If We Only Treated Each Other Well - Part 1
I remember when the Airline Passenger Bill of Rights came out and I thought it was so unnecessary and was going to cause more bureaucracy and drive up fares for everyone. Hear me out.
I don't fly very much anymore but I used to fly regularly. I started flying in the days of student stand-by. I never missed a flight that I wanted to get on and that included the holiday season. The first airplane ride that I ever took was when I was 17 and going to University. I was nervous and when the flight attendant came along to take my drink order, I ordered orange juice. The flight attendant offered to put some vodka in it for me so that I wouldn't be nervous. I said I wasn't old enough to drink and he laughed. Then, he took me to the cockpit to meet the pilots and the whole crew did everything to alleviate my nerves. One time I was flying across country when my dad was in hospital and very upset. The crew made sure I was the first one off the plane so I could get there as quickly as possible. Once I was at a conference in Ottawa knowing that I would be missing an award ceremony in Winnipeg. I didn't purchase cancellation/change insurance and once I was in Ottawa, I changed my mind and decided that I wanted to attend the ceremony. I phoned to see if I could change flights and was told that was impossible, yet an hour later I got a message at the Conference to call Air Canada and the lady had gotten me on a flight that evening to attend the ceremony and with no additional cost. On my first flight on CP Air (doesn't exist anymore), the crew did everything possible to ensure that I chose them as my first choice. Once I was booking an emergency flight for a friend who was going to attend a funeral. She was too upset to call but I was able to get her an immediate flight for a fraction of the regular price. Just two years ago, I happened to be flying on March 17, and I was bumped up to business class and treated like royalty because I was Miss Ireland. My partner grumbled in the back row. Well, I did tell him, he should take my name! The one time my luggage took a trip without me, the airline made it more than right. I have always felt that the airline staff went out of their way to accommodate me. Now, granted, I am adorable. But, it isn't just me.
My partner actually has a strategy to get bumped and to benefit from it. One time at Winnipeg airport, he was able to get an extra $200 travel credit just because a celebrity happened to walk by who knew him. The celebrity stopped to talk to him and the airline representative was excited to meet him, so my partner got the extra credit. Usually, when he gets bumped, he actually ends up getting to his destination sooner than he would have if he hadn't got bumped.
A couple of years ago, we offered to be bumped from Chicago to Newark. My partner was handling the negotiations and asked how much we should ask for since we were going to put on another flight leaving 40 minutes later. We decided we were going to play hardball and hold out for $500 between the two of us. The airline apologized and said they couldn't give us as much as they would like, but would be satisfied with $1400 in travel credit? It was one of those, "start the car" moments and I just about fainted when my partner asked if we could also have a meal voucher. We got that, too.
Why do we get such good customer service? Well, I once read an insiders travelers guide and it said to say please and thank-you. And, to smile and to be compassionate and empathetic. I can't believe this is a secret. It should be common sense but it is not common practice. So often, I have seen passengers being blatantly rude and disrespectful to airline staff. Then, they are shocked when they don't get what they want.
Yesterday, I read about an Alberta couple who finally got what they "deserved" after they were bumped on a flight on their honeymoon. They got to Venice five hours later than anticipated. They couldn't get the compensation that they "deserved" so they had to go to the Airline Passenger Bill of Rights to get adequate compensation. I am sorry but I have actually had problems in my life, and being delayed by 5 hours going to Venice does not rise to the occasion of a real problem. They were newly married and on their honeymoon, supposedly the happiest time of their life and they ruined it by focusing on being 5 hours late instead of just being in the glory of being on their honeymoon. Call me cynical but this isn't the big victory of the little guy over the evil corporation.
Things happen all the time in the airline industry. Mother nature has a way of interfering with flights. Unexpected mechanical problems happen. Things happen in destinations causing flight delays, all kinds of things. None of this has ever led me to believe that things were conspiring against me and I pretty paranoid. I have always been patient and polite and understanding and I have let others rant and rave. For some reason, I seem to have been treated better.
If only we treated people well, maybe the world might be a better place.
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