As a frequent traveler, I deal with airports and airlines all the time. and I must say there are good ones and bad ones all over the world. We pack, we arrange, we get there with hours before our flight so that we have plenty of time to stress out. The thing I can’t wrap my mind around is why airlines and airports don’t get what customers really want. So, here are the top 10 things airlines could do better according to my very informal non-data driven study.
Here’s the bottom line. If Amazon can get my package to me in 24 hours without blinking an eye, airlines can get my suitcase on the same plane I am on. As airlines continue to charge us fee after fee, it is beyond me why they are not held accountable for ensuring they do the job we are paying them to do.
Normalize Gate Checking Bags
Speaking of luggage, so many people are trying to avoid that checked luggage fee that they drag their bags to the gate. Why do airlines wait until two minutes before boarding to announce that everyone’s bags are not going to fit in the overhead compartments? I don’t get it. Let’s just all give in and check those bags right at the gate. Put them on those slides and load the bags! And you know the most frustrating moment before take off and some lady with four kids is trying to find space for her 6 carry-ons! I’m so frustrated!
Fast Pass Boarding Procedures
If Disney can get people on the Millennium Falcon using Fast Pass, so can airlines. For Heaven’s sake! Just give me a time to show up and I will. How hard is that? Why must I wait in like three huge lines to check in, clear TSA and walk on a plane? Why?! I just don’t get it. Wouldn’t it be easier to clear everything right when you arrive? I once watched the TSA line at JFK for about 2 hours. What a s**t show.
Get Rid Of The Center Seat Once and For All!
Do I really need to say any more than this? I mean, airlines are already packing us in and charging us for the best spots to sit on the plane, I think we deserve to get rid of the majority of those banks of three seats.
Mind The Gap!
While we are at it, with all the great engineering minds in aviation, why am I still shoving my jacket and purse into the gap between the wall? I don’t get it. Why?! For the love of everything sacred, fill in the gap- preferably with something soft on one side and USB ports on the other.
I checked. There is no rule or law that says all airline seats must face forward. So why in the world don’t we simply face two banks of seats together so that families can have a space to themselves? Imagine airlines treating seating more like trains do. Seating in groups of twos and fours. How much more inviting and easier would it be?
Install those lay down seats! I want the top bunk!
We’ve all seen them on Facebook. Long haul flights deserve a better way to make it to the other side. There is nothing comfortable about flying overseas at all. So why in the world aren’t airlines shouting for the rooftops about how happy they are with this new solution?
Step Up The Waiting Game
New airports are showing the grand dames of the past that airports are not just holding pens for traveling human cattle. It’s time to rethink how spaces are being used in airports. Travelers want and pay for clean usable, comfortable areas. Older airports take notes and join us in the 21st century.
Money, Money, Money
I know! All of my brilliant ideas cost money. Well, airlines, you’ve charged me for my seat, my bag, my drink, my takes to pay for the terminal, early check-in, some premium stuff, and I was overcharged for my mocha latte in the terminal. There are no excuses here. It’s time for stockholders to realize that they must reinvest things that airlines could do better.