When it comes to airline service, it’s easy to make sweeping generalizations, because they’re usually completely correct. The awful air carriers deserve their reputations. So do the good ones. But every now and then something happens that makes me question the conventional wisdom. Take yesterday’s experience in New Orleans, in which I received surprisingly attentive service from an airline that I didn’t expect – and unusually poor service from one that I did.

Elliott is consumer advocate
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