I had a typical airline experience over the summer: a bad one. Our flight was canceled, and we ended up in line for five hours for vouchers to what turned out to be a seedy motel. As the day went on, I tallied several ways the airline could have improved the experience, not including not having canceled the flight to begin with.
I thought it would be fun to see how many we could all come up with. We all travel, many of you more than others. What are simple—or not so simple—inexpensive things airlines could do to improve the customer experience without hurting their bottom line?
I'll start with three:
- Announce over the loudspeaker what the passengers' options are. If you're going to automatically book everyone on the next morning flight, say it loudly before sending people away from the gate.
- Calibrate the volume and sound on your P.A. system, so people can understand what you say.
- Offer beverages, chairs and snacks for people standing in line.