Airline Satisfaction Reaches a New Low

I read an article this morning that struck me as incredibly pertinent to our jobs. Whether booking travel for yourself or your boss, it's interesting to know that customer satisfaction has reached an incredible low among airlines since 2001. Airlines overall received a score of 62 on a 100 point scale. While individual airlines received their own score, American Airlines scored the lowest and conversely, Southwest Airlines scored highest. With the recent rise in oil prices leading to flight delays and cancellations, can we really blame the airlines for our poor customer experiences?

Blame Oil?

Today, oil reached an all time high of $130 a barrel, forcing airlines to raise ticket prices, overbook flights and ultimately leave us high and dry at the airport. This has inevitably been an upward trend, as the dollar weakens and the demand increases.

Because of increasing oil prices, airlines are looking everywhere for ways to decrease their expenses and increase their revenues. Many airlines have decided to charge a fee for more than one piece of luggage, and plenty have stopped serving food. While skipping an airline meal won't kill any of us, the price of carrying more than one piece of luggage will start making us pack lighter. With fees ranging from $10 to $50 per piece after your first, lots of passengers are being surprised at the ticket counter.

Customer Service

Do rising costs have any impact on customer service? Naturally, the airline employees will feel the crunch just as airline executives and passengers, but are they taking it out on us? Nearly every part of an airlines business relates to customer satisfaction. Everyone has an airline horror story (many relating to those crazy security lines), but I personally think that airlines used to be much worse.

Recently, I flew out of Atlanta. While I checked in online, I still needed to check one bag. Of course, the lines were out the door, however, there was a lovely lady directing traffic evenly through the lines to the different counters and she took every opportunity to thank us for our patience. This definitely made my wait more enjoyable. However, she failed to direct traffic outside to the curbside check-in with much shorter lines. Eventually, I made my way outside and spent 2 minutes rather than 30 checking my bags and gladly tipped the nice fellow for his help with my luggage. The service, in general, was excellent even though the airport was a madhouse.

Remember the days of glamorous airline travel? My grandmother still maintains that you must wear your best outfit on a plane, whereas I subscribe to the comfort is king theory. Because airlines have made travel more affordable, business class is a rare luxury, reserved for those hoping to get a taste of the old time airline glamour. Several airlines will gladly upgrade you for a small fee, but remember, nothing is free.

Delays

Undoubtedly, delays were among airline passengers biggest issue. Even one small delay can spark an entire ripple effect, causing delays around the country (and even the globe). So, what causes delays? According to a USA Today analysis, weather delays are NOT the most common reason for flights leaving late or being cancelled all together. The biggest problems involve pilot shortages, taking too long to refuel, and mechanical issues. Customers are certainly more likely to be forgiving of weather delays or other natural causes that cannot be attributed to human ineptitude.

What makes you a satisfied customer of an airline? What have been your recent experiences? Do you think things are changing? If so, are they getting better in some areas, worse in others? What do you think? Share your stories!