August 29, 2008 6:15 AM

Thank you for flying Hell Airlines Flight 666 from Houston to Hades

That's nice. I can't wait until someone has a diabetic seizure, or passes out from hypoglycemia, because United's CEO was too cheap to feed someone during a 12 hour flight. This is truly disgusting. I found out about it from a United flight attendant, who was none-too-pleased about the talk.... Our airlines suck. They don't care about their customers, and they think we don't have redress when they screw us over. And perhaps they're right. But we don't have redress with Congress. And some day soon, cheapskates like United Airlines will want yet another federal bail-out. They'll want YOU to pay for THEM to continue treating you like crap. And when that day comes, I'll be proud to lead the charge against giving these misers even one dime. Charging for food on flights abroad. They really are pigs.

Time was when American airlines and customer service weren't oxymorons. Now, though...well, what other industry could get away with treating customers with such uniform disdain and disregard? What other industry could nickel and dime their customers with such impunity...because they know every other company is doing it as well? Yes, without a doubt, US airlines suck. With Hurricane Gustav looking to put someone along the Gulf Coast out of their trailer, it's looking as if I'm going to be on a plane to somewhere early next week, which means that I'm to have the privilege of once again being treated like a criminal looking for a place to happen.

I understand that airlines are under a lot of pressure from increased fuel prices. Even so, I have to think that nickel-and-diming passengers is not a recipe for creating happy customers. Anyone who's spent any time at all in an airport recenly understands that flying anywhere has become the moral equivalent of having a lobotomy sans anesthetic. If you or I performed our jobs in such a shoddy and dismissive manner, we'd be out of work...and deservedly so. I just can't help but thinking that there's got to be a better way...not that airlines actually seem inclined to take care of their customers, much less treat them like actual, honest-to-God human beings.

Time was when I used to look forward to traveling. The excitement of going somewhere new was palpable. Now that most of my travel is for business, and given the adversarial nature or air travel these days, the idea of getting on another airplane is something that doesn't exactly fill me with joy and anticipation.

Hey, it's tough being an airlines these days. I get that. I understand that the price of jet fuel has put airlines under increased pressure at a time when profit margins weren't exactly aking to oil companies to begin with. While I might be able to understand the plight of airlines, I'm still not about to give them a free pass for treating their paying customers like cattle.

Our airlines suck.

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on August 29, 2008 6:15 AM.

Today's examples of pandering to the lowest common denominator was the previous entry in this blog.

Of, by, and for the...ah, fuhgeddaboudit.... is the next entry in this blog.

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