Fly with Me-(do I have to🙏🏻)
Safety First…..
This subject is not necessarily unique, and they are an easy target. But a recent event just set me off on this industry —- again!! It's an industry that hides behind safety. No one wants to get in an airplane and not takeoff and land!! Therefore, as an industry, safety is their first concern. If they don't take off and land, the economic impact on the airline company is fatal. Let's stipulate that as an industry we expect, no, we demand that they do these two critical things. These two things are at the core of the business. Everything else is truly ancillary. Having said that, as companies they are also building relationships with their customers. At that they are a failure.
First, they are not listening nor are they empathetic. I think if they were to embrace either one of these two foundational relationship building blocks, they would be constructing their business in a different way. I don't know anybody who enjoys sitting in a straight back chair for a six hour flight with their knees underneath their chin. Nor do I know anyone who enjoys being “nickeled and dimed” at every possible juncture —- headphone, upgrade food, drinks , etc. etc. This industry has managed to make the rules of engagement so complicated and costly that no normal person could possibly understand. This has nothing to do with safety. They have done their best to distance themselves from customers. There's no real human that we can talk to, or at least a human that has some semblance of empathy and understanding. Of course, when the airlines get themselves in trouble they run to the taxpayer, obtain a bunch of money to keep operating. They are protecting their employees, keeping the airlines safe. Are they really keeping us safe?
If I were in that business and somebody was controlling when I took off and landed. I would want them to be educated, heathy and happy. I would not wait for somebody else even the government to take care of this problem. Do I want the control tower employee to come to work grumpy and disgruntled? No I want him or her to be super happy, so happy that they want to make sure that my plane is going to land safely.
I come to Italy frequently. Sometimes my plans change. We live in a dynamic world. Circumstances are such that this dynamism requires change. I don't think it's fair to be punished for a change in circumstances. My dentist doesn't punish me beyond the pain of drilling my teeth if I have to change my appointment.
I had a return date to come back from Italy. I had to change my return date by two days. Suffice it to say it became inconvenient for me to return on my original date. I was flying in business class which, by the way, is not where you think first class was. It's basically an economy seat with three more inches. Meaning that my knees and my chin do not actually have to make contact for 12 hours. When I asked United Airlines, they told me that to make this change would cost me. And they were not kidding Let’s talk numbers — my original round-trip was $4600. The change was going to cost me 4500 that's correct $4500 to change my my departure date by two days with no other change. I'm not sure about you, but that doesn't necessarily create a warm feeling or make my relationship with this company better. I'm not an occasional flyer on this airline. I fly a lot and I generally pay the full freight. In reality the only reason I fly them is because I have no other option. That’s why competition is a good thing. The model for this company is takeoff and land for the safety of the company and the ancillary benefit would be the safety of the client. Other than that, United does little of material benefit for their clients. They are not listening, nor are they empathetic, nor are they trying to create a product that might increase the enjoyment of their client's experience. What other company would create a product, and then to demonstrate how the CEO feels about the product he chooses to fly privately. We all would like that option. If you are thinking about building a relationship based on the skills of empathy and listening, United would not be the best example. Unless of course you're able to secure dominance, regulatory protection and fear.
Motto : fly the friendly skies because you're scared and we are all you have 😎😎