Cranky Flier

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• Continental’s Overnight Excursion in Rochester, Minnesota

  I haven’t commented on the ridiculousness that is Continental #2816 yet, and I’ve received plenty of emails asking me why that hasn’t happened. You know the flight; that’s the one where the passengers got stuck on their little... Posted Aug 24 2009, 04:03 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: Customer Service, Continental, Delays/Cancellations, ExpressJet

• In the Loop Radio Guest and This Week on BNET (July 6 - 10)

  I’m hijacking my usual “This Week on BNET” post with a brief plug. Minnesota Public Radio puts out a weekly podcast called In the Loop, and I was one of the guests for this week’s production. I usually do interviews on the phone... Posted Jul 11 2009, 03:28 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: United, Baggage, US Airways, Virgin America, Customer Service, Mergers/Finance, Delta, Boeing, BNET, Spirit, 787

• Why Did US Airways End Charges for Soda and Water? To Enhance Its Rep

  Over the weekend, US Airways said it would stop charging for soda, water, coffee, and tea on March 1. You’ve probably read about this elsewhere by now, but it’s interesting to think about why they’re finally relenting on something that... Posted Feb 24 2009, 04:04 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: US Airways, Customer Service, Meals

• This Week on BNET (Jan 26 - 30)

  Southwest Reports Q4 Loss on Hedges Hedges and other “special items” brought Southwest down to a Q4 loss, but it was the announcement on growth that had people turning their heads. Southwest Sees Strong Revenue Performance in Fourth Quarter... Posted Jan 30 2009, 03:01 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: United, Baggage, Virgin America, Schedule Changes, Customer Service, Southwest, Mergers/Finance, Delays/Cancellations, American, Delta, Allegiant, BNET, Fuel, IND - Indianapolis

• Why I’m Glad the “Glory Days” of Air Travel are Gone

  I saw an op-ed in the New York Times over the holidays from a former TWA flight attendant that got me so riled up, I had to write a response. I sent it in to the NYT, but it was way too long to be considered as a letter to the editor, and my [...] Read... Posted Jan 09 2009, 04:21 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: Customer Service, Delays/Cancellations

• United Gets Beaten Down Over PhoCusWright Presentation on Customer Experience

  It’s been a long but interesting few days here at PhoCusWright. Mostly, I’m here to meet with people and learn more about their companies, so I haven’t been attending too many of the sessions. That being said, there was one presentation... Posted Nov 20 2008, 03:22 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: United, Airport Experience, Customer Service

• Thoughts on “An Open Letter To The Airline Industry Leadership”

  I received an email from the author of the blog, “Think for a Moment,” suggesting that I take a look at the letter to airline CEOs that he (she?) had written. I’m always happy to read people’s takes on the industry, because often... Posted Oct 31 2008, 02:51 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: Customer Service, Miscellaneous

• O’Leary Wants to Offer Blowjobs on Airplanes

  Stay with me here. Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s fearless leader and king of publicity, has announced his plans for a transatlantic airline. And yes, it will apparently include blowjobs. His plan? A bunch of economy class seats that will sell... Posted Jun 18 2008, 06:47 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: Ryanair, Customer Service

• Open Skies Concierge

  Open Skies, the new airline from BA, is getting ready to launch flights between New York and Paris in the next couple of weeks, and we’re slowly learning more about their service. In last week’s blog post, Dale Moss, head honcho, announced... Posted Jun 11 2008, 03:38 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: Customer Service, British Airways

• Air Canada Offering Protection From Weather Delays (For a Fee)

  It’s been awhile since I broke out the gold star award. I thought about it yesterday with Delta’s new seat, but that’s still a couple years off from being anything tangible. But when I saw Air Canada’s new On My Way service, I... Posted Apr 03 2008, 03:11 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: Customer Service, Delays/Cancellations, Air Canada, Air Canada Introduces On My Way Service

• A Cranky Jackass for the Southwest Not-So-Hotties

  You might be surprised to know that it’s not just airlines that can get the Cranky Jackass award. Today, I have the pleasure of awarding it to Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, the girls who say that being so hot got them banned from Southwest for life... Posted Feb 27 2008, 04:14 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: Customer Service, Southwest, Cranky Jackass