Why Do We Give the Airlines the Right to Treat Us Like Cattle
66I just read an article about the problems with the United Airlines computer system. It seems that it crashed stranding thousands of people in airports all over the United States. This happened on Friday June 17. Today is Saturday June 18 and the system is back up. Of course the damage has already been done. Now all of these stranded people need to get themselves on flights that are already fully booked. There are very few empty seats on United Airlines flights. According to their records United planes were 86.8 percent full in the month of May and the summer travel season has just started.
So what caused this computer crash? The details are not clear but the Associated Press article indicated that the sleek modern kiosks and the web sites that handle the majority of check in activity are backed up by software that hasn't been updated since the eighties. With the financial troubles in the airline industry, updating the system has not been a priority.
So who suffers? The airline employees act somewhat sympathetic and then go home when their shift is over. The airlines have the passengers money and have no intention of refunding a nickle for the inconvenience. The airports go on with a business as usual attitude. It is up to the passengers to fend for themselves. Many will look for hotels and restaurants but not all can afford the extra expense. With thousands stranded I'm sure some were suffering from illnesses and some were elderly, and what about the children?
Do the airlines come to the aid of these people? Do they care at all about the comfort of their paying customers? How much would their bottom line be hurt if United Airlines sprung for some food and maybe blankets and pillows for the people sitting on the floor? Heck, they could pass out the snacks not used on the flights that were canceled. They could pay some people a little overtime to tend to the needs of these people. They could do that but they don't. Why don't they? The only reason I can see is that it is simply not required. Their job is to move people from one place to another. It seems to the airlines that people are just freight with a pulse.
Since 911 we have given up more and more of our rights when we travel. It would take a great deal of nerve to complain about anything the airlines or the airports do while you're in an airport or on an airplane. You must be on your best behavior or risk being labeled a terrorist. Security people seem to be tensely waiting for anyone that might cause a disturbance. As a result, the airlines just herd us around, strand us in airports and on airplanes without food or any means of comfort and we have no recourse. Sure, if you send in a receipt they may reimburse you for a hotel room but try to get anything else out of them.
I can't think of a more frustrating place to be than on a airplane sweltering in the summer heat for hours with thirsty people and babies crying and no one doing anything to ease the pain of the wait. Sitting in an airport over night, or maybe for days, isn't as bad but it isn't any fun either. At least they throw hay into the cattle pens.
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My guess is that airlines have no plan and no training for unexpected situations that prove to be an inconvenience to people. As you said, their job is to move people like freight. When all goes well that works. But when it doesn't, people are not likely to go quietly sit on a shelf somewhere waiting for the next opportunity to be moved. Snacks, meals, material to read, TV's to watch, and any old thing to help pass the time go a long way to help ease the frustration of sitting in one place for too long unexpectedly.
They would have to be the worst planners of all time not to know that problems would cause major backups in their systems. They only run as many planes as they need to save on fuel costs and they don't seem to in a hurry to put a single additional airplane in the air to relieve problems that they themselves cause.
They know darn well that the keep their planes full and if flights are canceled there will be no room on later flights for the stranded people. If the airlines and the airports were interested they would have come up with the money to create a comfort zone for passengers whose flights are delayed more that four hours. They should include free snacks and drinks, baby needs, pillows and blankets, and nonprescription medicines. In the case of massive delays like Friday, there should be plans to quickly convert a concourse. They know what's going on before the passengers do and they should be able to act.
They are in business to make money and not to make people happy. They have found themselves in a position where they can do minimal to provide for the comfort of their customers because people are afraid to speak out in an airport. They know that 99% of the people will not file a complaint once they get home so they are in good shape. They do not need to spend money to make people comfortable.
I agree, Pete. It's one of those supply and demand circumstances, I'm afraid. A lot of companies, if you're shopping for price, assume you don't care how you are treated. If you pay more - ie first/business class, you should presumably be treated well. Regardless of the circumstances, even WalMart has greeters - the airlines can do better.
Complaints seem to fall on deaf ears in this regard. We have friends who had to cancel a planned vacation due to the wife coming down with cancer and needing treatment. They had a year to change their tickets for another flight somewhere but would you believe that it cost them almost as much to change the tickets as it did to purchase them in the first place? It is true! Now THAT is greedy and should not be allowed especially when it can be proven that a medical problem was the cause for the cancellation. Ugh!
How quick they forget from 9/11 when they lost money and business. Do I personally think they are so much 'safer'? They are until someone out smarts them with a new device. In 1998, the last time I flew, we would sit on the tarmac for 45 minutes for 'security reasons' but at 9/11 we all saw how 'secure'they really were. Good hub.
Actually Pete, there are some instances where the airlines do provide those amenities that you are requesting. For example, there was one time when I was flying US Airways and my flight was canceled and the next flight that they listed me on was 6 hours later. They offered me a complementary pass to the US Airways 'Club' which included comfortable seating, free food and drinks (which included coffee), a bar (for the lack of Advil), and several other things. Unfortunately, there is not a club in every airport and if you aren't flying US then you wouldn't be able to get in, however, it is one way that the airlines attempt to treat us a better than cargo. But besides that, I totally agree.
Considering how many people end up sitting on the floor I would say your experience is rare. Also how humain is it to keep people stuck on airplanes for hours.
SUSANJK 11 months ago
The airlines have us over a barrel. We have not choices but to stay home.