Comments on: How can the nation’s best airline also be the worst? http://www.elliott.org/blog/how-can-the-nations-best-airline-also-be-the-worst/ Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott's site. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:25:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kathy http://www.elliott.org/blog/how-can-the-nations-best-airline-also-be-the-worst/comment-page-1/#comment-3632 Kathy Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:21:48 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/how-can-the-nations-best-airline-also-be-the-worst/#comment-3632 I no longer fly USAirways. My husband and I both had Chairman's Preferred status, but we finally got fed up with them. The planes are filthy, yes that includes the blankets, and even tray tables are dirty and/or broken. Baggage claim was always excessively slow - - if the baggage even arrived. Then, they increased their fares on our most frequent routes so they are more expensive than flights on other carriers. More money for an inferior product is not my choice as a consumer. We're taken two award flights in the past 18 months and saw no improvement. I'm sceptical about what Robert Isom can accomplish when the airline continues to make money. If more travelers took their business elsewhere, it would impact their revenue, and then we might see significant change. Until that happens, I expect more of the same low quality. I no longer fly USAirways. My husband and I both had Chairman’s Preferred status, but we finally got fed up with them. The planes are filthy, yes that includes the blankets, and even tray tables are dirty and/or broken. Baggage claim was always excessively slow – - if the baggage even arrived. Then, they increased their fares on our most frequent routes so they are more expensive than flights on other carriers. More money for an inferior product is not my choice as a consumer.

We’re taken two award flights in the past 18 months and saw no improvement. I’m sceptical about what Robert Isom can accomplish when the airline continues to make money. If more travelers took their business elsewhere, it would impact their revenue, and then we might see significant change. Until that happens, I expect more of the same low quality.

]]> By: Ann http://www.elliott.org/blog/how-can-the-nations-best-airline-also-be-the-worst/comment-page-1/#comment-3590 Ann Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:13:49 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/how-can-the-nations-best-airline-also-be-the-worst/#comment-3590 I am, like Doug, often on USAirways because I need to fly in and out of Philadelphia. I don't have any big horror stories, but there are some things that consistently occur: - They routinely fail to credit my United miles for random portions of an itinerary - The drink service on MUC - PHL (9 hours) is so rare that you stare at the sign over the bathroom sink that warns you not to drink the water and start thinking "what's the harm" - The blankets are filthy; my seat mate once got one with baby spit up all over it (we hope that's what it was) - Many on their staff are flat out rude; fortunately, I fly so much I will let people skip me in line so I can get the person I want Again, none of these are so bad that I would write to the airline, but it is all so consistent that I know exactly what to expect from USAirways. I used to try to find Lufthansa code shares, but lately Lufthansa has been just as bad. Whenever I get too upset, I fly Alitalia so I can be reminded that it is possible to sink yet lower (and I avoid flying Emerites so that I don't up and move to Dubai). I am, like Doug, often on USAirways because I need to fly in and out of Philadelphia. I don’t have any big horror stories, but there are some things that consistently occur:
- They routinely fail to credit my United miles for random portions of an itinerary
- The drink service on MUC – PHL (9 hours) is so rare that you stare at the sign over the bathroom sink that warns you not to drink the water and start thinking “what’s the harm”
- The blankets are filthy; my seat mate once got one with baby spit up all over it (we hope that’s what it was)
- Many on their staff are flat out rude; fortunately, I fly so much I will let people skip me in line so I can get the person I want

Again, none of these are so bad that I would write to the airline, but it is all so consistent that I know exactly what to expect from USAirways. I used to try to find Lufthansa code shares, but lately Lufthansa has been just as bad. Whenever I get too upset, I fly Alitalia so I can be reminded that it is possible to sink yet lower (and I avoid flying Emerites so that I don’t up and move to Dubai).

]]> By: Jasper http://www.elliott.org/blog/how-can-the-nations-best-airline-also-be-the-worst/comment-page-1/#comment-3492 Jasper Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:39:21 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/how-can-the-nations-best-airline-also-be-the-worst/#comment-3492 Just go after them in a European court. No European judge will agree that maintainance is extraordinary. The EU261 had been made to protect customers from crappy airlines and to give airlines a financial incentive to make sure their flights are on time. There's a big difference in ideas on how a 'free' market should work between the EU and the US. In the US, law makers allow comapnies virtually everything to increase profitability. Competitions is supposed to take care of the rest. This has lead to the current situation where companies find it amusing to screw their customers as much as they can. Higher prices and lower quality. In the US, the company always wins. In the EU, the general idea is that in a free market, prices go down and quality goes up. If the EU sees that in a certain market those things do not apply, they regulate in such a way that it WILL happen. Hence EU261. And the ruling against Microsoft. And many other regulations. In the EU, the customer wins. Just go after them in a European court. No European judge will agree that maintainance is extraordinary. The EU261 had been made to protect customers from crappy airlines and to give airlines a financial incentive to make sure their flights are on time.

There’s a big difference in ideas on how a ‘free’ market should work between the EU and the US. In the US, law makers allow comapnies virtually everything to increase profitability. Competitions is supposed to take care of the rest. This has lead to the current situation where companies find it amusing to screw their customers as much as they can. Higher prices and lower quality. In the US, the company always wins.

In the EU, the general idea is that in a free market, prices go down and quality goes up. If the EU sees that in a certain market those things do not apply, they regulate in such a way that it WILL happen. Hence EU261. And the ruling against Microsoft. And many other regulations. In the EU, the customer wins.

]]> By: Douglas Muth http://www.elliott.org/blog/how-can-the-nations-best-airline-also-be-the-worst/comment-page-1/#comment-2914 Douglas Muth Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:51:50 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/how-can-the-nations-best-airline-also-be-the-worst/#comment-2914 One of the reasons why I fly US Airways is because they are the biggest carrier out of Philadelphia. For nearly every destination I have ever flown to, chances are that US Airways has a direct flight there. I guess I've been lucky, as I haven't had too many problems with them. But from what I've read on here, I'd happily switch to another carrier if they had the same routes that US Airways did. -- Doug One of the reasons why I fly US Airways is because they are the biggest carrier out of Philadelphia. For nearly every destination I have ever flown to, chances are that US Airways has a direct flight there.

I guess I’ve been lucky, as I haven’t had too many problems with them. But from what I’ve read on here, I’d happily switch to another carrier if they had the same routes that US Airways did.

– Doug

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