Airline Service
Jul 31st, 2000 | 09:29 PM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Airline Service
July 31, 2000
I recently had a very bad experience with Sun Country Airlines. They failed to notify me of a schedule change. They then compounded this problem by repeatedly lying to me.
One employee claimed that Sun Country tried to call me about the subject schedule change twice per day on three different days. This turned out to be a lie.
A second employee claimed that Sun Country sent me a letter about the subject schedule change in May 2000. This also turned out to be a lie.
Finally, Sun Country personnel admitted that it did not have a notification system. Then, a senior customer service representative lied to me about the fact that she had informed department heads about my complaint.
Being lied to by one customer service representative may indicate a problem with that employee. However, being lied to by more than one employee may be a reflection of company policy and/or inadequate employee training practices.
Sun Country also does not have an advance seat reservation system. They need to develop a system that will allow customers to request and reserve the seats they want. I would imagine that this would add a few dollars at most to an airline ticket. I would gladly pay this (and I expect that most other customers would also be willing to do so).
And, while we were awaiting departure the airplane was not air conditioned. We were very hot and uncomfortable. Again, I would be surprised if an auxiliary cooling system would add more than a few bucks to the cost of each ticket. A cost I would gladly pay.
I realize that Sun Country is trying to develop a low-cost airline. However, efforts to achieve a small decrease in cost should not come at the expense of a large decrease in customer service and comfort.
I won't fly Sun Country again, and others might want to think twice before considering Sun Country.
Sincerely,
Dr. David Rezachek
[email protected]
I recently had a very bad experience with Sun Country Airlines. They failed to notify me of a schedule change. They then compounded this problem by repeatedly lying to me.
One employee claimed that Sun Country tried to call me about the subject schedule change twice per day on three different days. This turned out to be a lie.
A second employee claimed that Sun Country sent me a letter about the subject schedule change in May 2000. This also turned out to be a lie.
Finally, Sun Country personnel admitted that it did not have a notification system. Then, a senior customer service representative lied to me about the fact that she had informed department heads about my complaint.
Being lied to by one customer service representative may indicate a problem with that employee. However, being lied to by more than one employee may be a reflection of company policy and/or inadequate employee training practices.
Sun Country also does not have an advance seat reservation system. They need to develop a system that will allow customers to request and reserve the seats they want. I would imagine that this would add a few dollars at most to an airline ticket. I would gladly pay this (and I expect that most other customers would also be willing to do so).
And, while we were awaiting departure the airplane was not air conditioned. We were very hot and uncomfortable. Again, I would be surprised if an auxiliary cooling system would add more than a few bucks to the cost of each ticket. A cost I would gladly pay.
I realize that Sun Country is trying to develop a low-cost airline. However, efforts to achieve a small decrease in cost should not come at the expense of a large decrease in customer service and comfort.
I won't fly Sun Country again, and others might want to think twice before considering Sun Country.
Sincerely,
Dr. David Rezachek
[email protected]
Aug 1st, 2000 | 06:52 AM
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
I'm sorry you had a bad experience on Sun Country, but I must respectfully disagree that most people would be willing to pay a few extra dollars to get a seat assignment. The phenomenal success of Southwest proves this just ain't so! If a fare is $125 on Southwest or $135 on American, I guarantee that most people will go to the lowest fare. Not all, of course, but most!
Meals are another example. I think if airlines tried to add $10 for a better meal, people would again flock to the cheaper fare carrier.
Wish this wasn't so, but it is. The dollar speaks, and the traveling public wants cheaper cheaper cheaper!
Meals are another example. I think if airlines tried to add $10 for a better meal, people would again flock to the cheaper fare carrier.
Wish this wasn't so, but it is. The dollar speaks, and the traveling public wants cheaper cheaper cheaper!
Aug 1st, 2000 | 11:34 AM
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Sorry Bill, sorry Dr. Dave, I disagree with both of you on several counts.
First of all, as to the 'cheaper, cheaper, cheaper...' comment, I'm with David: I detest Southwest's lack of assigned seating because it only adds time and hassle to my trip. I won't fly them largely for this reason. And as for meals, I believe Midwest Express spends more than any other carrier on food, seems to me it's something like $11-13 per passenger versus 29 cents for Southwest (food, beverages). The food on MWE is excellent and more than takes the place of eating a hurried airport or drive thru meal. Served in wide leather seat luxury at a slow pace with unlimited drinks of any type. For that I am more than willing to pay $10. Oddly enough MWE isn't usually more expensive than its same market competitiors.
As for lack of on-tarmac AC, that's not just a Sun Country imposition, David. That's a shortcoming that (as far as I know) is due to the limitations of the planes themselves. I've had this happen on a couple occasions, once for 3 hours on a tropical tarmac on American Airlines, once on Continental.
As for Sun Country's deceptive strategy, David, of course that's entirely unacceptable and is a huge red flag to me about their business as a whole. They'll lose lots of customers with this type of behavior.
First of all, as to the 'cheaper, cheaper, cheaper...' comment, I'm with David: I detest Southwest's lack of assigned seating because it only adds time and hassle to my trip. I won't fly them largely for this reason. And as for meals, I believe Midwest Express spends more than any other carrier on food, seems to me it's something like $11-13 per passenger versus 29 cents for Southwest (food, beverages). The food on MWE is excellent and more than takes the place of eating a hurried airport or drive thru meal. Served in wide leather seat luxury at a slow pace with unlimited drinks of any type. For that I am more than willing to pay $10. Oddly enough MWE isn't usually more expensive than its same market competitiors.
As for lack of on-tarmac AC, that's not just a Sun Country imposition, David. That's a shortcoming that (as far as I know) is due to the limitations of the planes themselves. I've had this happen on a couple occasions, once for 3 hours on a tropical tarmac on American Airlines, once on Continental.
As for Sun Country's deceptive strategy, David, of course that's entirely unacceptable and is a huge red flag to me about their business as a whole. They'll lose lots of customers with this type of behavior.
