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Human compassion might ease the woes of airline travel
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Published: June 15, 2008
Airline travel is hours of boredom interrupted by moments of stark terror. -- Al Boliska
One word appeared in the subject line of the email message: airlines. I opened it and to my surprise could identify with the image portrayed in the cartoon and the caption describing the situation at hand. I laughed, and at the same time thought, this is farfetched, but … no, they wouldn't do that.
Imagine taking your seat before take-off and your flight attendant, as is customary, begins the instructions you've heard many times. You casually listen while doing something else. I was paying attention this time because of bad weather -- high winds, thunderstorms and possible hail were predicted. We had a bumpy ride ahead. Next is the walk through the cabin to ensure tray tables are upright, seat belts are fastened, luggage is secured and all portable devices are powered off, a bone of contention on this flight.
As the attendant murmured her instructions into her handset, a passenger directly across the aisle from me, in the same row, continued to use his portable device -- at least it looked that way to the attendant, and me -- checking e-mail. After issuing several requests to cut off portable devices, she slowly repeated the instructions again, looking sternly at him. He was visibly irritated. He looked up and, in an emotional outburst, emphatically told the young attendant that it was off. "Leave me the freaking alone!" he shouted. She mistook "freaking" for another word; use your imagination here. "What did you say?" she asked, ready to throw him out. The stalemate was resolved, and she continued her memorized routine without skipping a beat.
More instructions followed: Fasten your seat belt, locate the exits, be aware of the lights that come on in the event of an emergency and know what to do if the cabin loses air pressure. It is important to remember to put the oxygen mask on your face first; then, help someone else.
That was the subject of the e-mail I received. Passengers were depicted as somewhat anxious, listening to an attendant with startled expressions on their faces as she barked out these instructions: "In the event of sudden loss of cabin pressure, an oxygen mask will drop from the compartment above your head. For $15 you can activate it." While the airlines haven't gone that far, you do need to budget a few extra dollars when you travel now. And they can add up quickly, too.
As I arrived for my flight to St. Paul, Minn., recently, the first indication of this was the sign that alerted me to the extra charge for checking baggage curbside, $2. That was not including the tip for the skycap, as the notice informed me. That was just the beginning. On the flight, about 2½ hours, I would find that if I wanted something to eat, I had to purchase a box lunch for $5, beverage-free. I skipped it, though business was good.
Watching a news report later, I learned that some airlines are considering charging you according to your weight, at least for those of us overweight. "What's next?" I thought. There are charges now for aisle seats, my preference, and additional baggage. Not only are you charged if your bags weigh more than allowed; you also might face a charge for the next bag.
Back to the inclement weather conditions on my return trip home: My flight was booked round-trip on the same airline; however, I soon found out, that since I was flying through Chicago, I was on a different airline and was redirected to another carrier with which it has a partnership. After check-in, I proceeded to the appropriate gate for departure. That's when the announcement indicating a thunderstorm warning, high winds and possible hail blared through the speakers. I was not looking forward to this flight. The sky darkened, the rain poured, the flags blew fiercely in the wind, and our arriving plane was diverted, causing many to miss connecting flights. When we departed, I knew that my connecting flight in Chicago was already in the air.
The next possible flight was 6:35 a.m. the following day, according to the desk attendant, matter-of-factly. Without looking up he booked me on that flight, and gave me a number to call for a discount hotel room. The next person received the same treatment. She missed her connection too, to London. We were treated as commodities without feelings. Next …
Sleeping in the airport that night was an experience, especially after surviving a bumpy ride followed by the confrontation over the portable device. Needless to say, I had to find my bag, which arrived sooner than I did. I could see it in the locked airline baggage-claim office. It was not staffed at the time.
I am glad to be home, safe and with my luggage in hand. I have a suggestion for the struggling airlines though: Charge a fee for additional customer service? I might buy that. At a minimum, make me feel like you care, even if it isn't your fault.
■ Nigel Alston is a Dale Carnegie trainer and motivational speaker. He can be reached at nalston1@triad.rr.com.
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