President Reaches for the Sky to Improve Customer Service
USA -- The White House takes steps to improve airline
customer service over the Thanksgiving holiday.
US
President
George Bush has announced various measures aimed at alleviating "the epidemic of
aviation delays," this Thanksgiving - good news for the 27 million domestic
passengers expected to fly over the holiday season.
The president called for "Thanksgiving Express Lanes" to be opened up
utilizing some of the military's dedicated airspace. Airlines say they will
also take extra measures such as making
more workers available for passenger check-ins, baggage handling and for
helping delayed passengers. There will also be more kiosks dispensing
tickets.
The president took action following a year of poor customer service by the
airline industry. For the month of September, The Department Of Trade has
logged 8,612 passenger complaints, up 70% for the equivalent period last
year. Most complaints are about delayed and cancelled flights, lost luggage,
bad customer service and refunds never made.
"We can restore the confidence of America's consumers, improve the
efficiency of America's airports and bring order to America's skies," Bush
said. "It's one thing to analyze the problem, but the American people expect
us to come up with some solutions." He added.
Air Transport Association President and CEO James C. May said "We share the
administration's frustrations and applaud the efforts of President Bush, the
Department of Transportation and the Department of Defense for the numerous
operational steps they are taking to improve air service and reduce delays."
He added "Airlines remain focused on improving the service that they provide
to customers."
Some consumer groups criticized the announcement, saying that the measures
should be standard operating procedure. Industry observers also claim
that despite the worst year ever for air travel service, major airlines are
reporting
their greatest profits in years as they pack more passengers into fewer and
smaller planes.