Who else hates flying Delta?

[skategoat]

Could there be a worse airline in the entire world? Almost every flight I have taken on Delta runs into problems. Lost luggage, late flights, missed connections, rude staff.

As for the latest fiasco, I won't go into details but I had a flight cancelled without any warning or explanation. They just dropped the news on me at the check-in counter.

No other flights that evening so they put me up in possibly the crappiest hotel in the entire world and gave me a $7.00 meal allowance. I am still recovering from my total lack of sleep that night due to the late night partying in adjacent rooms.

Possibly the worst part of it all is that the staff I talked to about it both during and after the trip simply couldn't give a rat's ass about it all. They all acted like I was inconveniencing them.

Man, I used to complain about Air Canada. But no more. Thank you for allowing me to vent.

[Kimo]

There is a worse airline than Delta. It's called United. And I say that having been a captain for one of the United Express carriers. The worst one, actually, but I saw enough to know that big United sucks too.

Actually, it's pretty near all airlines that suck. The industry is a complete mess. That's why I quit to go to a different type of flying job. You're right. The employees don't give a rat's ass about you. That's because it's painfully obvious to those employees that their respective companies don't give a rat's ass about them. Very, very few people on this planet have the personality to take all the $#!+ that the airlines (and yes, the passengers too) throw at them and still have some shred of a good mood.

Something to think about. I think the problem with air travel (for the masses at least) is that it has become a commodity... just like bacon. Who ever makes the cheapest bacon is going to sell the most bacon because, hey, all bacon is the same, right? Oil is at an all time high (I think, even when accounting for inflation). Airline tickets are pretty much near an all time low (even without accounting for inflation). People buy tickets on the internet and the only factor they seem to consider in deciding between 2 different airlines is which one can save them two bucks on a 500 mile flight because, hey, all airlines are the same, right? Basically, passengers are telling airlines that ticket price, not quality of service, is the most important factor in getting their business. The fact that the flying public seems to think that ticket prices shouldn't reflect the actual cost of providing the service is, in my opinion, the primary reason that air travel sucks so much. If the cost of the fuel goes up, why shouldn't the cost of the ticket go up too? People seem to understand this at the pump. Even if they don't like it, they deal with it. An economist would say that there's too much supply. I would agree... cutting supply (flights) would increase demand and allow airlines to raise their prices, but none of the airlines want to give up any market share so they just keep looking for corners to cut so that they can keep providing cheap airfare.

I could go on, but eventually somebody would shoot me.

[skategoat]

I'm not sure I agree with that. Well, I do agree that air travel is a commodity but I don't agree that crappy service should be part of the package. You eat your share of crap in any service job. Ever work in a restaurant? As a customer, do you put up with a rude waiter? If the soup is cold, do you send it back?

There are ways to make it cheap and cheerful. Low profit margins are not an excuse for poor service. That's just going to put you out of business faster.

[Steve Prokopiw]

Delta and United both suck! But United consistently sucks worse.It would take too much time to describe our horrible experience a couple of years ago (to Toronto,no less)on United,but I have also had a terrible experience on Delta.

Best experience? British Airways from Toronto to Manchester England a few years ago.Not sure they are still around but the service could only have been better with a complimentary lap dance.Smiles all around,conciencious attendants,great food,the best long flight I ever had.

[Kimo]

I'm not sure I agree with that. Well, I do agree that air travel is a commodity but I don't agree that crappy service should be part of the package. You eat your share of crap in any service job. Ever work in a restaurant? As a customer, do you put up with a rude waiter? If the soup is cold, do you send it back?

There are ways to make it cheap and cheerful. Low profit margins are not an excuse for poor service. That's just going to put you out of business faster.

I have have had very few rude waiters. Waiters have an incentive to provide good service. Maybe the airlines need to start putting out tip jars for the employees. I can see it now... "Thanks for not losing my bags, here's a couple bucks." "Thanks for helping work out my reroute to London, here's a fiver." "Thanks for the wonderful and informative safety demonstration and for not killing my screaming brat kid who threw his pretzels on the floor and mashed them into the carpet with his shoe which he then flushed down the only working toilet on this plane just 30 minutes into this 5 hour flight, here's a Jackson for ya." "Thanks for not sticking this plane upside down in the dirt during this nasty weather, here's a George Washington for your efforts."

Yeah, that'd be sweet.

[KingCrimson]

Southwest is the way to go, if you can fly.

On a flight to Phoenix from San Diego:

"In the event of a water landing, the person seated next to you may be used as a flotation device"

Now THAT is service. Well, it isn't really, but Southwest sells some cheap bacon, and it doesn't taste all that bad most of the time.

Ever watch the show on A&E a while ago called Airline? All about Southwest, they have some great folks working for them.

[skategoat]

I have have had very few rude waiters. Waiters have an incentive to provide good service. Maybe the airlines need to start putting out tip jars for the employees. I can see it now... "Thanks for not losing my bags, here's a couple bucks." "Thanks for helping work out my reroute to London, here's a fiver." "Thanks for the wonderful and informative safety demonstration and for not killing my screaming brat kid who threw his pretzels on the floor and mashed them into the carpet with his shoe which he then flushed down the only working toilet on this plane just 30 minutes into this 5 hour flight, here's a Jackson for ya." "Thanks for not sticking this plane upside down in the dirt during this nasty weather, here's a George Washington for your efforts."

Yeah, that'd be sweet.

That's exactly what the airlines need. Not a tip jar but incentive pay or perhaps a stock option plan. My favourite airline is Westjet. It's cheap and service is fantastic.

http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/may2006/id20060510_847981.htm?campaign_id=rss_innovate

"It was 'PAX in 12B wants a coffee' (at other airlines). Passengers became inanimate objects and that's the way they were getting treated. At our airline, we hope you're treated like a guest," says Don Bell, executive vice-president and co-founder of what is now Canada's No. 2 airline."

[Kimo]

That's exactly what the airlines need. Not a tip jar but incentive pay or perhaps a stock option plan.

That was tried at United. The last time United went through bankruptcy, the employees lost all their shares. Then the employees, to help save the future of the airline, took up to 40% paycuts. Then management, to reward the employees, erased all their retirement benefits, while testifying in bankruptcy court that mgmt should still keep their retirement monies "because they were guaranteed" (WTF!). When United came out of ch 11, the CEO alone took a $40mil bonus the first year.

That is the $#!+ I was talking about being thrown at the employees. I'm telling you, the industry is rotten.

Southwest is quite a bit better. However, they've got there own problems. Did you hear hear about the recent $10.2 mil fine and grounding of 42 aircraft due to failure to perform required inspections?