Is it just me or do most of the american airlines provide just about the worst travelling experience going?

Question

That is since Pan Am went bust. They were ok!

Some great answers so far.
I wonder what people think about the flight attendants in general? Personally I find many of the american ones to be even more snotty than the British - amazing I know.

Answer 1

Funny you should mention Pan Am I used to hate those guys. No, it's not just you. The airlines are getting worse. But airlines like Pan Am needed to go bust as do a few others. Nobody is making any money right know and most except for a few like Southwest are just trying to survive. Pissed off employees who just took a pay cut or are about to lose their jobs and delays because an overcrowded ATC system are beginning to add up. But at least people can afford to fly now. Before deregulation in the late seventies only the wealthy and business folks flew. The airlines could charge what they wanted because we were paying our tax dollars to pay for any empty seats that they might have just so they would still fly to a small town. They knew how to treat their wealthy passengers, what few there were, but they never figured out how to actually run a business.

Then came deregulation and some good business people saw the chance of a lifetime and started up airlines like Southwest. They knew how to keep costs down and what was really important to the customer. Reliability and on time performance. Those big dinosaurs that couldn't adjust to the new leaner meaner compitition, Pan AM, eastern, TWA etc. began to die off. Competition meant lower seat prices and now today with all of it's problems, a family of four can afford to travel from Disneyland to Disneyworld and back for not much more than it would cost to drive.

But things are still changing. Northwest, Delta, United, American, all of the big guys are in trouble and either they start figuring out how to run a business or there are others just waiting for their funeral too. And when all the dead wood is finally gone, I think things will get better. Until then, now you can understand why folks like my boss who have the money buy their own airplanes and hire nice guys like me to fly them.

Answer 2

It depends on the airline. Some American airlines give excellent service, and some don't quite measure up. Unlike many countries where the government subsidizes the air lines to one degree or an other the airlines in the United States are not.

As one other has stated, prior to the "de-regulation" of the American airline industry, air routes were protected by government rules. Without any competition the airlines could charge enough to cover their actual expenses. Now the routes are, in many cases, saturated with too many carriers. With so much competition, many American air carriers are struggling just to survive, and service is one of the areas where cost cutting has had an impact.

The same applies to the flight attendants, on some airlines they are good, and on at least one I can think of, they are out right rude and arrogant. Perhaps it could be that back in the "Pan Am" era, when the flight attendants were ALL attractive, young, single, mini-skirted females, we really weren't paying that much attention to the service they gave.

Answer 3

I don't about when Pan Am went bust (it was a bit before i could remember, but according to what my dad relates yeah) but I have noticed that since 9/11 it definately has been on a decline. I recently flew to Cali non-stop from ATL and was surprised to find no meal what so ever in coach, even though I was flying during a meal time. Also, out plane had the personal screens on the back of each seat but to watch something you had to pay $5/movie. If I had known that I would have rented a few from Blockbuster to watch on my laptop (it comes out cheaper). They have gotten more strict on the weight limits of baggage, anyone notice that now for international travel the limit has gone from 70lbs to 50lbs? They also reduced the size limitation for checked luggage, it is now 62 linear inches and let me tell you that some airlines are real strict on that Delta will charge $100 if its "oversized" even by half an inch (had that happen to a friend who had an older suitcase and it was 63 linear inches instead of 62" and they had to pay the fine). I think that the effort for customer appreciation has gone down. Too many times recently I find my flights overbooked and am forced to either check carry on luggage or get bumped from a flight and you know that these baggae handlers don't treat our bags with near as much care as they used to. I had to buy a new suitcase after my last overseas flight because when I arrived in at my destination I discovered that even though I had a TSA approved lock someone had cut the lock and the zipper mechanism on my bag, when I took it to the airline they told me it was normal wear and tear ( I argued with them since it was a relatively new bag, only the 3rd time I had used it). Now I went and bought a hard sided bag, if they damage this I'm really gonna go off on someone.

Answer 4

I much prefer American Airlines to British especially BA and Virgin the American carriers treat you as a customer against the British as a means of ripping you off.

Answer 5

A few years ago I flew with American Airlines to LA (ugh) and had as my 'airline rep' or whatever one wants to call them these days, the twin sister of Dot Cotton from Eastenders.

Sash.

Answer 6

very simple: you get what you pay for..

People expect to get 1st class service when they pay very little for an airline ticket. It makes me want to laugh in the face of those people who say "Paying $350 for a round-trip ticket from NYC to LAX is too much, and the service is soooo bad!"

Those morons should try taking a bus next time, 3-4 days each way, and the cost is the same.

Answer 7

I would not call myself a frequent flyer but I have never been anything but pleased with my airline experience.I think sometimes we expect to much we want to fly coast to coast for $99.00 and be treated special by employees who took a 40% pay cut and lost most of their pensions. It doesn't work to good that way people. Not an airline employee

Answer 8

i have heard many passenger problems with american airlines. good thing i have never flown them.

Answer 9

No, they just target you

Answer 10

it is just yourself