I’ve covered many stories recently of passengers being treated badly by major US airlines.
Still, it’s important to note that not every customer complaint about an airline is valid. Sometimes there are genuine misunderstandings (where they could be opportunities to better explain things to consumers in the future) or pieces of stories that get misreported by media.
After United called the cops on a passenger and he was dragged off the plane and bloodied, an American flight attendant nearly hit a baby with its stroller, and a Delta flight attendant threatened to have the government take young children away from their parents, any show of kindness by an airline is news. Even if it happened two years ago.
In the aftermath of the death of a rabbit expected to become the world’s largest in the hands of United Airlines (bred by a former Playboy Bunny), United told employees to tell customers who asked that the rabbit’s breeder didn’t want an examination to determine the cause of death.
United’s story is being… disputed.
Airline employees have been given too much power in our hyper-security environment. Post-9/11 any customer service disagreement can be viewed through the lens of a potential ‘distraction’ which might precipitate a terrorist attack. Employees call in law enforcement if you don’t respect their authority.
The man who pied Qantas CEO Alan Joyce in the face at a breakfast Monday morning was engaged in a grand collective act on behalf of passengers everywhere. Even if what he did was wrong (very wrong).
Police were called in to the Fort Lauderdale airport as Spirit Airlines flight cancellations frustrated travelers. Several customers were arrested.
Two weeks ago I wrote that the US government was considering extending the ban on inflight electronics to flights coming from Europe, not just the Mideast.
There will be another meeting on the issue with US airlines “later this week” and an announcement is not expected “before Wednesday.”
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
When I bought a condo in 2006 I earned six figures in United miles for being referred to a realtor. Basically they were rebating a bit more than half their commission in the form of United miles.
There are opportunities to earn miles for mortgages as well, and for using a moving company. Big dollars are involved in real estate, so big miles are too.
When I sat down with Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson last year he asked why I didn’t believe him that he wanted the best from both loyalty programs, that his goal with the expanded footprint Starwood provides was to offer the only hotel program customers would ever need.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
