an airlines customer svc article thats pretty good.

[Beverly Lynn]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Top executives of the nation's 14 major airlines Thursday trumpeted efforts they have taken to improve customer service and said their commitments -- now printed on airline tickets and legally binding -- negate the need for congressional intervention.

Some lawmakers have sought a so-called "Airline Passenger Bill of Rights" in light of widespread complaints of delays and shoddy service.

But airlines say that's unnecessary. "A legislative approach to this is not going to make anyone work any harder," American Airlines Chairman Don Carty said.

"I can assure you at every airline we are pedal to the metal to make this happen and a legislative approach would undoubtedly increase the cost of flying and impose a heavier burden on the smaller- and low-cost carriers," Carty said.

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The airlines said they had placed 12 commitments to customer service on airline tickets, making them enforceable by law. They also released a list with additional commitments they are making to passengers.

The airline executives made the remarks at a news conference held by Rep. John Mica, R-Florida, chairman of the House aviation subcommittee, announcing a June 20 hearing on airline customer service efforts.

Mica and fellow Transportation Committee member, Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, have espoused voluntary reforms, while numerous other Congress members have filed bills seeking to regulate change.

Mica said the airlines are taking significant steps toward improving service. "They have agreed to establish a local or toll free number that a passenger can call to get information about their lost luggage," Mica said. "They have also agreed to establishing a system to contact passengers before they leave the airport if the flight is delayed or cancelled."

Southwest Airlines Chairman Herbert Kelleher thanked Mica and Young for backing voluntary efforts.

"I'm dripping with gratitude for them," Kelleher said. "We are extremely concerned, extremely concerned about what Chairman Mica mentioned, that this legislation is passed and all of a sudden ... we're placed in some straightjacket that causes our fares to have to go up because of its cost and is not compatible with the way Southwest Airlines operates.

"The last figures that I saw from the Department of Transportation consumer statistics, Southwest Airlines had one complaint for every 213,000 passengers carried," Kelleher said. "Now I would suggest that is a record that any other business ... would consider to be an excellent record."

 

[Brer-Rabbit]

Wow great article.

I think that they should pass a passengers bill of rights. The airlines are so afraid of it, that they try first to convince the public that they are imposing it on themselves which is BS and then they try to use scare tactics to say that if they pass that Passengers bill of rights, they will have to charge more. I don't think that is true, but I would be willing to pay more to know that I could travel comfortably and depart and arrive ON TIME -- Which is a rarity with the way the airlines knowingly overpack the runways.

 

[SJCSuzy]

Passing the Customer Bill of Rights won't have any effect on leaving or arriving on time. Just what penalty's there will be if the airlines don't. There are alot of factors in taking of and landing on time. How about we release the 10 Billion from the Aviation Trust fund and start to improve the FAA and air traffic control centers around the country. The airlines are a big part of the problem but so is the government.

 

[Brer-Rabbit]

The FAA could make improvements, and they are. I just heard recently that they are working to double the "highway" in the sky. But the fact of the matter is that the airlines knowingly over pack the runways and overbook flights. They have consistantly added flights knowing that the airport cannot accomodate that number of flights on the runway. They cancel flights only roll over the passengers to later flights that weren't as booked as the earlier ones all in their game of making a profit and all while completely ignoring the inconvienience that it causes their passengers. It's really disgusting when you think about it.

The only exceptions to this are southwest, and midwest express. Both have been able to maintain their service levels while providing competitive pricing. The only reason the others haven't done the same is because they don't have to.

A passengers bill of rights would most certainly increase the likelyhood of having flights arrive and depart ontime. Right now many of the flight delays are a result of the airline packing the runways with too many flights, and they usually know hours before they let us know that their flights will be late. The bill of rights would make airlines take responsibility for delays that are a result of their poor management, equipment failure, or delays caused by the flight team not arriving on time. It would not make the airline take responsibility for delays caused by FAA equipment failure or weather.

 

[Beverly Lynn]

there is only one problem that I can see with the bill of rights when it comes to delays and cancellations. weather related problems. there are certain times of the year that are worse than others and if there is a delay or cancellation due to weather either in the city you are departing from or if your aircraft is delayed from downline there is nothing basically that the carrier has to do for you except refund your money or put you on the next available flight. which is pretty much what most of them do now. I do believe however that certain airlines do need to do something more on the way of protection than they do now.