Tiny Skybus Airlines, based in Ohio, ceased operations today, making the company the third U.S airline to stop flying this week.
ATA and Aloha, both companies that had struggled for years, stopped flying earlier this week. Vacationers with early summer travel plans by air will undoubtedly face more crowded planes as existing airlines fight growing economic issues by cutting flights.
In an announcement posted on the company's website, Skybus said that the company "...struggled to overcome the combination of rising jet fuel costs and a slowing economic environment. These two issues proved to be insurmountable for a new carrier."
Several airlines, notably US Airways and JetBlue, were reportedly offering standby or low cost alternatives for travelers who were stranded at their destination. This is a relatively common occurrence when airlines, even iconic names like PanAm and Eastern, have failed over the years. While consumers can never rely on such gestures, most carriers make the effort to help others.
As struggling U.S. air carriers try to reach profitability by scaling back services, consumers will soon be missing another staple -- the paper ticket.
The association most of the world's airlines belong to has reached consensus that its members will stop issuing paper tickets for travel as of June 1, 2008. Checking in for a flight from a PC, mobile phone or airport kiosk has become the norm for many frequent travelers, but this is no longer simply an option for frequent, tech-savvy travelers.
Consumer Help Web receives many complaints from travelers who don't often travel for business and might only take several flights in their entire lives. The familiar processes frequent travelers grumble about are unknown to those consumers.
Many start standing in line the moment they reach the airport, unaware of luggage weight limits, how to operate check-in kiosks or security checkpoint procedures. If a consumer flies once every few years, the rules constantly change, and they often miss a connection, are forced to abandon a keepsake at security or waste time standing in at least one too many lines.
Airlines are like many physicians in such cases. Accustomed to seeing a crush of humanity and horrible situations, the average consumer's frustration seems minimal and not worthy of effort. When Consumer Help Web contacts airlines (or cruise ships or even bus lines), even our team is sometimes greeted with a perfunctory offer of extra frequent-flier miles for our customer or a coupon for a future trip. Since neither are very valuable for consumers who don't travel by very often, we have learned to excel at guiding our consumer customers to an appropriate resolution they want to receive.
Meanwhile, we love technology, but we're not sure there was enough time to phase-in the "no paper ticket" rule. Tell us what you think below.
As consumer reports begin to filter to Consumer Help Web about holiday travel horrors, the U.S. Department of Transportation says that November 2007 airline performance was better than in the past.
November, including that awful Thanksgiving travel period, had fewer delays (20%, down from 23.% a year ago and 21.8% the prior month) and fewer cancellations (1% versus 1.6% a year ago and 1.2% in October).
Even more astonishing with full flights criss-crossing the country was that the missing luggage rate plummeted. Despite the improved performance, complaints rose more than 30% from the prior November. Also not discussed in the government report was the Bush administration's decision to open air corridors typically reserved for the military during the peak Thanksgiving time.
The highest rate of cancellations, meanwhile, was Mesa Airlines, which canceled 2.9% of all flights.
But what about specific flights? There are some you may want to consider based on their November 2007 performance. According to the Department of Transportation, the most frequently delayed flights:
1. ExpressJet Airlines flight 2979 from Hartford, CT/Springfield, MA to Newark, NJ -- 88.5%
2. Continental Airlines flight 1532 from Houston Bush to New York LaGuardia -- 87.5%
3. ExpressJet Airlines flight 2076 from Newark, NJ to Indianapolis -- 85.2%
3. Mesa Airlines flight 7462 from Washington Dulles to New York LaGuardia -- 85.2%
5. American Airlines flight 350 from Chicago O’Hare to New York LaGuardia -- 83.3%
5. American Airlines flight 1497 from Newark, NJ to Chicago O’Hare -- 83.3%
5. ExpressJet Airlines flight 2717 from Newark, NJ to St. Louis – 83.3%
Travelers using airplanes to go over rivers and through woods during next week's Thanksgiving holiday may be in for full flights during the holiday.
The American Transport Association, an industry group run by the airlines, expects flights to average 90% full during the period -- an increase over this year's already-crowded 80%. Serious delays have crippled carriers like JetBlue and US Airways over the last several years, and both spent an enormous amount of time and resources overcoming the perception of standing passengers. Doing so during the busiest travel time of the year could be devastating for a carrier.
Our hints:
-- Check with your airline now. Today. Make sure you know the flight, hold a seat assignment and when you need to check luggage. If you live in a major city with more than one airport, make sure you know which airport you are flying from. Yes, it happens.
-- Try to check-in for your flight from home on the day of travel. This is sometimes possible even if you're checking bags. If you can get away with carry-on only, do that, but make sure you know the airline and TSA's rules for carry-on luggage. Keep that 3-1-1 rule in mind!
-- The TSA also offers security line checkpoint waiting time on the web. See if you can view that on a web-enabled phone. Information will be power.
-- Get to the airport early. Even if you're a frequent traveler who knows all the tricks and tips, you'll be traveling with thousands or tens of thousands who don't. At a minimum, double your travel time.
-- Keep up your good spirits. There will likely be traffic delays. There could be weather delays. Either will have a ripple effect throughout the system. Roll with the punches, and don't stress too much.
-- Coming home may be even trickier. Some people are leaving early and some are leaving late to get to their destination, but just about everyone you can think of is coming home in the same tiny window. Remember that for your trip home.
90% load factors are huge. That means there won't be space for multiple carry on bags, there will be long delays and lines just to board and checked bags will take that much longer to get to the carousel. The large number also means that your options may be much more limited if you miss your flight so be sure to allow plenty of time for parking and traffic to the airport.
Celebrity CEOs are sometimes worth their weight in platinum. Gates, Jobs, Bezos, Buffett and others have set a high watermark that brand them as much as their company. Even the late Dave Thomas helped resuscitate hamburger chain Wendy's when McDonald's and Burger King threatened the then-higher priced chain.
David Neelman, a serial entrepreneur and airline exec for virtually his entire adult life, was joining their ranks as he led low-cost, non-union JetBlue Airways into the public consciousness. Focusing on frills passengers wanted and mixing second-tier airports with some strategic hubs, Neelman had JetBlue poised somewhere between the low-cost carriers and the legacy major airlines.
Then one service catastrophe after another hit the company in early 2007. JetBlue was the country's eighth largest carrier when a series of winter storms caused it to cancel more than 1,000 flights in February. The cancellations disrupted travel plans for more than 100,000 passengers, and Neelman found himself on the short end of the blame stick. A hasty departure upstairs to the Chairman's seat was arranged for Neelman, and the CEO duties were handed over to another airline veteran, David Barger.
The cachet of free televisions and big seats was no longer the differentiator it had once been. MaxJet began operations to Europe, quickly followed by the launch this week of Virgin America. Both pose huge threats to the cool factor JetBlue enjoyed among younger travelers. Even Wired blogger Dylan Tweney extolled the virtues of Virgin to the world's geeks.
So where has JetBlue gone wrong? Wall Street pundits still are concerned about the company 's cash flow and the growing liability lines on the company's balance sheet. Key financial metrics like ROA and ROE continue to slump in negativity territory.
And then there is the customer experience.
Consumer Help Web was going to try the airline out for a big search engine conference in San Jose this month. We know the web, we understand online airline booking and were willing to fly into Oakland direct from our DC area offices. The price was competitive with the majors, even though United has a hub in DC and nearby San Francisco.
Then the roof caved in. JetBlue's web site returned pricing for a direct flight and prompted us for payment. There were no seat maps so we had no idea whether people would be traveling on full or open flights, or worse, whether someone would be in a middle seat for three hours.
Being good consumers, we called. And we continue to tell ourselves that the grumbles we've heard about JetBlue are traced back to poor customer experience. To begin with, we never should have had to call. But the results were astounding when we did.
"You'll get to choose a seat when you pay," the bored sounding CSR told us on the phone.
No amount of appealing to reason, rationality or the promise of winning new customers could convince her to research the flight and tell us. We moved from asking to declaring that we would not use JetBlue. They would join another unnamed airline on our blacklist.
This comment was met with indifference as well. Finally, we did the only thing most consumers can do before purchasing when they don't feel like investing the time to climb the corporate ladder. We asked that the call receiver make a note of our dissatisfaction and let her manager know that we were unhappy. The thinking here is that if the manager hears that enough, the word makes its way up the ranks.
Not at JetBlue though. Our call receiver refused to tell her manager. The best way to complain, she said, was to visit their web site and use the complaint form there. Three of us here have customer contact center experience. We agreed that we could fix this nonsensical approach in a morning with two coffee breaks -- it's just that easy. We might even do the training free if JetBlue asked nicely.
This wasn't an isolated incident, you see. We tried calling back again and were met with the same brick wall.
Poor customer web experience.
Atrocious call center training.
Nonsensical complaint policies.
JetBlue may have televisions and big seats, but in the battle for customer's hearts and minds, that only works once. Think back to the last time you said to yourself, "I hate doing business with that company, but they give me what I want." It's not a phrase most people say ever and certainly not often.
In the turbulent wake of rising fuel prices, increased competition and a major service quality meltdown, JetBlue may be the next airline finding itself short of customers, cash and finally, solvency.
Older readers may remember O.J. Simpson's famous Hertz commercials back when he was a football player and actor. The spots showed the star running back racing through an airport and hurtling over chairs, suitcase and other obstacles.
According to the latest government data, travelers can stroll more leisurely than Simpson.
The nation's airlines, despite rising fuel prices and terrorism concerns, posted some of the worst flight delay statistics in recent memory during June. The national average for timeliness was 68.1%, down almost a full percent from last June. More astonishing was the 100% delay experienced by eight different flights last month. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported that 6 of the 8 flights originated from New York's JFK Airport or from Atlanta's Hartsfield. One of the other flights was a departure from Tennessee to Atlanta, and for some inexplicable reason, Northwest's flight 656 from its hub in Detroit to Newark, New Jersey joined the group at 100%.
But late arrivals were not the only issue facing travelers in June. Three airlines canceled more than 5% of their flights in June: Mesa, American Eagle and Northwest.
When flights did take off, there was a good chance that the luggage was also delayed or even lost. The government agency said that "mishandled baggage" complaints rose 25% for a 6 month period ending in June. There were 7.34 reports of mishandled baggage for each 1,000 passengers during the period. Put in perspective, a small regional jet holds nearly 50 passengers while larger jets can hold more than 100, sometimes much more. Another way of expressing the rate the government reported is that 1 out of every 136 passengers reported a baggage problem, and many passengers continue to only bring carry-on luggage.
Keep your cool during the waning days of summer, and you just may want to consider carry-on luggage for shorter trips. At least you won't bump into O.J. Chances are his flight is late too.
Fur, empty peanut bags and soda cans have been flying around airline cabins after a group of American Airline passengers reportedly formed a special interest group to lobby for airline passenger rights after being stranded on the airline. Commercial aviation groups have fought back, and the rhetoric has been heated on both sides.
As the U.S. Independence Day holiday approaches on July 4, here is the important data you need to know if you're flying:
* Expect security to be heightened after terrorist attacks in London and Glasgow. * Don't worry about getting back in to the United States given the well-publicized passport delays if you are going to Canada, Mexico or the islands. Do worry if the country to which you are traveling requires a passport. The State Department made an announcement about this weeks ago. * The biggie has to do with liquids. Everyone will be in line. Everyone will be tired and/or excited. Don't hold the security line up. Here is the definitive word on liquids and other carry-on items:
The following rules apply to all liquids, gels, and aerosols carried through security checkpoints.
1. All liquids, gels and aerosols must be in three-ounce or smaller containers. Larger containers that are half-full or toothpaste tubes rolled up are not allowed. Each container must be three ounces or smaller. 2. All liquids, gels and aerosols must be placed in a single, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag. Gallon size bags or bags that are not zip-top such as fold-over sandwich bags are not allowed. Each traveler can use only one, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag. 3. Each traveler must remove their quart-sized plastic, zip-top bag from their carry-on and place it in a bin or on the conveyor belt for X-ray screening. X-raying separately will allow TSA security officers to more easily examine the declared items.
There are exceptions for baby formula, breast milk, and other essential liquids, gels, and aerosols, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines.
TSA calls this policy 3-1-1, and they don't mean Nick Hexum. Check out the rest of the rules before you leave for the airport.
If you're driving, you may be familiar with AAA's famous gas price survey. The auto club now has an even better tool -- a database of 85,000 filling stations that lets you find the least expensive fuel options. Use it, and put the extra scratch in your pocket for a sparkler.
The nation’s largest airlines recorded a rate of on-time flights this past March that was higher than in February but down from the rate posted in March 2006, according to the Air Travel Consumer Report released by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
The 20 carriers reporting on-time performance recorded an overall on-time arrival rate of 73.3 percent in March, down from March 2006’s 76.1 but an improvement over February 2007’s 67.3 percent.
Special jeers for U.S. Airways. According to the government agency, the airline had by far the lowest on-time rate at 55.5% (JetBlue was next with 63% -- that's a huge difference). Even more astonishing was the performance of several US Airways flight. The survey found that one flight between Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National Airport to New York -- a flight with direct competition from Delta's "shuttle" was late 100% of the time. That's right, every single flight. Here are the worst five flights and the top 3 overall performing airlines:
Most Frequently Delayed Flights
1. US Airways flight 2188 from Washington Reagan National to New York LaGuardia – late 100 percent of the time 2. ExpressJet Airlines flight 2575 from Newark, NJ to Pittsburgh – late 96.15 percent of the time 3. Comair flight 5274 from Boston to New York JFK – late 96.00 percent of the time 4. US Airways flight 836 from Boston to Philadelphia – late 95.00 percent of the time 5. US Airways flight 834 Charlotte, NC to Buffalo, NY – late 92.86 percent of the time
Tiny Skybus Airlines, based in Ohio, ceased operations today, making the company the third U.S airline to stop flying this week.
