Airline Woes

As I prepare to leave for Las Vegas tonight, I can't help thinking about actually getting there. What I’m talking about is air travel.

In my past travels, American and Canadian airlines have proven that their public relations strategies need some serious attention. Let me start with my flight back to Canada from Japan after being away for nine months.

To make a long story short, my two large suitcases (containing pretty much my whole life) were delayed and never made it to Toronto. I had transferred planes in San Francisco and had to recheck my baggage and it must have missed the flight to Toronto by a minute.

Dealing with United Airlines was a very unpleasant experience, to say the least. They requested that I fill out a luggage report so I could get my bags back the next day. They never came and it became a huge ordeal. When I followed up by phone, I was transferred to agent after agent and no one could provide me with any answers about the whereabouts of my luggage. It felt like I was in grade school playing telephone tag instead of dealing with an established company.

Days later, I took matters into my own hands, drove down to the airport and physically tracked down my luggage. It had been hiding in a back room behind the United check-in counter. After this experience, I drafted a letter to the director of customer relations explaining my situation and requested a refund for the trouble I went to. Websites like this, reaffirmed my belief that dealing with United was lengthy and time-consuming. It was, but in the end I received $150.

Here’s another great one:

On my way to Nassau, Bahamas on a WestJet flight in December 2008, passengers were delayed for over eight hours on the tarmac. A series of events unfolded that were not entirely related to the weather. A woman was sick and was rushed off the plane in an ambulance and then two women decided they didn't want to fly anymore because they were nervous. The remaining passengers were enraged by the end of the day, were provided with no food. What's more, WestJet did not offer its “valued customers” any form of compensation.

WestJet's lack of accountability seriously made me question whether I will fly with them again. As a result, I wrote another letter and haven't heard anything yet. Are they proving my above point? Yep. I mailed the letter over a month ago and still haven't heard anything. Not a quick e-mail, telephone call, or letter. Their communication is not timely, which goes again everything a successful PR department should value and practise.

Communications practitioners at airlines have to juggle angry customers on a daily basis and it must be challenging. The way I have been dealt with in the past as a “valued customer” really makes me think there is a bigger problem at stake and perhaps communications plans should be revamped to minimize these common occurrences.

Let’s hope I make it to Las Vegas tonight. I know once I step out into the desert heat it will be worth it.