I'm borrowing
Goldorak's idea to start a new thread of suggestions on how AF (and conceivably FB) should take initiative to rebuild trust and custom after the devastating strike.
As a preamble, while I personally think that AF handled the strike better than other airlines have done in the recent past overall (I know others disagree), I think that after the massive strikes of a few years ago, BA had been very good at the post-strike incentives to ensure that some apparently definitive damage could be partly reversed. It worked.
I'm thinking that maybe we could have a discussion on what initiatives AF could take and maybe our moderator could alert AF's attention to our suggestions so that they can decide whether to take or leave any of them?
Here are some first suggestions from me:
(1) To me there were three different types of passenger victims of the strike a) people who were satisfactorily rebooked/rerouted, b) people who were involuntarily denied boarding and/or involuntarily disrupted by long enough to get statutory compensation, c) people who accepted a voluntary cancellation or inconvenient rebooking that would not entitle them to compensation. a) we do not need to worry about, and arguably, b) are getting formal compensation anyway, but I think that c) (as well as any case of b) for which statutory compensation would be deemed insufficient) should benefit from gestures of good will (travel vouchers, upgrades, or miles) because right now they are the only people to have been explicitly disrupted without any formal compensation;
(2) I think that "thank you for bearing with us" sales are a must. In my view, in all travel classes and from all origins as people were disrupted regardless of point of origin and travel class. The broader ranging (e.g. "30% off all our fares for any booking made this week for travel on any date") the better
(3) Even though I am not concerned, I would suggest lower requalification thresholds for FB levels this year, explicitly in reference to the strike and its impact on people's ability to accrue (e.g. 10,000 miles "discount" on every level or alternatively, add 10,000 status miles to every FB member's account this year).
(4) Consider a review and entrenching of the strike-related rebooking behaviour on other travel disruptions/irrops. Perhaps make it a chart so that people know that AF will treat them well in case of irrops. To me, this should also include a notion (absent during the strike I think) that FB Platinum and Gold should always get the best possible treatment in case of IRROPS, perhaps including an exceptional entitlement of rebooking on other airlines if AF/KL's own rebooking options would significantly worsen travel times or conditions, and/or a guarantee of being rebooked in the same or higher travel class whenever possible
People, the floor is yours
