Sometimes perception isn’t reality.
Consider the videos of a doctor being hauled off a United Air Lines flight and a mom in tears after her baby stroller was yanked away on American. Those ugly confrontations went viral and fed a narrative that air travel has become a wasteland of insults and indignities.
But the record doesn’t conform to that.
By many metrics, airlines have improved their service significantly and more customers are satisfied than ever before. In 2016, flight cancellations were the lowest in decades, according to government data. So were lost bags and bumped passengers.
The industry has invested billions in new planes and technology, usually making flying more reliable and easier. And airports, including two in North Texas, have made expensive upgrades to improve the experience. The airlines have hired over 124,000 since the recession and now have their highest head count since 2000.
Passengers are taking notice. In a survey released this week, their satisfaction with the airlines continued a steady climb and surpassed the peak set in 1994. American and United have notched some of the biggest gains, including the highest in the last three years, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).
So what to make of the video incidents?
That terrible customer service is intolerable, even if it’s relatively rare. That cell phone cameras and social media have raised the stakes of bad behavior and, in the process, forced service industries to get better. Perhaps most important, that the airlines’ latest PR disaster shows how much work remains.
The industry isn’t ignoring the backlash. Southwest Airlines, always a favorite of fliers, said it would stop overbooking flights, an industry strategy that contributed to the conflict on United’s flight almost three weeks ago.
United CEO Oscar Munoz, who initially said employees were following protocol, later issued a full apology and has been taking responsibility ever since. United has amended its policies, pledged to do better on customer service, and released a report on what went wrong.
"I should have responded with my humanity and values," Munoz told The Wall Street Journal. "I got caught up in the facts when I should have responded to the raw emotions of the event. And that's on me."
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Usually, business leaders go to some lengths to not react emotionally. In this case, detachment and adherence to the rules hurt a passenger and the company. His comments also hinted at why airlines are still serious laggards in customer satisfaction despite making real progress elsewhere.
“Operationally, the airlines are definitely better,” said Henry Harteveldt, a longtime travel analyst at Atmosphere Research Group. “But the human side of the experience -- the so-called soft side -- is still not so great.”
Too many flight attendants and gate agents are overworked and stressed, he said. Planes are fuller than a decade ago, seats are tighter, and passengers are anxious about fitting carry-ons into overhead bins. All this amps up the pressure for everyone, making the travel experience something to endure, not enjoy, he said.
In this environment, airlines could justify more workers, even if they’re not passing out as much food on flights or checking in as many passengers because of kiosks and online booking.
“The airlines need them if only to keep people calm and happy,” Harteveldt said. “That’s a real customer service.”
In the ACSI report, airlines scored a 75 on a 100-point scale. That's in the bottom third of ranked industries, below internet retailers, restaurants, discount stores and supermarkets. Among those ranked lower than airlines: the U.S. Postal Service, wireless companies and internet providers.
“In contrast to many other industries, the financial return on customer satisfaction for airlines is not very high,” the report said.
Maybe so, but the industry continues to score higher. Much of the recent gain stems from legacy carriers offering lower fares to compete with discounters, the report said. Passengers also cited website improvements, more timely arrivals, and the ease of booking tickets and checking in. Customers said that even seat comfort, the lowest ranked benchmark, improved significantly.
"Every aspect of flying is better than it was a year ago," the ACSI report said.
Some credit goes to social media. Seventeen percent of business travelers and 7 percent of leisure travelers posted comments on websites, according a J.D. Power survey last year. And when airlines respond, there's a big lift in customer satisfaction.
“This is now a preferred way to talk,” said Rick Garlick, who leads J.D. Power’s global travel and hospitality practice. “It’s raised service and accountability to the highest level ever.”
The recent viral videos make it harder to change perceptions, even if such incidents are rare. But there are ways for airlines to keep improving.
When pilots leave the cockpit to welcome boarding passengers, that lifts customer satisfaction scores, Garlick said. Talking on the intercom is a bit of an art -- too much is annoying, too little feels neglectful. And just smiling more often will pay off.
“Sometimes the best moves are the simple ones,” Garlick said.
