Do people no longer appreciate air travel?

Question

It seems to me that people complain and complain about the air travel these days, whether it's the bad service or the lack of space. I remember a time when people would have jumped at the chance to travel 2000kms for $50.....now all you hear is whining. Do you think people have lost touch with the relative comfort and convienience of air travel?

Answer 1

Absolutely Bwolf!!!   I totally agree.  I am a travel agent and I used to be a flight attendant.  I was once on a flight from Hobart to Melbourne and we were grounded because of fog at Melbourne airport.  When we finally landed i was at the front of the plane saying goodbye to people when I said 'thank you, see you next time' to one lady.  She responded with 'I dont think so!'.  When I asked why she said it was the second time she had been delayed by our airline.  I smiled and told her that maybe next time she should fly Qantas because the fog didnt affect them :)

Answer 2

I don't think that it's a matter of not appreciating air travel. The real issue might be in your last sentence - the part about "relative comfort and convenience."  Here in the US, air travel is not about comfort and convenience. It's about discomfort  and aggravation. I once enjoyed traveling and did it regularly. Today, I'd rather stay home than fly on many airlines.

That being said, I think that consumers have become unrealistic in their expectations. Leisure travelers are driven primarily by price. If Airline A has great service and Airline B has lousy service but is $20 cheaper, travelers will flock to Airline B. Airline A has to match the lower price or lose its customers. However, they can't afford to provide great service with dirt cheap fares and stay in business. So, Airline A drops its service levels. It becomes a race to the bottom until everyone can fly cheaply and it becomes a truly miserable experience.

Many people, like me, fondly remember when fares were higher, meals were free (and sometimes even of decent quality), the airline employees were nice and helpful, and you didn't have to wait 1-2 hours in line for help if your flight was canceled.

Service will not improve until consumers are willing to pay for it. There are no signs of that happening. However, it won't stop people from complaining.

Answer 3

people havent lost touch with the this convienient form of travel. as time progessed peoples expections increase. they expect a higher quality service as a loser cost.

it's a common issue in the globalizing world.