Things airlines do poorly
 

I'm starting a list of things that airlines do poorly, in no particular order.

Not the big stuff (these forums are full of seriously big stuff like bad customer service, baffling rules, etc.) but the simple things that can really add up if you travel a lot and point out that no one is sweating the details in this industry. Please pile on.

• Fuzzy video and audio that hisses- airlines have been behind the curve on this stuff for years (think about those tubular cord headphones and bulky video monitors). The whole world has sharp HD video and clean sound- not on an airplane.

• No cup holders- a no brainer.

• Bogus safety precautions- do we really need to hear or see the safety message on every flight? Does anyone think that replying with a verbal "yes" when sitting in an exit row will make a difference. Do upright seats when landing really prevent injuries in a crash? I know the FAA requires this non-sense but there's no research to back any of it up.

• Web site sessions that log you out after non-activity of just a few minutes- what could an intruder possibly steal? At least make it an option to stay logged on.

• No radio contact between the pilot and company personnel on the ground- let the ground folks know that there are passengers on board with tight connections, etc. I know they have this ability but they don't use it.

• Underpowered greeting gate agents- holding a clipboard is not real customer service. How about calling a connecting gate for a late passenger that has a chance to make their flight? Especially if the delay is caused by the airline.

• Non-standardized on-board payments- some flights don't take cash. Some only take cash. Don't make it hard to take more of our money. And stop pushing the duty-free crap that is no cheaper than buying it at home.

• Gate agents that don't speak English well- especially when making PA announcements at the gate. This seems like a minimum job requirement.

• Receipts for flights often unavailable on line- hotels are guilty of this too. Call Amazon and ask them how they keep my purchase history and invoices available for years.

• Hard to remember, random record locators/confirmation numbers- how about allowing me to find my reservations by name or password instead of the puzzles like HNZ06GX?

• Ugly uniforms- the polyester fashion disasters that the poor flight attendants (and flight crew) have to wear are awful.

• Ugly plane decors- I know that patterns hide wear and tear but do they have to be so hideous and dated?

• Repetitive corporate music- there's only so much Rhapsody in Blue (United) that you can endure. It's like an interrogation technique.

• Unorganized boarding procedures- there has to be reams of research on what the most efficient process is. Or maybe not.

• Uncomfortable seats- again, there has to be lots of ergonomic information available that would allow something better than the ...-numbing seats in place now. Memory foam? Especially those thin fake leather seats on the regional jets.

• Hard to press video touch screens- you have to pound some of these seat back models and it's annoying to the passenger in front. The virtual keyboards on $49 smart phones seem to work just fine.

• No foot rests- I'll bet the airlines pay $1000+ each for their seats. Why not include fold-out foot rests?

• First class seats with seat obstructive seat pillars- it can't be that hard to shift these over so everyone has leg and foot room.

• Hard to reach overhead vents- on some jumbo jets these vents over the middle seats can't be reached by passengers under 5' 10" or so.

• No pens- everyone scrambles for a pen on international flights to fill out immigration forms. Not to mention crossword puzzles in their own in-flight magazines.

• No power outlets- enough said.

• No Wi-Fi- charge a few bucks and make a lot. Seems simple.

• Same old TV shows- "The Office" is a funny show but I don't want to watch it every time I fly.

• Crooked tray tables- laptops and drinks slide off with ease. There is not level one in the whole world.

Next list- things airports do poorly...

"Do upright seats when landing really prevent injuries in a crash?"

This isn't so much for the person sitting in the seat to be upright, it's for the person BEHIND the reclined seat.

If it's a bumpy landing and you get thrown forward a bit.. if the seat ahead of you is reclined - presto... you just put your face into that seat and busted your nose.

Yes, Yes, and it is to make it easier to get out of your seat and to an exit. Feel free to think that the safety stuff is a waste, but when you see things like the AF evacuation in YYZ and everyone pretty much walked away just fine I think you might want to give safety the benefit of "wasting" a few precious moments of your life.

Actually the pilots probably do not really know and even if they did I'd rather they focused on flying the plane. The folks in operations absolutely do know about the connections en route and they plan for them accordingly. Some times that means leaving without you anyways. Just because it is not convenient for you doesn't mean you should assume that it wasn't planned.

In which country?? ;)
There is. Sadly, however, airlines choose to grant priority to various groups and "break" the efficiencies that can be realized. So long as they see better value in boarding F/C/Elites first that will happen.

It is all about the costs. Willing to spend more to fly?

As this is not specific to United, please follow it in TravelBuzz!

Thank you.
l'etoile
UA moderator

Why was this posted multiple times? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...do-poorly.html Can a mod merge these?