Airline propaganda remains “delusional”

The annual economic report by the Air Transport Association has its share of critics, some of whom are labeling it “propaganda” and “delusional.”
 

That’s the assessment of the Financial Post which equates it with the tobacco industry lobbyists of years ago that peddled “lies and half-truths to an unsuspecting public.”
 

The paper cites the report’s statement that “as your flight makes its way across the country or across the globe, airline employees — onboard your flight and throughout the system — are doing their best to make sure that your journey is safe, pleasant and on schedule.”
 

“Really? Tell that to the thousands of passengers who have been trapped on the tarmac in the last year,” it says.
 

The report says customer service is improving. “Airlines know that satisfied customers are loyal customers,” it said.
 

“Show me one survey that suggests even a small improvement in customer service. Just one,” responds the newspaper.
 

Airline flight delays costing $40 billion in the US economy are endemic, according to Congressional studies.
 

Airlines complain that the outdated air traffic control system is responsible but administrators continue to schedule all flights out of busy LaGuardia during a one-hour window.
 

A footnote: Market Metrix just released a survey that finds customer satisfaction with airlines fell to its lowest recorded level in six years.
 

“As airlines continue to struggle with flight delays, labor contracts and higher fuel prices,” the survey concludes, “consumers feel they are getting less for their money.”
 

By David Wilkening