FlyerTalk Forums - Things airlines do poorly

FlyerTalk Forums (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/index.php)

- TravelBuzz (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travelbuzz-176/)

- - Things airlines do poorly (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travelbuzz/1229791-things-airlines-do-poorly.html)

Things airlines do poorly

Ok.. not a subject on topic for Communitybuzz! so we'll move that over to Travelbuzz!

Jenbel
Co-moderator, Communitybuzz!

Quote:

Originally Posted by CMH1k (Post 16618423)

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.
Possible interference with onboard systems plus the new TV's suck a lot electricity which in turn makes the airlines burn me fuel
• No cup holders- a no brainer.
There is one already on your tray, if they put on in your armchair how many drinks will spill and how many people will fight with this one is mine that one is yours. plus the are rest will stick out more with it.
• 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.
Getting a verbal Yes means the person signalizes this plus it sees that they understand what was told to them and its part legal stuff
• 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.
Its not if someone walks into your house that they care about it but more so if some duplicates your session remotely.
• 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.
He has plenty more stuff to do before takeoff then to talk to ground plus the amount of BS talk that happens there will drive them crazy.
• 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.
Cost
• 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.
Thats based on each airline not on a flight by flight. Jetblue is fully card only. if you only have cash as the person next to you if you could use their card.
• Gate agents that don't speak English well- especially when making PA announcements at the gate. This seems like a minimum job requirement.
pay and education level and people going for jobs has a lot to do with it. once again cost.
• 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.
this is something that they are working on
• 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?
this is once again for your safety but also because of system limitations. you have 36 different codes for each space that your able to do with random letters. each conf needs to be different.
• Ugly uniforms- the polyester fashion disasters that the poor flight attendants (and flight crew) have to wear are awful.
cost
• Ugly plane decors- I know that patterns hide wear and tear but do they have to be so hideous and dated?
cost and depends on the airline
• Repetitive corporate music- there's only so much Rhapsody in Blue (United) that you can endure. It's like an interrogation technique.
cost and not everyone takes 3 flights a day
• Unorganized boarding procedures- there has to be reams of research on what the most efficient process is. Or maybe not.
actually there is. from the back
• 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.
its actually done for your safety, cost and for the weight of the plane.
• 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.
the screens need to work for years. how many iphone screens do you know of that are broken after a few months
• No foot rests- I'll bet the airlines pay $1000+ each for their seats. Why not include fold-out foot rests?
your safty, weight, cost
• 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.
Cost, safety and they paid for the 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.
You need to think about the person who is 6'5"
• 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.
cost. if your planning to do the crossword there is a store at the airpoirt or bring one with you
• No power outlets- enough said.
cost and weight of the system for the airplane.
• No Wi-Fi- charge a few bucks and make a lot. Seems simple.
Some airlines have it
• Same old TV shows- "The Office" is a funny show but I don't want to watch it every time I fly.
cost they update it once every 15 days or once a month
• Crooked tray tables- laptops and drinks slide off with ease. There is not level one in the whole world.
you can say thank you to the person before who broke it.
Next list- things airports do poorly...

I agree with many of the OP's points but a few of the safety ones I don't agree with. You have to sit through the safety announcements on every flight because there's no way for them to selectively broadcast, and even if there were, no way for them to identify in advance and broadcast to the people who really need to hear it--- infrequent travelers. Now, I may tune out when they start talking, especially if it's a plane I've flown frequently, but I'm glad they are explaining to the masses, and I will pay attention if I'm on an unfamiliar aircraft type.

Upright seats mean your seat is not protruding into the row behind you, hence making it easier for the folks behind you to exit quickly.

Answering the exit row briefing with a verbal Yes shows that you understand English, and are agreeing to the exit row duties.

As for the pilot(s) being able to talk to the ground personnel to advise of passengers with tight connections, etc, well I am not sure what good that will do, as it's really not the pilot's decision; the decision to hold a connection or not lays with the ground crew and while you may be miffed to find your connection left without you, the 6 people connecting onward from that departed flight will be thankful for an on-time departure. The decision to hold or not hold a flight based on potential misconnects must not be an easy one; don't add that to the list of dramas a pilot has to contend with.

But in the spirit of the OP's post I will add my own:

-Coffee. Except in certain carriers' International business or first cabins, it is really hard to get a decent cup of coffee in flight. I understand that part of the problem is the water temperature, which, for safety reasons (so you don't spill boiling water on yourself when it's turbulent) must be kept moderate/low, but you'd think by now someone has discovered a decent, flavorful low-temperature brew. Airline coffee is just grim.

-Lavatory cleaning. While some airlines are improving, it still seems like most airline lavs smell like stale pee no matter how long ago the cleaners left.

Board from the back.

Board window seats before middles

Board middles before aisles

Prioroty deplaning. Let the pax who has a close connection get off first. The passenger who has a four-hour wait can afford to stay a bit longer

Know what you are doing with IRROPs ahead of time. (99% of the pax want to rebook on the next flight. 1 passenger needs to rebook to Fargo via FLL and recover his luggage and has a special diet.) GA, don't spend the next 25 minutes on the 1% and make the 99 others wait.

Quote:

do we really need to hear or see the safety message on every flight?

This statement, alone, indicates to me that I need not read the rest of your message.

YES, we really need to hear or see the safety message on every flight. There are infrequent flyers on every flight.

Quote:

Does anyone think that replying with a verbal "yes" when sitting in an exit row will make a difference

The flight attendants are doing more than just hearing "yes". They are evaluating the entire situation of the exit row occupant, physical ability, mental acuity, etc. This is a valuable safety procedure.

Quote:

how about allowing me to find my reservations by name or password instead of the puzzles like HNZ06GX?

I see you have no experience designing unique IDs. Have a friendly chat with your local database administrator. I'm a DBA. We are all nice people and love to talk about our jobs.

Quote:

And stop pushing the duty-free crap that is no cheaper than buying it at home.

So long as people buy the duty-free crap, they will sell duty-free crap. Marketing 101.

Quote:

everyone scrambles for a pen on international flights

I carry a purse. In my purse is a little loop for a pen. I put a pen there, and thus, always have one handy when I need it. You might try the same.

I especially agree with two points:
Boarding is the least logical time waster that airlines do: FC, large groups with children (who can walk and talk, but...), now priority plus, now sapphire, now platinum, now gold, any silver, emerald, or special? (Anyone left?) Board by number of row, back to front! (like Southwest, but not in order of check-in)

And don't leave the person with a close connection, who has told the FA about it, to fend for themselves. Tell people that 12 folks are coming out in a hurry first, not "we'd appreciate it if you'd let..." (because people don't give a rat's a**).
RE: Cleaner lavatories:
On larger planes, how about a dedicated lavatory with just a urinal/sink? (Tired of trodding in mens' bad aims...) Would probably ease the traffic. Could probably eschew the sink, come to think about it:p

Quote:

Could probably eschew the sink, come to think about it

TMI. I like to think that everyone needs AND USES a sink every time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CMH1k (Post 16618423)

• Fuzzy video and audio that hisses-

I agree. I imagine the hold up is testing/certifying that a new system doesn't cause issues. Modern LCD screens in seat backs seem to suffer from fuzzy video ... providing a digital connection for both audio and video seems an obvious solution. I know providing a screen for every passenger sucks more power but LED TVs (and potentially OLEDS) are reasonably power efficient.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CMH1k (Post 16618423)

• Non-standardized on-board payments-

I flew Easyjet last month :eek: ... they took credit cards and, more importantly, cash in pretty much any currency (their terminals could do the conversion). It was great for getting rid of random currency and, in exchange, they got to sell me overpriced coffee!

Quote:

Originally Posted by CMH1k (Post 16618423)

• Unorganized boarding procedures- there has to be reams of research on what the most efficient process is.

I've read a couple of research papers on the matter but they tend to be inconclusive. I've read that the unassigned seating system works reasonably well (people just sit down rather than hunting for a seat ... probably why the LCCs use it).

Whatever, this is a great list and I certainly identified with quite a few of these ^.

Most of what was mention to me is just small and not of real importance. My biggest beef is with uncontrolled boardings when it becomes more like the running of the bulls. I've seen boardings on AA particularly at MIA when First/Business passengers were being run down by people that would not wait their turn, and in fact the situation became dangerous. If someone is a premium passenger that has paid several thousand $$S for a flight they certain should be mowed down by someone that refuses to wait for their group to be called.

Quote:

Originally Posted by newyorkgeorge (Post 16619905)

My biggest beef is with uncontrolled boardings when it becomes more like the running of the bulls.

If people were guaranteed overhead space then I'm sure the problem of people mowing you down would disappear. I've found European flights where they do enforce carry-on rules to be a much more relaxed affair.

I think the biggest complaint I have about the airlines is that there aren't enough flights for the demand, IMO. Of course, fuel prices dictate the number of flights, so can't blame the airlines.

Quote:

Originally Posted by newyorkgeorge (Post 16619905)

Boarding the plane accomplishes two contradictory purposes.
1- Get all the people in their seats as efficiently (quickly) as possible.
2- Stroke the egos of those who have (or think they should have) special status.

To do #1, imagine if you made video of pax getting OFF the plane. Now, just play it in reverse. 1st row aisle seat is first off; last row window seat is last.

You can't do #2 and #1 at the same time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Allan38103 (Post 16619351)

Board from the back.

Board window seats before middles

Board middles before aisles

Actually, the fastest is to just load people in from back to front and you get aisle/middle/window based on where you are in line when you get to the row. Oh, and no carry-on bags.

But no passengers will go for that so it isn't worth considering.

Why did you start 2 threads about this?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...do-poorly.html