Customer Service: Nicholas Ammons Jennifer DeKorte Braden Bicknell

 Delta 510 a 3 hour flight turn 13 hour ordeal  On the ground in Columbia at 5:44 p.m  Hours passed, conditions got bad on the plane, "Unfortunately with the complexity of flying, days like this happen.“  "The crew really sort of vaporized, and that exacerbated the situation," he said. "It would have really helped a lot had the skipper served as the passengers' advocate. Some folks got very unhappy because they felt like Delta wasn't being much help."  Delta provided food for passengers at 12:40 a.m  The flight finally left Columbia at 2:45 a.m. and landed at 3:28 a.m.

 Holding People on the Tarmac  “Bathrooms turned foul, children got antsy and some passengers became extremely agitated. One woman called 911 because she needed food. Parents with small children ran short on essentials like diapers. Eventually the passengers were allowed off and held in part of the terminal, cordoned off with yellow police tape.” -Flight 510  Effort in Congress to impose a "passengers' Bill of Rights”

 Disenfranchisement by the.lb?  Major airliners (United) make policy to charge overweight passengers extra  700 complaints about overweight customers “spilling over” into others seats  Arguments: Only use the seat you purchased; more weight, more fuel  Enforcement: Flight attendants  Question: Is this the right message to be sending to an increasingly overweight America?

 More luggage, more money  Major airliners (American) make policy to charge for checking bags  Cost saving, profit recouping measures?  The fee: ~$15 for the 1 st bag, ~$25 for the 2 nd bag, ~$100 for 3 rd +  Differentiation: Southwest, Jet Blue, Alaska refuse to charge customers  Question: Would YOU personally plan to fly with a no-fee airliner?

 Food in Flight  Inadequate food/no food on long flights  Peanuts!?  Often too expensive beverages

 On board seating  The “cattle herding” approach  The assigned seat approach

 The airline business is experiencing industry wide changes  Challenges related to the economic situation are creating new demands from customers ▪ Low fares VS. comprehensive service  There is room for improvement in customer service for airlines  Insufficient training or hiring practices  Systems designed without regard to customer needs or wants  ATA = Air Transport Association Airlines.orgYoutube.com

McCartney, S. (2009, April 18). The Middle Seat: From Paradise To Perdition On the Tarmac. Wall Street Journal. New York, N.Y. Apr 28, pg. D.1