Why is air travel so annoying?
Last week I asked on Facebook for friends to provide what was on their minds regarding air travel.
It turns out (unsurprisingly), there was plenty of input. And this is from a primarily US-based crowd where ash and strikes weren't even on the list (except from my friend Melissa who has spent the last several months on an around-the-world trip, so really no need to pity her or listen to any of her complaints).
Top complaints were security, delays, customer-service, carry-on bags, overbooking, electronic devices / connectivity, and well, airplane bathrooms.
What surprises me most about the list is what's not on there --- baggage fees. This hot topic in the aviation world - the nickel and diming of the traveling public - was barely mentioned. What was mentioned was the hassle of bringing carry-on bags which there never seems to be any room for anymore (likely due to the baggage fees).
I can't comment much on security and bathrooms -- both topics clearly out of my purview. What I want to write about today is the "hassle" component of traveling, which covers the general sentiment of my friends and what I hear from coast to coast. Perhaps it's not the $25 for bags that annoys us, it's the hassle of paying and the hassle associated with too many carry-on bags as a result of people trying to avoid fees.
A USA Today/Gallup poll from earlier this year said that 27% of people who flew at least twice during the last year are now more likely to drive than fly. Not surprising, especially since the poll was taken in the days following the busy holiday travel season and the would-be Christmas bomber on the plane in Detroit (see full article below).
My general philosophy on these types of complaints is that they are standard and consistent. In other words, if you did the same poll at pretty much any time over the last 25 years, you'd get the same response. Security always seems to be intrusive, delays are always rampant, and service always bad (and always just a little bit worse today than yesterday). Statistics of things like delays, cancellations, and security show that they come and go with the volume of air travel and the economy -- they aren't actually getting step function-wise worse (except immediately post 9-11 and other major security events, but generally only for a handful of days).
But I do think there is a salient point here regarding how airlines design their products. Today, airlines are convinced that people choose between flights based on fare first and schedule second. Things like brand, loyalty, and product, are always a distant third and onward. Sure this varies between the type of traveler, but they believe this to be generally true. Customer behavior and purchasing patterns seem to confirm this, at least directionally.
Some airlines have tried really hard to produce a superior product that would reduce this element of "hassle". JetBlue, for example, has always prided itself on great customer service. But it's never been able to command a yield premium over any of the network carriers with generally inferior products. So if things like more legroom, and liveTV onboard can't command a price premium, what can?
Well, based on what I hear from the traveling public -- maybe a hassle-free travel experience would. How would an airline do that? It would have to include elements of:
- Free bags
- Easier boarding procedure
- Many more customer service reps
- Extra TSA personnel for shorter lines
- Consistent friendliness
- Better communication
Much of that (although not all of it) can be done with money. It essentially comes down to more people supporting each flight and longer turn-times for a more smooth boarding process and fewer delays.
But the hard part is making it consistent. And at the end of the day, it's the lack of consistent service (good or otherwise) that prevents travelers from wanting to pay more for a specific airline. There's no guarantee that it will actually be a better experience. Bad service on JetBlue is worst than good service on United, etc.
Why is that? You learn in the study of operations that there are 4 things companies can focus on: Cost, Quality, Delivery, and Flexibility. They must always choose one to be their highest priority, and only the best companies get to do well in any of the others. For airlines, Delivery is always #1. In other words -- the planes fly safely. Safety and Operations is so crucial in air travel that there is no room for another priority. When JetBlue was founded, it was a customer service company that flew planes (NOT an airline that excelled at customer service). The result was amazing: Spectacular customer service, top quality employees, happy travelers.
What happened? February 2007, the Valentine's Day Blizzard killed their operation. Passengers and planes were left stranded for hours, even days. While other airlines cancelled flights and reset in 24-hours, it took JetBlue a week before things were running smoothly again. Why? Flying planes, it turns out, was just as they promised -- the 2nd priority of the company. Unsurprising to the rest of the industry, you can't prioritize customer service over operations at the company level --- it just doesn't work.
Since then, JetBlue has been human. They still provide what I'd argue is best-in-cass service, but it's no longer enough to consistently differentiate them.
To add insult to injury, airlines have had no choice but to make "Cost" #2 priority to survive the down economy. So now Delivery is #1, Cost #2. You can't prioritize both Cost and Quality -- it just doesn't work. The result is inconsistent quality, which doesn't allow your product to get a reputation, thereby negating your investment.
My argument here is that since Delivery is always #1, airlines are always at least slightly hampered in providing revolutionary customer service. However, it's really the 2nd choice, choosing Cost or Quality where the rubber hits the road. Singapore Airlines clearly chooses Quality, and it shows (people pay more to fly them). But in today's competitive and economic environment in the US, it's nearly impossible for a carrier to choose Quality. Passenger choice models don't support it, since, after all, passengers choose based on fare, right?
Well I'd argue no US airline has really tried it in a meaningful way. No airline has said: I'm going to make Quality my primary goal after Delivery, Cost will not be a factor. If they did that, could they get a price premium that would more than justify the costs? Hard to say. Internationally, that's been proven. In the US? It'd be a tough battle. But you can't ever know until you try it. And if you did, I'd suggest starting on the "hassle" factor. We've proven LiveTV isn't enough, but perhaps hassle-free flying would be. It's a different kind of differentiated product, but I believe some travelers would gladly pay more for it.
Until someone does tries it -- here's my one recommendation for hassle-free flying: It's all about the airport. Choose small, less busy airports, and you will have room to breathe, fewer delays, nicer people. Fly into LaGuardia all the time, and it doesn't matter what you do -- hassle will find you.
As for Smarter Travel's 10 Rules for Hassle-Free Flying (link below) -- #1: If it's not that far a flight, drive instead.
Wait, didn't they know that highway traffic is at an all time high? It's so bad that 27% of Americans say they'd rather fly than drive this Memorial Day....
Smarter Travel: Ten Rules for Hassle-Free Flying
Posted by Evan
