Quite a bit has been made about the behavior of airlines and their employees as of late. From the United Flight 3411 scandal, to an American Airlines passenger having her stroller confiscated, to another Delta Air Lines passenger being asked to leave for using the lavatory before takeoff, to any regular day of flying aboard Spirit Airlines, many passengers may begin to believe that the airlines are truly out to get them. Not only are air carriers looking to get the most out of passengers through fees, but it would appear that airlines now want to dictate every aspect of flying as well.
Although it may feel like flying has gotten out of hand, I would like to remind everyone that the airlines are not, in fact, conspiring against the passenger.
At the end of the day, the airlines and their employees want many of the same things we hope for: providing a good customer experience and getting to the final destination safely.
Furthermore, recent incidents aside, flying is still one of the safest modes of travel today, as less flyers have been injured aboard aircraft than those traveling in nearly all other forms of transportation.
Before giving up on flying altogether, it is time to take a deep breath and take a good, close look at flying as a whole. Here are three reasons why I’m not giving up on flying, and you should not either.
Assertion: Airline Overbooking Is Getting Out of Hand
Fact: When compared to more recent previous years, overbooking has actually gone down – meaning more passengers are getting to their destinations on their booked flights. Citing data from the Embry-Riddle/Wichita State University Airline Quality Rating 2017 report, the Miami Herald reports that overbooking and passengers denied boarding has dropped to its lowest since beginning tracking in 1991.
The university report is not the only one showing lower overbooking rates aboard airlines. The February 2017 U.S. Department of Transportation Air Travel Consumer Report discovered that less than one passenger per 10,000 boarded was involuntarily denied boarding, or “bumped” from their flight in 2016. This is down from 2015 and one of the lowest figures in history. Therefore, it is safe to say that your chances of getting forcefully removed from a flight is significantly low.
Assertion: Airfare Will Go Up If Overbooking Goes Down
Fact: While airline overbooking is at an all-time low, executives for all four major carriers have promised to reduce overbooking even further. This has lead to speculation that flying will become more expensive for those who do decide to fly the friendly skies. With more competition for less seats, will airfare increase?
The answer is: not necessarily. Because overbooking was already at an all-time low (see above), the promise to reduce overbooking even further should be easy to maintain. Furthermore, with the launch of basic economy fares across carriers, all travelers can find a price point that works for their goals.
It should be noted that I’m not advocating for basic economy fares aboard the nation’s largest carriers. Instead, I would like to suggest that these are simply an option for those who want to fly at the lowest available price.
Assertion: Customer Service Aboard Aircraft Is Non-Existent
Fact: Finally, these viral videos have brought forward an assertion that many frequent flyer have been saying for years. With the constant splitting of services aboard aircraft, airlines now care less about the passenger and more about the revenue they bring to the air carrier.
Unfortunately, this assertion is partially true: as airlines continue to segment products, customer service will amount to how much we are willing to pay for our airfare. The easiest way to mitigate this is to maximize our points and miles to afford a better class of luxury aboard our aircraft. By using flexible points cards on a regular basis (like the Chase Sapphire Preferred card), we can accumulate points towards travel more towards the front of the cabin – resulting in a better travel experience.
While the skies may seem to become more unfriendly to the consumer by the day, there are still plenty of benefits to flying. By overcoming these simple concerns of the flying experience, every traveler can begin to once again appreciate the simple miracle of flight.
Have the recent incidents aboard aircraft made you want to fly less aboard aircraft? Or will you continue with your flight plans? Let me know where you stand in the comments below!
Written by Frugal Travel Guy @ http://www.frugaltravelguy.com
Written by Frugal Travel Guy @ http://www.frugaltravelguy.com