CAL Plummets in Airline Satisfaction Survey

[densoo]

Along with US Airways

"According to the survery, released Tuesday, the airline industry, which has been hiking prices and packing planes to combat high fuel prices, tumbled to its lowest satisfaction level since 2001.

Continental Airlines and US Airways Group saw their Customer Satisfaction scores plummet more than 10%."

http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/20/news/economy/customer_satisfaction/?postversion=2008052003

This might be a fluke, but it also might be the increasing frustration at CAL with eroded pay/benefits and the usual "we're so poor we can't afford soup" by the company during contract talks.

Maybe the Loan is Due campaign*, Wall Street rally, upcoming Houston rally, and all the new hires are starting to have an effect. A corporate body ultimately respects nothing but the bottom line. This will affect the bottom line.

*http://www.theloanisdue.com/

 

[BID]

2008 Airline Score

Southwest 79
Continental 62
American 62
Delta 60
Northwest 57
United 56
US Airways 54

Source: American Customer Satisfaction Index

 

[Bad-Andy]

That's what happens when you replace the best airline CEO (at least the best in recent times, if not the best ever) with an arrogant bean-counter that couldn't manage an ice cream stand... He has chopped a number of customer-service related programs for OnePass Elite fliers, all in the name of saving a few bucks here and there. (Not to mention employee morale since the departure of Gordan...).

As a Silver (2005), Platinum (2006), Gold (2007) Elite, I watched the airline go from the absolute best in the US, to just good (still better than the rest of US) in a matter of 2 years (from a frequent flyer perspective). Larry and the boys ought to re-read Gordan's book From Worst to First. You can make a pizza cheaper than the rest. But, no one will want to buy it...

 

[densoo]

2008 Airline Score

Southwest 79
Continental 62
American 62
Delta 60
Northwest 57
United 56
US Airways 54

Source: American Customer Satisfaction Index

I see your point. However, here are CAL's scores since 1995.

64 66 64 66 64 62 67 68 68 67 70 67 69 62

Lowest score since 2000. Moving from nearly stellar to average is not a good sign when "average" in this industry is considered pretty negatively.

A double digit % drop YOY in any significant metric--and this one is pretty significant (and public)--would cause most manager/exec to wonder what's going on, and not say "that's fine, the stockholder won't notice, at least we're still average."

 

[densoo]

2008 Airline Score

Southwest 79
Continental 62
American 62
Delta 60
Northwest 57
United 56
US Airways 54

Source: American Customer Satisfaction Index

And if the trend continues into 2009:

Southwest 79
American 62
Delta 60
Northwest 57
United 56
Continental 55.8
US Airways 54

Or, maybe they'll have a contract by then that has paid back "the loan."

 

[Kugelblitz]

We cancel flights with such frequency that it is surprising that we are as high the ratings show. As a mid-western commuter, my number one concern is not whether I can get on the RJ, it is whether the flight will actually operate. I can't tell you how many times I have seen the mid-western cities flights (or RJ cities) get gutted because of hiccups elsewhere in the system. This disenfranchises an awful lot of people.

We need to have a stronger commitment to publishing a schedule that we truly intend to fly.

 

[Colonel Savage]

This industry ia a customer service disaster area, and it will never change. The exceptions like LUV and AAI prove the rule. Two of the lowest cost airlines ranking at the top of the customer surveys.

A passenger who is delayed due to weather doesn't care about the FAA's neglect of the avaition infrastructure, all he knows is that he bought a ticket on your airline, and he is now so late that he will miss his meeting, connection, or cruise ship, and it makes your airline look bad.

Add fiascios like the AA Super 80 meltdowns, USAir Philly meltdowns, winter weather gridlocks at ATL, ATC flow control lockups in the NE during TRW season, and it's no wonder that people hate flying on airlines. It's no wonder they can't get a decent price for tickets, the product stinks.

Meanwhile managements stuff their pockets with more "performance bonuses", and look for more "deals" to "achieve synergies" that will improve performance that send NWA DAL USAir and UAL to the bottom of the heap. It's laughable.

Is there another industry that puts up with this cr@p?

 

[RJAA]

The ticket prices went 20 bucks to offset the cost of fuel, that's why the satisfaction went down. They buy primary on price and nothing else. Southwest is up there because there is this perceived notion, that Southwest wouldn't ripp you off, it offers the cheap and best rate, so you are satisfied, that's it.

 

[whymeworry?]

The problem is that CAL, with is middle-mgmt hacks, has fostered an environment where the employee must look out for himself because nobody else is. It's entirely counter-productive but middle mgmt thinks they have everyone by the short-hairs. Meanwhile, all LK does, on the emp relations front, is tell every person he meets, "thanks for all you do for Continental." There's no substantive approach to dealing with employees. That translates to low survey rankings. I would expect it to go even lower next year.

 

[BID]

I swear that guys loves to say thank you. What he really is saying is thank you for signing off on a contract where you take it up the arse and thanks for not asking for any lube. We are saving a fortune not buying any lube.

 

[pianoman]

That's what happens when you replace the best airline CEO (at least the best in recent times, if not the best ever) with an arrogant bean-counter that couldn't manage an ice cream stand... He has chopped a number of customer-service related programs for OnePass Elite fliers, all in the name of saving a few bucks here and there. (Not to mention employee morale since the departure of Gordan...).

As a Silver (2005), Platinum (2006), Gold (2007) Elite, I watched the airline go from the absolute best in the US, to just good (still better than the rest of US) in a matter of 2 years (from a frequent flyer perspective). Larry and the boys ought to re-read Gordan's book From Worst to First. You can make a pizza cheaper than the rest. But, no one will want to buy it...

Okay I've spent at least 5 minutes trying to figure out your story from your post and bio. Here's my best guess....
CoEx, UsAir, NetJets, back to school?

 

[Superpilot92]

We cancel flights with such frequency that it is surprising that we are as high the ratings show. As a mid-western commuter, my number one concern is not whether I can get on the RJ, it is whether the flight will actually operate. I can't tell you how many times I have seen the mid-western cities flights (or RJ cities) get gutted because of hiccups elsewhere in the system. This disenfranchises an awful lot of people.

We need to have a stronger commitment to publishing a schedule that we truly intend to fly.

That is a direct result of Uncle Larry coming in and stripping XJT. Saying goes, If it aint broke dont fix it. Before LK showed up CAL and XJT was working together like a well oiled machine. Bean counters are the downfall of all great corporations.

 

[Pocono Pilot]

Most CAL pilots I know are pretty clueless about how bad it is there. Some know, and are trying to go to Southwest, but most are pretty clueless.

Our contract at XJT is so much better than CAL's, so you can see why most customers are unhappy with CAL and thrilled with ExpressJet branded.

As they say, the poop rolls down hill. LOL

 

[BID]

I think you are the one that is clueless. LOL

 

[mmase7]

Most CAL pilots I know are pretty clueless about how bad it is there. Some know, and are trying to go to Southwest, but most are pretty clueless.

Our contract at XJT is so much better than CAL's, so you can see why most customers are unhappy with CAL and thrilled with ExpressJet branded.

As they say, the poop rolls down hill. LOL

Get better not bitter...