The Customer is Always Right

[RowUnderDCA]

Uhm.. well, I'm not an insider anymore, really. I flew on passes as a kid and my relatives still do. I guess I could get a buddy pass or two, but why bother? There's hardly any room and I can usually get a low fare with planning. I'm saving buddy passes for emergency flying.

I think in today's distribution technology, I wouldn't expect my planes to have a lot of 'space available.' I'd want my employees to understand the value/cost equation for the ticket purchaser. And I would offer discounted positive space tickets. But not drastically discounted. Especially, I'd want my executives and managers to understand, first hand, the cost equations that my business travelers deal with.

 

[mbmbbost]

Thanks..those are reasons that make sense to me. It would be great for some airline execs and managers to deal with the fare structure from the real-world side of things. I had the impression you were part of the industry, thanks for correcting me on that too.

 

[ITRADE]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 2/6/2003 9:27:17 AM RowUnderDCA wrote:


By the way, if I were starting an airline I would not offer employees a space-available travel benefit (I'd take a lesson from Henry Ford and price my product so that my employees could afford SOME consumption of it.) and I'd even make company business units pay for their own travel.

While on this subject, I'd never, ever have more than 1 aircraft type and I'd try to get the unions to break from seniority... and I'd make flight attendents security officers... ... but I guess that's another thread.
----------------
[/blockquote]

Since employees at airlines aren't paid that well, the travel pass benefit is one of the big draws to airline employment.

I think that most employees do experience some paid fare travel. Many employees will pay for holiday travel since stand-by travel over Christmas is a VERY risky venture.

 

[usfliboi]

Bob alot of what u say is sooo true. The airline buisness model isnt broken anymore than most of corperate america is. Im still confused on why u feel the fare structure is sooo way out of line. Granted it needs to be tweeked but if i were to bet it is the fares that affect u in particular that rub u the wrong way. Most of the traveling public chooses an airline based on cost, and the most simplest way to get there. They dont look at the "structure". They ask whats the cheapest fare, and take what flights and routes that work for them. Im not saying the "structure" cant use tweeking because it can indeed. THIS ISNT A US PROBLEM. This is an across the board problem that has to be solved across the board.

 

[W:EXCH:INVOL]

Sort of off-topic, but walkups were brought up so....

Check out Y4A and A4COACH for LAX-ATL. 199.00, 216.00 with tax. They were there this morning. Have anything to do with the NBA all star game this weekend?

INVOL

 

[KCFlyer]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 2/6/2003 1:33:13 PM usfliboi wrote:

Bob alot of what u say is sooo true. The airline buisness model isnt broken anymore than most of corperate america is. Im still confused on why u feel the fare structure is sooo way out of line. Granted it needs to be tweeked but if i were to bet it is the fares that affect u in particular that rub u the wrong way. Most of the traveling public chooses an airline based on cost, and the most simplest way to get there. They dont look at the "structure". They ask whats the cheapest fare, and take what flights and routes that work for them. Im not saying the "structure" cant use tweeking because it can indeed. THIS ISNT A US PROBLEM. This is an across the board problem that has to be solved across the board.
----------------
[/blockquote]

I know you guys hate me for this, but go over to Southwest's web site and go into reservations and pick any two cities. Notice how you get to select from 5 fare buckets. Notice that you are shown if a flight is "unavailable" at the fare and time you want. Notice that the customer now has an option of choosing on his own whether to pay a little extra for convenience, or "flex" his schedule for a lower fare. Notice the fare difference between advance purchase and fully refundable.

Next, look at the restrictions on the fare. Notice that there isn't any change penalty. Notice that there isn't any "use it or lose it penalty". Notice that there aren't any Saturday stay requirements.

Now try that on US. Chances are that if the "low fare" offered doesn't meet your needs, one that is better suited might cost significantly more. Or, notice that if a lower fare is available, and you click on that option, you are presented with a 4 stop itinerary that takes 10 or more hours to complete.

Now, imagine that the traveller isn't internet active and calls the reservations agent. How much time do they have to spend with the customer going over the multitude of fares that will also meet his schedule?

I'm not saying to become another SWA. I'm only saying that by dropping the difference between your advance and your "unrestricted" fares, you might do more to entice and keep businesses booking you. The fare games only serve to keep your prime customers out "price shopping".

It's SIMPLIFICATION, pure and simple. And not trying to nickle and dime the passengers with change fees and that sort of BS. I am a bit disgusted that the "value fares" offered by AA and UAL are still chocked full of restrictions and penalties...even for a last minute flight. Any changes, and you're still paying out the fines. Airlines are about the only business that seems intent on penalizing the customer.

 

[TomBascom]

KC forgot to point out that in order to get as much information as SWA provides on a single screen you'd have to spend at least 30 minutes, and probably more like an hour, fooling around with usairways.com.