In-Flight Service
 

Does anyone know the specifics of how airlines evaluate in-flight service (of F/A's)? I believe that at times they utilize airline employees to act as "ghost riders". Does anyone know if they work with any third-party organizations to do the same thing? Or, is customer service even a measure they look at?

Thanks!

Welcome Willie. I don't know if airlines pay to have their service monitored. If so, they could save some bucks by simply reading this board.

Thanks Lurch. That is a good point, but somehow I think they still don't get it.

Lurch, dead on!

Willie, welcome to FlyerTalk... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

There was an article I read about 6 months ago about this very issue. Wish I could remember where...it said that a few domestic airlines were using 'secret shoppers' to monitor in-flight services. Can't remember which ones though....

I don't think it mentioned whether they were third-party or airline employees travelling incognito. Good question though.

Shadow - Thanks! I've been brainstorming for a way that a person could fly (as a passenger) for a living. I figured that if the airlines were spending resources (either by paying their own employees to fly "ghost" or by paying a third party) to evaluate service that there might be a market there. I will keep digging...

What you're talking about is a "shopping service" of which there are lots of different ones out there. (I was a mystery shopper for KFC for 3 years in the 80s). During that time I remember flying on TWA and the flt attendants commenting that they could always tell when they were being shopped b/c the same person did an out/back trip (e.g. STL-BNA and then right back to STL).

Search for "mystery shop" and you'll see some of my war stories
jl