When things go bad, who do you dread seeing?

[mdsbear]

I have a question for GA's, TA's and Special Service (which I presume is made up of GA's and TA's???).

When weather or mechanical issues cause delays and/or cancellations, is there a noticeable difference in the reaction of VFF's, FF's, occasional flyers and once in a blue moon flyers? In other words, is there a particular segment of flyer that just doesn't seem to get it? I'm sure there are exceptions one way or the other in every group, but are there any generalities?

Thanks for your insights.

 

[REACC1]

I have a question for GA's, TA's and Special Service (which I presume is made up of GA's and TA's???).

When weather or mechanical issues cause delays and/or cancellations, is there a noticeable difference in the reaction of VFF's, FF's, occasional flyers and once in a blue moon flyers? In other words, is there a particular segment of flyer that just doesn't seem to get it? I'm sure there are exceptions one way or the other in every group, but are there any generalities?

Thanks for your insights.

There doesn't seem to be any single 'segment of flier' that encompases what you are asking. They either 'get it' or they don't. Some are intelligent enough to understand the situation that they are in, and some prefer to rip into the first person that they see, that they can communicate their feelings to.

 

[noname]

There doesn't seem to be any single 'segment of flier' that encompases what you are asking. They either 'get it' or they don't. Some are intelligent enough to understand the situation that they are in, and some prefer to rip into the first person that they see, that they can communicate their feelings to.

In Res, when we called to advise irreg. ops, the CP's were the most accommodating and understanding. They were appreciative of the call and efforts made to reaccom. The worst were the infrequent fliers that couldn't understand or wouldn't, especially the ones that wanted us to just get another plane to fly that route. When trying to explain that we didn't have any spare a/c waiting in the event it was needed, they had a hard time understanding until it was explained using their car as an example: Most of us don't have a spare car to use when one car has a mechanical..then they got it. Of course this was via phone, not in person and usually we were glad to not be at the airport when there were irreg ops.

 

[Heinrich]

Well there have been times when GA do nothing to update waiting PAX of any sort of status...sometimes the flight info on the board is not even updated and the flight just 'falls off' as if it took off. This last piece is rarer but it does happen. This causes extra frustrating. I'd rather sit at the club and work or play a video game and have a bloody mary than sit at a nasty gate in PHL.

 

[Travels2mch]

Well there have been times when GA do nothing to update waiting PAX of any sort of status...sometimes the flight info on the board is not even updated and the flight just 'falls off' as if it took off. This last piece is rarer but it does happen. This causes extra frustrating. I'd rather sit at the club and work or play a video game and have a bloody mary than sit at a nasty gate in PHL.

How the GA responds has a profound impact on how the passengers respond. This exact situation happened in a snowstorm....flight delayed, delayed, delayed....drops off the board-they never updated the time, 2 GA's left and sat in the restaurant smoking, people were up in arms. I just called US on my cell and had them rebook me for the next flight (8 hours later) and went back home.

I think most of us that travel a lot understand that there is nothing you can do, and getting all armageddon on airline employees isn't going to make an aircraft appear or the weather stop. That said, a good GA will provide updated info frequently (even if there isn't much to say, just to let folks know they aren't forgotten), be calming and reassuring that they will work with everyone. Unfortunately the opposite happens a lot. This is more notorious in several areas of the country where calming and reassuring aren't necessarily in the dictionary.

We business travelers learn to put up with speedbumps in our travels...so we have to juggle schedules, #### happens. I can understand how 'once a years' can feel more anxious when they see their vacation they worked hard for dwindle before their eyes, missed cruises, family hardships, etc. That doesn't give them the right to pop off on anyone though. But, a good trained GA with good customer service skills can mitigate their anger. When they get nasty, the customer only gets worse and it's downhill from there.

 

[Art at ISP]

To be fair, sometimes the gate agents are not given any information with which to update the passengers. In the past, I have logged onto the FAA site from my cell phone and have shared the delay information with the gate agents and fellow travelers. In some cases, where there is Wifi in the gate area,I have been able to get on Flight Explorer from my laptop and actually show a gate agent where their inbound aircraft is on the approach.

To the original question, however, I think the less experienced a traveler is, the less tolerant they are. I have intervened on behalf of agents when the once a year traveler is getting abusive, and in two or three cases actually stepped between an agent and customer to diffuse situations (always with the ackowledgement and thanks of the agent).

What I don't understand is, why do Ma and Pa Kettle tend to believe another customer more than they do an airline agent? In most of these cases I will tell them the very same thing the agent did, but they believe me not the agent.

Go figure.......

My best to you all....

 

[tadjr]

To be fair, sometimes the gate agents are not given any information with which to update the passengers. In some cases, where there is Wifi in the gate area,I have been able to get on Flight Explorer from my laptop and actually show a gate agent where their inbound aircraft is on the approach.

This is part of the problem. I can find out more info on a flight sometimes from home than I can standing at the podium. Ops doesnt want a call and I can only show what someone (ops or dispatch) put in the computer. Each gate should have the capability of pulling up local and national radar (even if its the local tv stations, although the FAA radar should be accessible), Flight Tracker or something similar with up to the minute position and info (at least I could tell if its holding somewhere or on final at the other end of the airport) and the FAA OIS page to show people. They think we are lying and making things up some times. If I could show them the radar and the FAA site, some would get it. We used to be able to do this and would print out the radar map to pass around the line, but we dont have access any more. I realize you dont want free reign on internet, but select pages to be able to do our job better would be a help.
Just cause it isnt raining at Aunt Millies house in Northeast doesnt mean it isnt pouring at the airport (or over BWI or any other places enroute.)

As far as the question.... the ones that are the most problems are the egomaniacs who have a girlfriend/wife/business partner they are trying to impress. Oh, big bad tuff guy yelling at me to impress the missus. Yeah, run baby run cause it wont be long til hes doing the same thing to you! 🙄

Most of the ma and pa problems are just because the dont have the experience of what a delay/canx entails and think they are just going to be on their own. If you can give them some options and explain why they're late, most are ok. There have only been a couple Preferreds I've had a problem with, but they probably fit more in the egomaniac segment (businessman who says jump and his staff says how high type).

I usually just let people rant and let off steam and when they're done screaming at me just start from the beginning again. What would you like me to rebook you on? 😉

 

[USCREW]

Seems to me that the agents are the very last to know before they pass along the info to the pax. They wait for the word from the crew who waits for OPs who waits for the tower...I don't think that they "lie", they just don't really know. People onboard often asks F/As the most impossible questions too, and unfortunately, we usually say," You'll have to ask the agent when we land" . Are we liars too ?:blink:

 

[Breath_of_Fresh_USAirways]

Generally --

Ticket agents usually don't have to deal with customers that are in a current delay or other "situation", unless it's a huge, system-wide situation. And then, every customer is a unique situation -- some are reasonalble and easy to deal with and some, well, they just aren't. And it doesn't seem to have anything to do with how experienced of fliers they are. I would suspect that some are reasonable and a pleasure to deal with in most aspects of life, and others, aren't.

Special Service agents tend to have the most experience and the most information available. They have the most tools and are allowed the most leeway when dealing with any customer, so they really don't stress too much over frequent flyers versus newbies, etc.

Gate agents are thrown to the wolves and have the least experience and the least tools. The more information ops gives them about the situation -- weather or whatever -- the better they can deal with anyone. Gate agents want to do a good job and for the most part are proud of their work, so when they aren't given information to pass on, many take it personally and go hide or make things up to sound like they know what they're doing -- which they shouldn't do but they feel like they "owe" something to the customer. Most agents need to learn the phrase, "I'm sorry. I have no additional information at this time. As soon as I do, I will pass it on." And some just need to get better at making announcements along those lines. Also, if too much information is given to the agents, about a maintenance delay for example, the gate agents really don't know what they're talking about and can get themselves in a pickle. Customers hear what they want to hear and they can be experienced travelers or first-timers. Again, if they're reasonable and easy to get along with in most of their life, they're probably easy customers to serve; if they're not, well they're not.

 

[mdsbear]

Well, so far I guess there are no real surprises. I figured the VFF would be relatively calm (although I hadn't factored in the big bad tough guy angle) presuming they would have access to the CP line to make alternate arrangements. I agree there should be better information either provided or available to the agent. If folks were provided an update every 20 minutes or so (even if the update was that there was no additional information) I think there would be a lot less anger directed toward the agents (or maybe I'm just dreaming and some people will never get it). I know my own stress level is reduced when I can go online and find out why a flight is delayed, where the plane is, where the weather is, etc. Seems only logical that the agent could have the same kind of access at their terminal.

 

[Travels2mch]

I have been able to get on Flight Explorer from my laptop and actually show a gate agent where their inbound aircraft is on the approach.

Art-do you have a good reliable flight tracker? I used to use one that went away and haven't found a good one since.
Thanks.

 

[mdsbear]

Art-do you have a good reliable flight tracker? I used to use one that went away and haven't found a good one since.
Thanks.

Art may have something even better (I'm always ready for an upgrade! 😛 ) but have you tried this? Seems to run about 7 minutes behind actual.

 

[Travels2mch]

Art may have something even better (I'm always ready for an upgrade! 😛 ) but have you tried this? Seems to run about 7 minutes behind actual.

Thanks md....I'll try it out!

 

[Art at ISP]

I use a program called Flight Explorer. It is relatively easy and works very well, and is also delayed by about 5 min (I think that is a security rule for radar feeds).

My service is fee based, and I get it through my membership in AOPA. I haven't seen FlightAware, but I am sure it is similar.

I agree that agents at the gate should have access to FAA OIS right there--it would at least help. Or, what about an ops page on the intranet which would give flight status automatically as requested (more detail than the dysfunctional web site)? Oh..I forgot. They can't even get the regular web site to work right....

Information is king today...I support any tools which would help the fine front liners get the job done.

If you want more on FE just PM me.

My best to you all.

 

[mdsbear]

I realize you dont want free reign on internet, but select pages to be able to do our job better would be a help.

I really don't understand this. Certainly the terminals could be configured to only go to specific pages (if this is really a problem). Is there some other reason the powers that be would not want front line to have access to all available information?