.” You know what’s better for the environment? Not flying at all. And that’s exactly what more and more travelers are going to do, if these stingy, infantilizing policies continue on their downward path.
Now, no one honestly believes that we can bring back the days of air travel as a luxury event. Those days are gone. However, there must be some middle ground between having airline tickets costing so much that only the upper crust of society can afford to fly, and the cattle car experience that it is today. Any ideas? I’d like to think that managers in the airline industry would be open to them.
