Another Airline Assault

[wineguy999]

 

[nikad]

I agree that there are some a-hole attendants out there. I don't agree that the customer is always right. I think that kind of motto leads to disingenuous service and employee lash-outs. Who wants to see that fake smile anyway? Not me. I hold companies to a reasonable level of service. What Nikad and the lady in the article experienced were not reasonable. I hope you (Nikad) communicated to them about your experience. Change can only happen when they know there's a problem (they meaning upper management), especially from multiple sources. Being sick on a plane made worse by a non-compassionate attendant.

I emailed them a complaint, they offered me some miles to compensate ( can't remember but +/- 5000 ). Really nothing would have compensated the terrible manners and lack of respect. I can only hope to never run into such horrible flight attendants again.

 

[Gringoboy]

In my experience of flying UK/Arg to and fro over the last ten years or so, I've found the Aerolineas Argentinas staff to be the most 'simpatico' for want of a better description.
On one occasion, flying Aerolineas to Barcelona I had a panic attack, which is not something that happens to me very often. Flying scares me, yet the staff couldn't have been more compassionate and understanding.
I've always found the Aerolineas flights to be a kind of relaxed, family atmosphere where nothing is too much trouble. British Airways comes a very close second.

 

[ben]

And the show goes on.

Delta throws a passenger off a plane because he used the bathroom during a 30-minute delay on the tarmac

The creepiest thing about this is that the only thing that's changed is from brute force to Orwellian doublespeak - or, not to put too fine a point on it, lying.

"'We're not kicking you off, we need to remove you because we need to discuss this further,' the official replied. 'I'm just trying to help you man, so if you can follow me, get your things and whatever, then we can get you rebooked'".
As it turns out, "just trying to help... get you rebooked" meant he was refunded part of the ticket cost and left stranded. For using the bathroom. While the plane was on the ground.

We can agree that lying to a passenger and kicking him off the plane for the most absurd of reasons is better than manhandling him and mangling his face in the process. But David Dao should probably not be the benchmark for airline customer relations.

Not sure why this story hasn't really gone viral. It'd seem people are just tired of hearing about this stuff.

 

[EJLarson]

And the show goes on.

Delta throws a passenger off a plane because he used the bathroom during a 30-minute delay on the tarmac

The creepiest thing about this is that the only thing that's changed is from brute force to Orwellian doublespeak - or, not to put too fine a point on it, lying.

"'We're not kicking you off, we need to remove you because we need to discuss this further,' the official replied. 'I'm just trying to help you man, so if you can follow me, get your things and whatever, then we can get you rebooked'".
As it turns out, "just trying to help... get you rebooked" meant he was refunded part of the ticket cost and left stranded. For using the bathroom. While the plane was on the ground.

We can agree that lying to a passenger and kicking him off the plane for the most absurd of reasons is better than manhandling him and mangling his face in the process. But David Dao should probably not be the benchmark for airline customer relations.

Not sure why this story hasn't really gone viral. It'd seem people are just tired of hearing about this stuff.

Given that, in this case, the passenger was "disruptive;" i.e., he did disobey an order from a FA, then technically Delta's in the clear here. But where's common sense? If the guy's back in his seat while the plane's still in takeoff queue, isn't this a "no foul, no harm" situation? They could have told him he was a very bad boy and continued the process.

All this changes dramatically, though, if the plane had reached its takeoff point while he was out of his seat.

Thanks for this post, Ben.

 

[Ceviche]

Being a Premium Platinum FF of United - received this letter from UnitedAirlines today, in Spanish - Inserting here in English s0 everyone can comprehend :-

Each flight you make with us carries a promise that we make to you, our passenger. It is not just a matter of making sure that you arrive at your destination safely and on time, but also ensuring that you receive the highest level of service and that you will be treated with dignity and respect.

Earlier this month, we did not keep this promise when a passenger was forcibly removed from one of our flights. We will never tire of apologizing for what has happened, but we are aware that actions are worth a thousand words.

That is why during these last weeks, we have been dedicated to find the answers to two questions: how happened a fact like this? And how can we make sure it does not happen again?

This incident occurred because our corporate policies were put ahead of our shared values. Our procedures prevented our employees from doing what they know is right.

The solution to that problem starts right now, with changes in the way we fly, attend and respect our passengers. This is a turning point for all of us at United, and as Executive Director, I am responsible for ensuring that we all learn from this experience and redouble our efforts to make our passengers our top priority in everything we do.

Based on this position, we have announced that we will no longer require the assistance of police personnel to remove passengers from a flight, and will no longer be required to leave the aircraft once on board, except for safety or security reasons.

We also know that despite our best efforts, there are times when situations do not develop as they should and it is our duty to be with you to solve them. To do so, we have several new options.

We will increase incentives up to USD 10 000 for passengers to change their reservation voluntarily and we will remove the red tape in lost luggage permanently with a new refund policy of USD 1500 "no questions asked." In addition, we will implement a new application so that our employees can offer goodwill gestures in the moment, such as the granting of miles, travel credits and other amenities in situations where their experience with us does not live up to expectations.

While these actions are important, I have also been reflecting more deeply on the place we occupy and the responsibilities we have for you and the communities we serve.

I think we need to redefine even more the image of United's corporate citizenship in society. You can expect more from us (and you must) and we intend to live up to the highest expectations in our actions of social responsibility and civic leadership in all regions where we operate. I am confident that you will see how this commitment that we assume translates into actions from now on, and these important preliminary changes are only the first steps.

Our goal should be to be proud to say, "I fly with United."

Finally, we measure our success through their level of satisfaction, and the last few weeks have motivated us to improve their experience with us like never before. I know with certainty that our 87,000 employees are well aware of this message and are fully prepared to fulfill our promise to provide you with a better service on every flight and to deserve the trust you have.

We work harder than ever to have the privilege of having you on board, and I know we will be better and stronger to be the airline dedicated to the passengers you expect and deserve.

Very grateful, sincerely.

 

[nikad]

Being a Premium Platinum FF of United - received this letter from UnitedAirlines today, in Spanish - Inserting here in English s0 everyone can comprehend :-

Each flight you make with us carries a promise that we make to you, our passenger. It is not just a matter of making sure that you arrive at your destination safely and on time, but also ensuring that you receive the highest level of service and that you will be treated with dignity and respect.

Earlier this month, we did not keep this promise when a passenger was forcibly removed from one of our flights. We will never tire of apologizing for what has happened, but we are aware that actions are worth a thousand words.

That is why during these last weeks, we have been dedicated to find the answers to two questions: how happened a fact like this? And how can we make sure it does not happen again?

This incident occurred because our corporate policies were put ahead of our shared values. Our procedures prevented our employees from doing what they know is right.

The solution to that problem starts right now, with changes in the way we fly, attend and respect our passengers. This is a turning point for all of us at United, and as Executive Director, I am responsible for ensuring that we all learn from this experience and redouble our efforts to make our passengers our top priority in everything we do.

Based on this position, we have announced that we will no longer require the assistance of police personnel to remove passengers from a flight, and will no longer be required to leave the aircraft once on board, except for safety or security reasons.

We also know that despite our best efforts, there are times when situations do not develop as they should and it is our duty to be with you to solve them. To do so, we have several new options.

We will increase incentives up to USD 10 000 for passengers to change their reservation voluntarily and we will remove the red tape in lost luggage permanently with a new refund policy of USD 1500 "no questions asked." In addition, we will implement a new application so that our employees can offer goodwill gestures in the moment, such as the granting of miles, travel credits and other amenities in situations where their experience with us does not live up to expectations.

While these actions are important, I have also been reflecting more deeply on the place we occupy and the responsibilities we have for you and the communities we serve.

I think we need to redefine even more the image of United's corporate citizenship in society. You can expect more from us (and you must) and we intend to live up to the highest expectations in our actions of social responsibility and civic leadership in all regions where we operate. I am confident that you will see how this commitment that we assume translates into actions from now on, and these important preliminary changes are only the first steps.

Our goal should be to be proud to say, "I fly with United."

Finally, we measure our success through their level of satisfaction, and the last few weeks have motivated us to improve their experience with us like never before. I know with certainty that our 87,000 employees are well aware of this message and are fully prepared to fulfill our promise to provide you with a better service on every flight and to deserve the trust you have.

We work harder than ever to have the privilege of having you on board, and I know we will be better and stronger to be the airline dedicated to the passengers you expect and deserve.

Very grateful, sincerely.

It is good to hear that they took note of the last incidents ( the hit must have been hard ) but I wonder if these " new " approach will be geared towards [background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]Premium Platinum FF or all travelers flying UA ....[/background]

 

[EJLarson]

It is good to hear that they took note of the last incidents ( the hit must have been hard ) but I wonder if these " new " approach will be geared towards [background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]Premium Platinum FF or all travelers flying UA ....[/background]

With lots of skepticism, but also hope, I view all of these things as positive. In the aftermath of the Dr Dao catastrophe, I came up with a list of things that had to be done, and should always have been policy.

To my astonishment, they did them all. So now we have to find out if they are sincere and intend to renovate their culture. And I'm sure we're all together in hoping they do.

 

[nikad]

http://www.infobae.com/america/eeuu/2017/04/27/united-airlines-y-el-pasajero-expulsado-del-avion-alcanzaron-un-arreglo-extrajudicial/

 

[camel]

The lesson is to pee on the floor, not the bathroom, if you have to go and they won't let you use the bathroom. That's following the rules.