StephenG

I frequently read a post by some travelers who say they will never fly again with a particular Airline because of a bad experience. Sometimes they have flown several times and had good flights prior to that. Often it is the most direct to there destination and so they inconvenience themselves so as to not fly that airline again.
Does this really make any sense? Are there airlines that never have problems or screw-up? Does the Airline really care if you don't fly again? Just something that occurred when reading a recent post, but I have heard it many tinmes. " I will never fly BLANK AIR gain after the trip".

RufusTFirefly

Every airline I've ever flown (more than once anyway) has screwed up royally at one time or another.

Kayb95

I'm sure there has never been an airline that hasn't screwed up someone's flight. Unless I had consistantly poor service, I wouldn't refuse to fly a particular airline if it were the most economic or convenient flight. Kind of like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

My home airport is a hub for Northwest Airlines so it's often the best choice for prices, flight times, etc... Many people have had major complaints about NW, and while it's not my favorite airline, I've never had any personal problems with them.

Spygirl

Yup. There's a lot of nasty little posters on this board (no! really???) who like to complain about everything, including a single flight which didn't meat their "standards" and vow they'll never fly the carrier again. But I think most people use common sense when reading those posts, and understand that they say far more about the posters themselves than the airlines of which they complain!

TopMan

There are some airlines that I WOULD never seriously consider using again unless forced to do so since one bad experience was enough.

I am sure all airlines probably make mistakes, give "poor" service at some time or other. Of course, all these posted "experiences" suffer from the fact that we only hear one side of the story.

In many cases, the AIRLINE probably hopes that these particular people WON'T fly with them again and perhaps for good reason.

maitaitom

I definitely try to avoid United, the King of lost luggage. My favorite United moment (among many) was when I flew to Maui nonstop from L.A., and they, as was par for the course, lost my luggage. The United person at the Maui airport just laughed and said, "They probably sent it to Honolulu instead. We do that all the time." What?

Walter_Walltotti

A few years back Singapore Airlines screwed me about big time (lost my reservation etc even though I had a ticket). This came as a suprise as they are considered one of the world's best airlines.

I vowed never to fly with them again. On my return to the UK I complained to their UK office in writing. I got a cheque for £150 and a hamper from Fortnum and Masons (value about another £100). They admitted they had fowled up big time.

No hassle - no plea bargaining - a straight good offer up front

This goes to show
(i) Even the best airlines screw up
(ii) A letter with a well-reasoned complaint can work
(iii) The good airlines do care about their customers (even us in the cheap seats)
(iv) Forgive and forget

I'm flying with them still.

Don't bite your nose off to spite your face.

Scarlett

We flew to Paris on Continental/Air France one year and arrived to find out luggage soaked through. In what we are not sure, probably sat on the runway in rain.
Needless to say, we were unhappy but did not blame the entire airline and would not make it more difficult on ourselves in order not to fly those airlines again.
They did end up reimbursing us on the cost of dry cleaning and gave us vouchers for future flights.
The more you fly, the more you realize, every single airline will screw up somehow someday, you just have to get past it.
Some days I think that if I get there alive and well, that is good enough for me

kakalena

In years and years of business travel:

I never had a bad flight on Midwest Express (all first class all the time).

After three flights on AirTran I refused a free ticket as compensation for a bad trip and never flew them again. They were that bad.

Managment, good and bad comes down from the top. It's pervasive throughout the system just as in any business. There will always be hiccups in any company but some are definitely managed better overall than others.

kakalena

sandi

Have to agree with Scarlett - it's about getting there - alive! To me, all that's importants is "we take off, we land" - the rest doesn't matter.

m_kingdom2

I quite agree - people make such a fuss over flying. There are some ridiculous web-site which detail meals, and seats. Who cares?

I always fly BA who are usually good. They have so many staff, a few stroppy ones will always be serving people. As for "should I upgrade", well it's going to be better than the class below it! Flying is the least important part of my holiday, it makes up very little time, so what?

rex

When an airline's <b>policies are really in conflict with what you want from an airline - - then I think it is reasonable to say I will <i>try</i> never to fly this airline again. For some people that might be Ryanair, due to its baggage surcharge <i>policy</i>. For me it is British Airways because of their ridiculous <i>five kg</i> carry-on restriction (yes, that's right - - eleven pounds! - - makes a rollaboard impossible)

Others may say they don't always enforce it. But they DO put it into writing - - and once enforced against me (as it was, in 1999), it will never be enforced against me again, if I can help it.

Best wishes,

Rex
</b>

jdraper

I agree, the flight is just a means of getting to the destination. I expect to be packed in like sardines, the food will be awful and, if the gods are smiling, the person in the seat next to you will have showered before leaving home. All that really counts is that the takeoff and landing go well and everything in between is no more, or less, exciting than any other mode of transportation.

Scarlett

LOL, jdraper, it is a bonus, indeed, if everyone showers first

rex

Oh dear - - sorry for the shouting. I really must learn better how to turn <b>on</b> and <i>off</i> the <b>bold</b> and the <i>italics</i>.

Scarlett

rex, how do you make just one word bold or italic? Every time I do the &lt; &gt; thingees, it just makes the whole sentence go bold or italic.
Thank you~

flanneruk

Run a one-person boycott of a major airline and the only person who suffers is you.

Apart from anything else, since lightning doesn't strike the same place twice, the random ineptness that annoyed you at AA is more likely to hit you again if you now limit yourself to UAL, Delta and BA.

As Rex says, though, if an airline has a real strategy that doesn't suit you, it's a different question. But even there, you do have to make sure you're not getting it out of proportion.

I,for example, just have to learn to live with the fact that US airlines all seem to be trying to recreate Prohibition - but without any useful bootleggers - if they're cheaper or more convenient than airlines with a civilised stance on these things.

ilovelabs2003

Please excuse me if I am ignorant on this subject of weight restrictions.

I do not recall having our carry-on bag weighed at Logan or at CDG, and we flew BA last April. They weighed our checked luggage, but not the carry-on. How do they enforce that rule? Do they make you check it if it looks heavy? I really am curious about this!

rex

Remove the spaces to make these work

&lt; B &gt; - - bold on
&lt; / B &gt; - - bold off
&lt; I &gt; - - italics on
&lt; / I &gt; - - italics off

I think there are others S for <s>strikethrough</s> and U for <u>underline</u>?

Maybe codes for colors?

Scarlett

<i>Rex</i>
<b> Thank you</b>

<font color="blue"> Scarlett
</font>