Aren’t Air Transport Customers Asking for Too Much?
There was a time, admittedly a little long ago, when air travel was expensive, not very comfortable and frequented by wealthy aficionados. This has changed a lot. It has now become a commodity, accessible to the vast majority of populations at least in developed countries. It is now more comfortable no matter what people say because the devices have reached a remarkable level of quality and safety and in addition it is now much less expensive than in the past. Everything could go in the best of all possible worlds, except that the behavior of some passengers makes this type of transport sometimes very stressful.
Of course, airlines are primarily responsible for the development of customer strata with a policy that tries to rake in all wallets. Admittedly, carriers are showing a little too much imagination with the introduction of variable tariffs driven by increasingly efficient “yield management”. Admittedly, “code-share” agreements, which lead one carrier to put its mark on another’s flights, lead to regrettable confusion. But this does not prevent us from questioning the behaviour of some passengers whose attitude pollutes the journey of others.
We are now witnessing a lack of civility that forces operators to resort to increasingly restrictive regulations. Take hand luggage, for example. Since some airlines charge for the storage of baggage in the hold, many customers abuse the carry-on or hand luggage. This is how we regularly see passengers entering the plane with a carry-on suitcase, but with a large backpack plus so-called hand luggage. It is clear that the racks of the devices are not equipped to receive more than one calibrated suitcase per person. So, knowing the difficulty of fitting their many pieces of equipment into the space above their seats, many passengers load the racks as they find a seat, often at the front of the plane, which leads to remarks from the crews that are more or less well received by the offending customers and a struggle to fit all the loads into the restricted space dedicated to them. This is why companies now charge for cabin baggage with the sole purpose of clearing up space so that reasonable passengers can place their belongings above their seats. Customers complain about these measures, which are certainly unpleasant, but complainers are usually the first to blame.
Do we need other examples? Complaints made by passengers who are dissatisfied with the service on board, or who are reluctant to pay for the services sold when they have worked hard to find the most economical fares, which do not include ancillary services.
It is always interesting to see the behaviour in the check-in or boarding queues. Regularly free riders try to force their way through, leading to unpleasant remarks from other passengers. And what about claims when planes are late? Of course, this is very stressful for customers who are a little worried about taking a plane or missing a connection in one of the gigantic “hubs” of the big operators. But let’s admit that if some companies don’t really have the religion of leaving on time, many customers use delays to obtain compensation that is certainly perfectly regulatory but which could often be avoided. This is how the European administration changed the compensation rules to the benefit, this time of airlines. Going too far inevitably leads to a return of the pendulum.
Basically, air transport is a victim of its own success and of the policy it has brought for at least a quarter of a century. By dint of announcing ever lower prices in order to come out on top in the price comparison sites, airlines have devalued a product that is so complex to use. Finally, if this product is worth so little, why would customers refrain from complaining as soon as a little annoyance is imposed on them. Respect is lost since the price is announced so low, and as soon as the rate actually paid no longer corresponds to the displays, the frustration of customers is all the more intense.
It cannot be said enough how regularly flying planes at an altitude of 10,000 meters, at 900 km/hour over distances of several thousand kilometers and in complete safety is an exercise that requires flawless expertise, colossal investments and perfect coordination between those involved on the ground and in flight. This deserves respect, first and foremost from customers.
