A couple weeks ago, when Chicago was getting hammered by snow, I was stuck with a couple of coworkers in the Philadelphia airport. We were booked on an American Airlines flight, then watched on the big board as it flashed from “Delayed” to “Canceled.”
Interestingly, at that moment, the small group of happy AA employees hovering near the gate mysteriously vaporized, leaving one lonely sacrificial lamb to deal – one-by-one – with 150 upset passengers. “No, you don’t get any vouchers for food or hotel, since it’s weather related.” Luckily, we were able to call our travel service, American Travel (whom I highly recommend) and get booked on another AA flight three hours hence.
We were pointed to the baggage area to get our luggage back (I know, not smart to check bags when the weather is questionable). The employee we found there, smirked and said, “Well, I’m supposed to tell you to go to the office over there, but your best bet is to go back to Ticketing.” As a customer, this is a hard message to interpret, but we were tired, just shrugged and slogged back to Ticketing, with its long lines, and eventually got our bags.
Needless to say, the flight we had weaseled our way on was canceled about an hour before boarding. We managed to scramble and get three seats on a 10:00 the next morning, then scramble some more to find a hotel for the night. We waited about an hour for a shuttle to take us to the local Sheridan. It was, of course, under renovation (as have been the last three hotels I’ve enjoyed).
The next morning, all flights looked to be on time. As soon as we got through security, we looked at the big board: “Canceled.” Panic. No employees to be found in the vicinity. Another very long line. Another call to our travel service, We jumped airlines, to US Air, and – though it was delayed twice – it eventually went wheels-up around 2:00.
The moral of this story? Well, one lesson is to probably avoid traveling with me. But the other is that, customers are at their most irrational and insecure at times like these – hoping to get home, or to a meeting, or wherever, and not in control of their own destiny. And yet, in these exact instances, the airlines respond with less information, less access to employees, no reassurances, and no empathy.
The customer must “work the system.” It’s the road warriors – the people with 2 million frequent flier miles – who have a clue what to do when something changes. The rest of the herd stands there, dumbfounded, anxious, gazing blankly at the horizon.
The entire process, from the moment you buy a ticket to the moment you get in a cab on the other end, seems to be designed based on the needs of the FAA, the TSA, the airport, and the airlines. Into this random and cold morass the customer must dive and survive.
There is an incredible opportunity here for somebody to start really getting creative – to throw out the assumptions and the flawed perspective and build an incredible experience, one that focuses on the emotions that are at play for most customers. Are we irrational? Of course! That’s where the money is! Airlines need to recognize and acknowledge it, to embrace it. Create an experience that is injected with concepts like caring and engagement, and you will rule the travel world!
(And, oh by the way, Vox can help with that).
