US airlines continue to plummet
Multiple studies are showing plunging satisfaction with the US airline industry. To cite just one example: A recent complaint rate for US Airways was triple what it was at the same time last year.
Perhaps the worst place in the country for airline passengers is New York, where upwards of one third of all flights at Newark Liberty, John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia were either late or cancelled. That led to nationwide disruptions.
Just in Newark alone, 15,480 delayed flights in a recent two-month period left the ground an average 95 minutes after their scheduled departure time, according to federal figures.
Those statistics come as no surprise to air travelers. Scenes of delayed passengers sleeping on terminal floors, or sitting endlessly on parked planes, have become common occurrences.
But perhaps no US airline has fallen farther than United, the US’s second largest.
For example:
- Last year, United had the dubious distinction of having more passenger complaints than any other airline.
- The University of Michigan’s 2007 American Customer Satisfaction index found airlines scoring lower than at any time since 2001, with United at the very bottom of the industry.
- Even some of United’s most loyal passengers are reporting service declines.
“There were days in the not-too-distant past when United’s service was fantastic, especially if you were an elite flier,” business executive Jordan Ayan told USA Today.
A newspaper review of complaints filed in recent months showed it can often be difficult to reach a destination, get accurate help from airline customer-service representatives or get money refunded when a flight goes awry.
A basic problem acknowledge by airline executives is that they are flying more routes with fewer employees.
United attempted to at least make a stab at the problem by recruiting a new position last year — a vice president for customer experience.
But in the meantime, United and other airlines are continuing to outsource thousands of jobs, including customer service positions.
Another problem: More people are flying. The FAA is predicting the country’s major airports could be dealing with more than 81 million takeoffs and landings a year by 2020, up from about 62.5 million now.
Report by David Wilkening
David
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