Speaking accented English is not a protected characteristic. It's good business practice to hire people who can communicate effectively with your customers.

PUNCTUALITY

Not enough flights leave and arrive on time

Regarding priority deplaning, FA's always make the announcement whenever there's a delay that has created a bunch of tight connections.

Everybody ignores it, every time.

I'm not sure what the airline can do about it.


Regarding better handling of IRROPs, I totally agree - the system should automatically rebook 99% of pax. The airline that does this the WORST is the one with a network that you would think would make it easiest: Southwest.

There is nothing the slightest bit unethical or or illegal about stating and enforcing a job requirement for impeccable oral communication skills in any language or languages that a position requires.

+1..

Overthephone.. someone has a thick accent.. takes me twice or three times as long to understand.. and my time is precious..

One of the things that irk me when checking in for international flights is that I am stuck behind this family who has chosen to have the entire kitchen sink and overweight bags. Here I am a single traveler with my trusty Rick Steve's Suitcase and carry-on bag. The airline should have a family checkin for both domestic and international flights. For those travelers with luggage that meets the requirements then have an express lane.

Another thing airlines do poorly is having understaffed counters for international flights. They know the amount of people flying long before the checkin counters open so why not open all counters assigned for the flight? Possibly instill a Time Slot method like at the DMV. On your Itinerary it will say Checkin between this time and this time or checkin via the internet and drop your bags at the WebDrop. This way customers can sit down and only come to the counter 10 minutes before their time slot. If a passenger has overweight bags they are required to call the airline 24 hours before to get an earlier timeslot to deal with any special cases.

Serve complimentary alcohol on US flag carriers. I wish this economy picks up and airlines will give a complimentary hot meal, hot towel and alcohol in Y Class. On international and domestic flights this would be cool. A friend flew United going to Europe and Lufthansa on the return. By far Lufthansa was the winner.

I booked a flight on Lufthansa with one flight on Brussels Airlines and we get hot meals and free booze. The funny thing is the cost of the flight was less than the US Carrier and the connection times were better avoiding JFK and any American Airport. My criteria is to clear customs at SFO as opposed to JFK. I get so stressed at JFK knowing I have one more flight to make on an already long trip. It costs more to connect via JFK so it seems.

On boarding the flights have the e-reader(Public Transit fare gate style boarding gates like they have at FRA.) You put in your boarding pass on the scanner and the gate opens when its your turn. If it detects your in the wrong group it won't let you in. If you have been upgraded or your seat assignment changed it will reprint the boarding pass and you can use that to open the gate to board the flight. A computer kiosk can be setup before the e-gates to do more complicated bookings/ change flights/ seats etc. With many languages there is less need for agents checking the boarding pass. On international flights the e-reader will say"Please Scan Passport" this will automatically add the Passport info to the reservation if it has not been done at checkin. Just sit around in the waiting lounge. In fact just have a sitting area before the e-reader gates and don't open the electric gate separating the concessions from the gate until 5-10 minutes before boarding. It would be less stressful for domestic and international flights. Since gates change all the time this e-reader can be used for any airline.

Have clear announcements if the gates change. Install easy to read monitors throughout the gate area including Flight Info Departure Screens at all gate areas. On the flight info screen list Meals being served, flight departures/arrival time/aircraft/ Boarding group who can use the e-reader etc. There can be multiple readers that are flexible to be used for different class of service. This would eliminate the gate agent at the gate. Instead have a Service Agent at the e-reader in case something goes wrong who can tour the gate area to answer questions with a PDA device as opposed to people lining up at a desk.

On arrival from an international flight have more ground staff meeting the flight. One desk should be for those with tight connections. Have the onward boarding pass ready to go at the gate. Instill a special Fastrak line at Customs/Passport Control for those with tight connections.

Install more automated kiosks where you can scan your itinerary or boarding pass to get a new boarding pass for delayed flights.

On the airplane have an area with one or two kiosk where you can print your boarding pass free of charge if you don't have a mobile device.

Airlines know it takes a long time to board and deboard a plane make use of 2 jetbridges where its supported even on domestic planes to separate first class from Y.
If an agent is having a bad day then counsel the agent before the agent goes AWOL on a passenger. If the a gent is stressed reassign him or her to another task for the day. Don't put grouchy agents at the ticket counter or gate areas. Its not fair to the passenger that they need to deal with a staffmember who is not fit to do their job.


Provide constant updates on a delayed flight. If the airline knows a flight arrived 1 hour prior to the departure of the flight especially an itnternational flight don't lie to the customers and say we will be boarding on time. It takes awhile to clean and cater the aircraft. When a flight is really delayed provide food vouchers not $2 but a decent voucher enough for a good meal. If its going to be uber late book hotel rooms.

Offer Cart Service to help passengers with or without disabilities to and from Customs/ Baggage claim boarding flight. Possibly have a special Customs lane whereby the Officer can walkup to the cart and scan the passports while the passengers are sitting on the cart. Customers board a Green Cart at the gate for nothing to declare and a Red Cart for declared items. The cart them continues to the baggage claim etc.

If the baggage claim is on the lower level those who need assistance can get a wheelchair to take them down after the cart parks at the elevators. For departures have a cart take passengers to security and a wheelchair through the process where another cart meets the passenger to take them to the gate.

Possibly have a special jetbridge where a cart can go down to the boarding door where an aisle chair is provided for disabled passengers and the rest can just walk on.

The list can go on but this is my 2 cents on how the airlines can improve.

The airlines should provide tags at checkin for carry on bags that says"Cabin Luggage" along with the row number. If the carry on is not tagged they cannot be allowed through security. If the passenger has more than the allotment they are SOL and have to check it in or consolidate it.

As for bins if on domestic flight allow 1 free checked bag and 1 carry-on 1 personal item such as camera, breifcase/ laptop etc. anything over 1 free bag needs to pay the 2nd bag.

Air France had this tag you had to attach the tag to all carry-on that said Cabin Luggage the attendant said if we don't place this on your bag security won't let you through. In fact at online checkin demand a count of carry-on bags in addition to checked bags. Then have a message saying the customer needs to pick up the tag and write their row number before security. Have a special area next to each airline's counter and at curbside with these tags.

Open Curbside checkin for International Flights. They can easily check the passport info and scan in the info. This will save time for those with special needs/ extra bags etc. There is no security issue having this for both domestic and international flights.

[QUOTE=danielonn;16643607]

On boarding the flights have the e-reader(Public Transit fare gate style boarding gates like they have at FRA.) You put in your boarding pass on the scanner and the gate opens when its your turn. If it detects your in the wrong group it won't let you in. If you have been upgraded or your seat assignment changed it will reprint the boarding pass and you can use that to open the gate to board the flight. A computer kiosk can be setup before the e-gates to do more complicated bookings/ change flights/ seats etc. With many languages there is less need for agents checking the boarding pass. On international flights the e-reader will say"Please Scan Passport" this will automatically add the Passport info to the reservation if it has not been done at checkin. Just sit around in the waiting lounge. In fact just have a sitting area before the e-reader gates and don't open the electric gate separating the concessions from the gate until 5-10 minutes before boarding. It would be less stressful for domestic and international flights. Since gates change all the time this e-reader can be used for any airline.


But gate agents check that the person with the boarding pass matches the person's ID and that the ID matches the person. Machines are not there yet I don't think.

Have clear announcements if the gates change. Install easy to read monitors throughout the gate area including Flight Info Departure Screens at all gate areas. On the flight info screen list Meals being served, flight departures/arrival time/aircraft/ Boarding group who can use the e-reader etc. There can be multiple readers that are flexible to be used for different class of service. This would eliminate the gate agent at the gate. Instead have a Service Agent at the e-reader in case something goes wrong who can tour the gate area to answer questions with a PDA device as opposed to people lining up at a desk.

A desk is much easier to find than someone wandering around the gate area. If there are lots of people in uniform, how do you know which happens to be that gate's agent?


Provide constant updates on a delayed flight. If the airline knows a flight arrived 1 hour prior to the departure of the flight especially an itnternational flight don't lie to the customers and say we will be boarding on time. It takes awhile to clean and cater the aircraft. When a flight is really delayed provide food vouchers not $2 but a decent voucher enough for a good meal. If its going to be uber late book hotel rooms.

Trouble is, if they say a flight is an hour late and tell people they can disappear - you get people who think 1 hour delay = 1 hour later boarding, which often isn't the case. Far easier to keep people around so you can board the aircraft as soon as it is ready, which may be only 20 minutes late, and try to get it boarded inside of the 40 allocated minutes, for a near on time departure, rather than tell people it is delayed and have them wander off and take ages to round up again.

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Please no! It is a pain in the butt those airlines that require those tags - and they really serve no purpose (as you can keep them on the bag for a subsequent flight etc) and half the time security don't care in any case, as it is not their job to police airline bag policy. If 2 airlines require it in an aiport, and others don't, then security really won't notice / care half the time. It is nice to check in online, walk straight through security and to your gate quickly, no need to find an airline counter etc.

Curbside check in, IME doesn't save anyone any time, it just cloggs up the pavement outside the doors - pain in the butt trying to get out in the right sort of place (as cars pile up around the curbside check ins en mass, get out of a cab, fall over stacked up 'curbside checked' bags waiting to be moved, negotiate round people forming lines etc. Just let people in through the doors, and do it there.

I agree with the sentiment, but the market has repeatedly spoken on this issue: it generally won't pay extra for free food and booze in coach. If Airline A costs $200 and includes food/drink and Airline B costs $190 with no inflight service at all, the market overwhelmingly books Airline B.

In a way, I wish it wasn't so...I wish "premium service" airlines could survive and find a way to offer their product at the right price. A U.S. domestic example - Midwest Express - sort of made it work for 15 years or so but I'm not sure they were ever that profitable. And I can't recall actually consciously paying $20-30 extra to fly them because of the food/bev. I either saw them forced to exactly match another carrier (in which I happily flew them, but wonder if they made money) or I saw them charging double or triple the fare, in which case I didn't. They never found a way (that I saw) to always slot themselves a few bucks above their competitor...presumably because they figured out that the market generally doesn't buy that way. Sadly, the premium service died in the early 00's and the whole airline ended up getting bought by Frontier a few years later.


Another nice idea...but from the airlines' POV it sounds like a capital expenditure to solve a problem that really isn't there. The GA's can manually gain enough control of the herd of boarders that they can get the plane loaded and sent on its way. We FT'ers like to grump about gate lice but it's not really affecting the airline's bottom line. Even if there's a gate/route with abnormally high boarding problems that lead to slower aircraft turns, I think they'd probably just implement stronger manual solutions. (More aggressive GA's, better corrals for boarding groups, etc.)

Agreed: someone from the airline who can answer questions is a great idea. I've had problems in the past where the airline employees for Flight 1 don't really know the processes or procedures for the Flight 2 airline. Therefore, if it's a flight where many pax from Flight 1 are connecting to the same Flight 2 (or Airline 2), having one of their people at the arrival gate would be helpful.

Usually not a problem in the big European hubs because U.S.-to-European carrier usually interlines the bags well and has clear directions of where to go upon arrival. I flew Austrian connecting to Egyptair once and the arrival process was disorganized and messy. Having an Egyptair agent to assist people would have been helpful...especially because many of the people on the flight were connecting, and ALL were connecting on Egyptair.

In the U.S., it wouldn't work because the TSA wouldn't look at the tags - and frankly, with there nearly always being a nonzero wait to get through a checkpoint, I don't think I want them to.

Plus I'm not sure how it'd work with mobile boarding passes. Sounds like you'd need to flip through screens on your phone and wouldn't have anything to actually attach to your bag. Even with traditional paper BP's...I'd just have more pieces of paper in my hand, as I'm unlikely to have any way to tape something to my bag. (I think of the return segment of a trip...checking in at a hotel kiosk...)

Please no! From the perspective of a non-frequent traveler who is able to get to the airport early for those one or two special trips each year this would probably be a good change. From the perspective of those of us that are always cutting margin of time time razor thin, I think it would be a disaster.

While it would be nice to not have to deal with the kettles trying to avoid checked bag fees and slowing down the boarding/deplaning process with their huge volume of improper carryon bags, the consequences of such a system would outweigh that one benefit. Among those consequences:

1.) We'd all have to stop at the checkin desk for every flight. That would be a huge pain for me as I check in online or mobile for 99% of my flights.
2.) I wouldn't want an outside party - TSA, private security, etc. - making decisions about my potentially marginal bags. As it is today, an employee from the airline makes that decision at the gate. Since I'm boarding with first or elite groups and since I'm a loyal and valuable passenger, the employees of that airline are going to be less like to enforce the letter of the law on me. Private Security and/or TSA could care less how much money the airline makes off me.

Not to mention some airlines have different allowances for their frequent fliers, for their first, business and coach passengers, etc. Let the airline do their job, let the security agents do theirs.

welcome to FT. this is par for the course. you are not allowed to complain about anything.

everyone else tries to one up people by being a "better" traveler.

I thought your list was funny.

yeah, it is annoying to hear the general announcement. even people who don't fly regularly know how to put on a seat belt and a mask over their face.

and airlines have compromised space between seats so much that having a seat reclined 0.5 inches vs upright is so negligible.

most of us frequent flyer types have figured out little things to deal with these inconveniences, but it's the real DB's who have to seem like airlines really know what they are doing all the time.