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Part of the problem is that nobody believes the airlines anymore. So when they tell passengers that there is an air traffic control delay or a weather delay, a great many passengers think that is just an excuse. We can all speculate how airlines got themselves into that situation.
Flying is just a way for getting from A to B. It isn't anymore fun than getting Metro North into NYC in the morning. A lot of people 'have' to get to their destination. They have jobs, meetings and lives too. So they get aggravated when their plans are disrupted and the lack of credibility that the airlines have compound their aggravation. And sitting in a crowded departure area, with little information and a long line to talk to the one person at the desk, wondering if and when you are going to get out isn't fun either.
Good information makes a big difference because you can then make decisions. We had good information from American when flying from Providence to Phoenix in April. That information led to a decision to fly out two days later because it was clear that we were not getting out that day.
Another time, flying from LHR to Glasgow, the airport was effectively closed due to freezing fog. The airline staff were honest with me with regard to when they could get me out so I was able to rent a car and drive the 400 miles to Glasgow.
But too often, passengers are sitting there and the information isn't good possibly because the airline don't know themselves. So you sit and watch the departure time increase in increments of 20 or 30 minutes over a period of time and you are stuck because you have no real idea if and when you might get out.
Rather than complaining about passengers (they are the ones who pay your salaries), airlines and airline staff need to give more thought to how they interact with their customers and what they can do to bridge the credibility and trust gap.
There are so many parties involved to make air transport successful and they all have their faults. There is a fine line between explaining too much to the passengers and too little, and that is often hard to judge.
I had a crew yesterday parked first in line holding short of 13R in JFK for 45 mins. I knew what the reason was and communicated it to the crew with the hopes that they could better inform the passengers. The crew informed me that ATC was being uncommunicative in relaying the cause of the delay to departing aircraft. Everyone has their role to play in being effective at explaining why things are not running normally.
The men and women working at the gate are often not properly informed on the particulars of delays or cancellations, just that they are occurring. A blanket statement of an ATC delay can be too ambiguous and telling the passengers that an unfavorable runway configuration at the NYC area airports which is conflicting with TEB arrivals along with low ceilings has resulted in a 28 rate for arriving aircraft through the 03z hour is too particular.
The airline always knows the reason for a delay, but not many people have the full picture.
It's just a shift in society attitudes. I call it the "everybody gets a trophy" mentality. Everyone thinks they are so important and only they (and their opinion) matters.
Wait, you think passengers are asking for a trophy when they think after they paid hundreds of dollars for a ticket they should get to their destination in a reasonable time and in reasonable comfort and be treated with a reasonable degree of respect by the staff? That's asking for a trophy?
I'm unaware of any airline showing a flight as a "preferred legitimate connection". I don't buy tickets that often though. Is there actually verbiage that says such a thing when buying a ticket?
It reminds me of an old phrase, "If you something done right, do it yourself."
No matter which way you slice it, nobody cares more about your travel itinerary than you so I'm not sure why you think it's a good idea to implicitly trust anything or anyone. Even patients write on themselves before major surgery to help alleviate errors.
As with most things in life, the onus is on the individual. Personal responsibility appears to be dead...
Every airline has its own minimum transfer times. If you put a departure point and a destination in their reservation system they will show nonstop flights, direct flights and itineraries that require connections. If the airline publishes a certain combination of segments to get to your destination that is a preferred connection or a legitimate connection and they should be responsible for making it work. If they can't do that on a regular basis they should not sell it that way.
There are so many parties involved to make air transport successful and they all have their faults. There is a fine line between explaining too much to the passengers and too little, and that is often hard to judge.
I had a crew yesterday parked first in line holding short of 13R in JFK for 45 mins. I knew what the reason was and communicated it to the crew with the hopes that they could better inform the passengers. The crew informed me that ATC was being uncommunicative in relaying the cause of the delay to departing aircraft. Everyone has their role to play in being effective at explaining why things are not running normally.
The men and women working at the gate are often not properly informed on the particulars of delays or cancellations, just that they are occurring. A blanket statement of an ATC delay can be too ambiguous and telling the passengers that an unfavorable runway configuration at the NYC area airports which is conflicting with TEB arrivals along with low ceilings has resulted in a 28 rate for arriving aircraft through the 03z hour is too particular.
The airline always knows the reason for a delay, but not many people have the full picture.
Is it too much to ask that they not lie to us about the reasons for the delay and when we will really be under way?
So I'm sitting waiting out a maintenance delay and the comments I'm overhearing from my fellow passengers(the joys of deadheading out of uniform) are always inspiring.
One lady can't stop asking her husband "Why don't they inspect the airplanes before they leave the gate!?".
Really lady? You think we just wing it? You think things can't break even after they are inspected? How about we do it your way, lady. We will inspect everything on every plane before every flight. That amounts to a "C" check. Your flight should departing in a few weeks.
Folks complain about having to sit on airplanes too long, we get the "Passenger Bill of Rights". Now instead of long delays, the airlines cancel everything so that they don't risk a $24,000 fine per passenger for a delay of over 3 hours. Congrats, your complaining earned you a one way ticket to "Not Going Anywhere". Enjoy your multi day sit wherever you are. Good luck finding a car rental or even a hotel room. Hope you like sleeping at the airport.
Folks are complaining that they are going to miss their international connection that only leaves once per day. Really, you booked a 1 hour connection on the only flight that day? I love your gambling spirit.
"Why won't you tell us what's going on?!". Lady, they told you it was a maintenance delay with an update in 30 minutes. What, you gonna go down there and help the mechanics? I'm sure your impressive knowledge of aviation will solve this maintenance riddle quickly. Tell them you're with the FFA.
"I'm never flying this airline again!" Really??? This is only airline in the world that has maintenance isssues? Be glad you're not on Allegiant. Your odds of experiencing an engine failure are only slightly higher flying in Soviet Russia after the collapse.
Suffice to say, if passengers got what they wanted, the airlines would be out of business and these entitled, ignorant, morons could drive everywhere. The laws of unintended consequences must be confusing for the average person.
I can believe that you work for an airline, that smug attitude must be part of the training program.
I will make you a deal, you pay me a few hundred bucks for a product or service. When you arrive at my place of business, instead of getting the service you paid for I will hold you and your family hostage inside a metal tube placed in the sun for 8-12 hours with nothing to eat or drink. If you complain at anytime I will have you arrested by the police, if you attempt to escape the metal tube I am holding you in, I will call the police and have you arrested.
I can believe that you work for an airline, that smug attitude must be part of the training program.
I will make you a deal, you pay me a few hundred bucks for a product or service. When you arrive at my place of business, instead of getting the service you paid for I will hold you and your family hostage inside a metal tube placed in the sun for 8-12 hours with nothing to eat or drink. If you complain at anytime I will have you arrested by the police, if you attempt to escape the metal tube I am holding you in, I will call the police and have you arrested.
Quote:
Originally Posted by shorman I can believe that you work for an airline, that smug attitude must be part of the training program.
I will make you a deal, you pay me a few hundred bucks for a product or service. When you arrive at my place of business, instead of getting the service you paid for I will hold you and your family hostage inside a metal tube placed in the sun for 8-12 hours with nothing to eat or drink. If you complain at anytime I will have you arrested by the police, if you attempt to escape the metal tube I am holding you in, I will call the police and have you arrested.
New York (CNN) -- Airline passengers who spent 11 hours stuck on the tarmac at John F. Kennedy International Airport were unloaded Tuesday afternoon in the latest example of the frustrating effects of a massive blizzard that delayed thousands of would-be holiday travelers.
The airport, airline and government officials engaged in finger-pointing over delays on the tarmac.
The pilot of a JetBlue plane stuck on the tarmac for seven hours full of increasingly angry and frustrated passengers pleaded for assistance from airport officials, telling them he "can't seem to get any help from our own company."
"I got a problem here on the airplane, I'm gonna need to have the cops on board," the pilot said, according to cockpit recordings posted on LiveATC.net. "There's a cop car sitting in front of me right here right now. I need some air stairs brought over here and the cops brought onboard the airplane.
"Look, you know we can't seem to get any help from our own company, I apologize for this, but is there any way you can get a tug and a tow bar out here to us and get us towed somewhere to a gate or something," he said. "I don't care. Take us anywhere."
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