|
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... |
Ok.. not a subject on topic for Communitybuzz! so we'll move that over to Travelbuzz!
Jenbel Co-moderator, Communitybuzz! |
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. |
do we really need to hear or see the safety message on every flight? YES, we really need to hear or see the safety message on every flight. There are infrequent flyers on every flight. Does anyone think that replying with a verbal "yes" when sitting in an exit row will make a difference 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. And stop pushing the duty-free crap that is no cheaper than buying it at home. everyone scrambles for a pen on international flights |
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 |
Could probably eschew the sink, come to think about it |
Originally Posted by CMH1k
(Post 16618423)
• Fuzzy video and audio that hisses-
Originally Posted by CMH1k
(Post 16618423)
• Non-standardized on-board payments-
Originally Posted by CMH1k
(Post 16618423)
• Unorganized boarding procedures- there has to be reams of research on what the most efficient process is.
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 $$S for a flight they certain should be mowed down by someone that refuses to wait for their group to be called.
|
Originally Posted by newyorkgeorge
(Post 16619905)
My biggest beef is with uncontrolled boardings when it becomes more like the running of the bulls.
|
I think the biggest complaint I have about the airlines is that there aren't enough flights for the demand, IMO. Of course, fuel prices dictate the number of flights, so can't blame the airlines.
|
Originally Posted by newyorkgeorge
(Post 16619905)
Most of what was mention to me is just small and not of real importance. My biggest beef is with uncontrolled boardings when it becomes more like the running of the bulls. I've seen boardings on AA particularly at MIA when First/Business passengers were being run down by people that would not wait their turn, and in fact the situation became dangerous. If someone is a premium passenger that has paid several thousand $$S for a flight they certain should be mowed down by someone that refuses to wait for their group to be called.
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. |
Originally Posted by Allan38103
(Post 16619351)
Board from the back.
Board window seats before middles Board middles before aisles But no passengers will go for that so it isn't worth considering. |
|
Airlines don't really update departure times consistently..
|
Originally Posted by CMH1k
(Post 16618423)
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.
Originally Posted by CMH1k
(Post 16618423)
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
|
Many of the OP's points are valid. I can't, however, agree with the argument about not having the general safety announcements on every flight. The fact that the OP (and most people on these boards) fly frequently doesn't mean that this is true of everyone: patently it is not, and consequently the announcements need to be made on every flight.
I imagine that the idea of having seats upright at take-off and landing is as much to enable people in the row behind to get out easily if they need to (and to enable flight attendants or others to get in easily if someone is injured) as anything else. As for the question of coffee on board, which someone raised: if you think the coffee's bad on most flights, have you tried the tea? :td: |
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. I understand that some people spend a lot more time flying than others, but if you can't go a few hours without HD video, then you need help. • No cup holders- a no brainer. This would be nice as not all airlines, or maybe just not all airplanes, have cupholders in the tray. Last time I flew, I didn't have any cup holders on my tray, but this isn't a big deal to me. • Bogus safety precautions- do we really need to hear or see the safety message on every flight? Yes we do need to hear it and see it everytime. Not everybody is a frequent flier so not everybody hears them all the time.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. As somebody else pointed out, the FAs are making sure you can communicate in English as well as determining your mental and physical ability to help out in an emergency, if needed. • 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. As another poster said, the pilots are very busy doing pre-flight stuff. • 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. This can be attributed to cost. Even if you're cutting a connection close because of something the airline did, it makes more sense for the airline to go ahead and get the next flight in the air without any additional delays whenever possible. Remember, there may be people on the next flight with tight connections so any delay could make them miss their connection. Not saying that those people are more important than you, but if there are 5 people on your flight that are cutting it close and 20 on the next flight, then it makes more sense economically to deal with the 5 people rather than the 20 people. • 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. I haven't been on a flight lately that still accepted cash so I was unaware that this was still a problem. Yes, they definitely need to fix this. • Gate agents that don't speak English well- especially when making PA announcements at the gate. This seems like a minimum job requirement. Certain places have a higher population of foreign people so this can be more location based than airline based. For instance, a city like Miami will probably have a higher % of people with hard to understand accents than a city like Indianapolis for example. • 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. I have heard that they are working on this and another poster confirmed it. • 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? If you're a FF of the airline, you can basically do this with your airline confirmations. I can't spak for the way it works with all airlines, but with Delta, you need your FF#, PIN#, and last name. Or you can check with the credit card # that you booked with. I can't imagine that other airlines wouldn't allow that. However, your confirmation #'s will always be those random codes that you'll find hard to remember. • Ugly uniforms- the polyester fashion disasters that the poor flight attendants (and flight crew) have to wear are awful. I'm worried about getting to my destination so I don't care what the FAs and pilots wear. • Ugly plane decors- I know that patterns hide wear and tear but do they have to be so hideous and dated? Once again, I'm worried about getting to my destination so don't care too much about the decor on or in the planes. • Repetitive corporate music- there's only so much Rhapsody in Blue (United) that you can endure. It's like an interrogation technique. Take your own headphones and a iPod or whatever and listen to your own tunes then. • 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. The current seats are designed for safety as well as fitting more people on 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. • No foot rests- I'll bet the airlines pay $1000+ each for their seats. Why not include fold-out foot rests? I think the main thing here is safety during an emergency. If I'm sitting next to you and there is an emergency and I rush out of my seat and forget to fold mine back in, then you could trip over it and hurt yourself as well as slow down others in getting out if you don't notice that I left my footrest out. Plus, it would take away some of the your luggage stowing space. Remember, the overhead bins have to be shared, even though some people like to think that they don't have to share. The only place you are actually guaranteed to be able to place a carry-on is under the seat in front of you. • 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. I always have a pen on me as I never know when I may need one. If flying internationally, you know you need to fill out the paperwork so why would you not carry a pen of your own? Also, if you think you may want to do the crossword puzzles or happen to have your own puzzle book, then wouldn't you think that you should carry a pen anyway? • 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. This doesn't bother me as I take my iPad and watch my own movies or TV shows. Before I had an iPad, I had a fairly cheap portable dvd player so I could watch movies. • Crooked tray tables- laptops and drinks slide off with ease. There is not level one in the whole world. Obviously you haven't flown on every airline, on every airplane, and sat in every seat so this is a silly statement. However, probably 99% of the time, this isn't the airlines fault. It's the fault of the passengers who sometimes are rough with them and sometimes they just break because they've been used a lot. Next list- things airports do poorly... |
Wow, you guys need to lighten up.
Comments like these aren't really needed: "If you can't go few hours with HD video you need help" (How about 16 hours to BKK, or back and forth to IAD and LHR every 2 weeks?) "Most of what is mentioned is small and unimportant"-, (um, yes, that was clearly pointed out in my OP...) "This statement, alone, indicates to me that I need not read the rest of your message" (and then she goes on to read the whole post and reply...) And all of the defensive rationales for things that could maybe be fixed if someone took the time to bother completely miss the point and spirit of my post. The idea is "Wouldn't it be nice if airlines paid more attention to little stuff in an effort to please their valuable customers." Regarding the safety stuff: The pilot gets and communicates gate info and he doesn't crash the plane, so asking for connection communication isn't wholly unreasonable. Seats that are 1" back are not a safety hazard, let the poor guy sleep. The safety speech could be on card, not verbally blasted from a speaker 1 ft. from your ear. ...etc., etc. |
I find it amazing that no airline in the world has a robust, fully-functional, stable website through which it can sell or modify all of the same types of tickets it can sell or modify via phone.
If such a beast exists, I'm not aware of it. Maybe ANA comes close? (For one of their own frequent fliers, of course.) Even more amazing is how many airlines have sites that barely work. (Southwest being a prominent one now.) It's 2011, not 1996. |
Originally Posted by pinniped
(Post 16624870)
I find it amazing that no airline in the world has a robust, fully-functional, stable website through which it can sell or modify all of the same types of tickets it can sell or modify via phone.
If such a beast exists, I'm not aware of it. Maybe ANA comes close? (For one of their own frequent fliers, of course.) Even more amazing is how many airlines have sites that barely work. (Southwest being a prominent one now.) It's 2011, not 1996. This multi-billion dollar industry hurts when airlines can't even have a properly working basic website that's available.. |
One other note with the safety spiel is the flight attendants have to be there anyway, so there's no real cost in having them do the spiel during taxi. So why not?
The evacuation certification tests were done with the seatbacks upright, so that's how they're set for takeoff and landing. Again, there's zero cost to having your seat upright for the first and last 10 minutes of the flight, so why not? |
A few other notes to airlines...related to phone support...
(1) If I'm calling you today from my own cell phone, and I'm boarding one of your flights today, you can assume I that I want to talk about that flight. Don't ask me for flight numbers, PNR's, frequent flier numbers, or other data. The very fact that I'm on the phone at all means I'm probably in an airport, or on my way to an airport, and I'm for some reason concerned about my immediate travels. (Credit to United: they mostly understand this, with minor imperfections...and it's easy to drop into more general options if you really don't want to talk about today's flight.) (2) If you transfer me from one phone agent to another, transfer my information as well. I don't mind having to re-explain my situation a little bit but don't ask me for basic information a 2nd time. (3) Install callback systems when there's a hold time of longer than 5 minutes. Even Hertz has this, and the rental car industry is generally known for horrific customer service. Usually when I'm calling an airline, so is everybody else because we're all impacted by the same irrops. Callbacks would make things much easier on everyone. |
Originally Posted by CMH1k
(Post 16623988)
The safety speech could be on card, not verbally blasted from a speaker 1 ft. from your ear. ...etc., etc. |
A few other things airlines seem not to do well..
1) Lack of FF reservations access by phone 24 hours/7 days a week.. 2) Wait times on hold.. 3) Inconsistent answers.. and non-universal methods of searching flight availability over the phone.. |
Originally Posted by telloh
(Post 16623136)
Actually, pilots tell the company this kind of information all the time. The fact is, delaying one group of passengers by not holding a connection is sometimes a better choice than delaying another group of passengers by holding a connection.
|
Originally Posted by audio-nut
(Post 16626226)
I highly doubts pilots relay this info. All major carriers have connection coordinators at their hubs to run these numbers.
Not uncommon at all. You are right in assuming somebody at the company already knows. The pilots don't know or care about that. From their perspective, taking 30 seconds to pass that information to the SOC can't hurt, and then the flight attendant can tell the passenger that the company was "notified". |
The pay thing reminds me of a recent experience on Aeroflot. I wanted a beer and flashed them my VISA card (alcohol on Aeroflot is generally buy on board), but they declined that. They went on with the trolley while I sat digging my roubles. Of course I want to pay for things. The FA then came back after the service to collect garbage etc and I lended her the payment which was 82 roubles. She was confused and asked if I wanted another one. I explained that I did not pay for this and I just wanted to pay. Could have a free beer I realized, but I am a honest passenger. I think every airline should take VISA and Mastercard. In the Untied States it is creditcard ONLY most of the time.
|
You may be pleased to know that a few of your complaints are already addressed by some airlines:
Originally Posted by CMH1k
(Post 16618423)
• No cup holders- a no brainer.
• 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. • No foot rests- I'll bet the airlines pay $1000+ each for their seats. Why not include fold-out foot rests? • No power outlets- enough said. |
Originally Posted by mdlee3
(Post 16623398)
Certain places have a higher population of foreign people so this can be more location based than airline based. For instance, a city like Miami will probably have a higher % of people with hard to understand accents than a city like Indianapolis for example.
|
Another thing: Why no urinal booths (strategically placed swing door would do, like on Japanese bullet trains)? Would save space, queuing time, and make the floor much nicer for female passengers (and male passengers who wish to sit down).
|
Originally Posted by telloh
(Post 16626395)
You're mistaken. The passengers tell the flight attendants, the flight attendants tell the captain, and the captain ACARS his or her dispatcher.
Not uncommon at all.
Originally Posted by telloh
(Post 16626395)
You are right in assuming somebody at the company already knows. The pilots don't know or care about that.
I've been in the Ops center at ORD for United and they absolutely do keep track of delayed flights and potentially connecting (or mis-connecting) passengers and make a decision on what to do in every case. More often than not the answer is to keep as much as possible flying on time. Why? Delays cascade and the DoT reports delayed flights as a bad statistic, even if the reason for the delay is a "good" one. Combine that with the airlines giving their employees a bonus if they can hit on-time targets and there isn't much out there that will compel a carrier to delay a flight that doesn't need such. Even if it might mean inconveniencing some passengers. |
Love the urinal idea...I'm sure my wife would agree as well!!
You would think that an airline could accept about 4 or 5 different kinds of credit cards and have nearly the entire world covered. I'm surprised that any airline, anywhere, would want to be handling cash in 2011. Giving 3 or 4 percent vig to the bank is a bargain compared to having FAs deal with cash. Aren't most cards issued in most countries in the world capable of processing on one of the Visa, MC, or Amex networks? |
Originally Posted by pinniped
(Post 16627242)
I'm surprised that any airline, anywhere, would want to be handling cash in 2011. Giving 3 or 4 percent vig to the bank is a bargain compared to having FAs deal with cash.
|
Originally Posted by Passmethesickbag
(Post 16626950)
Another thing: Why no urinal booths (strategically placed swing door would do, like on Japanese bullet trains)? Would save space, queuing time, and make the floor much nicer for female passengers (and male passengers who wish to sit down).
|
I dislike the baggage checking fees. Now everyone tries to carry as much as possible onto the plane, and I often see people poaching overhead space, slipping a case into a forward compartment and then going to sit in the back. Furthermore, items that are really too large to be carry-ons are allowed on board, and everyone has to stand in the aisle behind people who are struggling to hoist overstuffed 22" suitcases into the overhead compartments.
I flew LHR->ORD right after the 2006 terrorism scare, but fortunately after the period when they had banned passengers from carrying on anything at all. At that time, the restriction was modified so that you could carry on one item that would fit under your seat. No rollaboards, no duffles. I had a large handbag that was just roomy enough to hold my laptop and my money and passport. Well, I have never seen a plane empty out so fast as when we landed at ORD. Everyone picked up their one easily manageable little carry-on and walked off. With no one strugggling to lift rollaboards out of the overhead bins, there were no traffic jams in the aisles. I would urge the airlines to reinstate their former policy of allowing one free checked bag and avoid the situation in which people who do follow the rules about carry-ons have to struggle to find space. |
Originally Posted by Mark_mnl
(Post 16626944)
I'm sure that's true but I can't be that sympathetic. Once in Bangkok, I flew China Airlines to Taipei and the same Thai gate agent gave the boarding announcement in Chinese, Thai and (excellent) English. Accents are OK and while I've never experienced a gate agent who could not speak English clearly, yes, that should be a basic job requirement. I realize expecting trilingual gate agents would be a bit much in the U.S. but surely we can settle for clearly spoken English at least, no?
|
Originally Posted by Passmethesickbag
(Post 16626950)
Another thing: Why no urinal booths (strategically placed swing door would do, like on Japanese bullet trains)? Would save space, queuing time, and make the floor much nicer for female passengers (and male passengers who wish to sit down).
One slip of hand and eew..:eek::) |
Inaudible inflight announcements. Many times it is very difficult to hear the announcements on the plane. A couple of times I've asked a flight attendant what the announcement was, and they said it was about duty free sales or some such. One time they were giving connecting gate information, and I could only catch parts of it. Another time, on taxi out, we heard several loud bangs, an unintelligible announcement was made, and we returned to the gate. It turns out that we had a compressor stall, and they were going to locate another aircraft for us. But I didn't know this until I pressed my call button so I could ask a flight attendant. What if it were a real emergency and we couldn't hear the announcements? We wouldn't have any idea what was going on. By the way, there is nothing wrong with my hearing.
|
| All times are GMT -6. The time now is 1:50 am. |
This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.