Note to airlines: it’s about smiles, not miles.
“I hate you, and I tell everybody I hate you.” That’s what one frequent flyer had to say to his airline, certainly voicing the frustration of far too many. This quote appeared this past weekend in an interesting little article in The New York Times.
The article, A Million Miles vs a Few More Smiles, talks about how maddening commercial flight can be even for those who get all the alleged comforts and benefits of first-class travel and frequent flyer status. James Kane, the same guy who says he hates his airline (a guy who last year, by the way, flew 178,000 mile with that airline) also said: “I’m not loyal, I’m a hostage.” That’s true for many of us who rack up six-figure miles on an airline-one that we didn’t necessarily choose from a host of options, but that we are forced to use because they just so happen to fly where we need to go from the airport we need to fly out of.
The airlines may mistakenly believe we feel some kinship with their planes and personnel, but the truth is many of us just see them as a necessary evil. Until, that is, we find ourselves in the position where we can choose to buy into a fractional jet.
Thing is, I would gladly give up some, if not all, of the frequent flyer points if, by some miracle, the money that saved airlines could be spent in a way that meant far fewer delays, far better meals and service, and far better in-air entertainment.
As the wise Mr. Kane also says in the article: ““The airlines keep trying to change your behavior rather than changing theirs,” he said. “When an airline makes a big mistake, they want to give me more miles. They don’t understand: I really don’t want to get on your plane under the conditions you’re subjecting me to. Give me good service instead.” Amen!
