The big bad customer
Yes, customers have a responsibility to remain sober; not assault staff or crew; and to follow reasonable, and lawful, instructions. On the other hand airlines DO, believe it or not airline shills, have responsibilities as well. I'm sorry, but arriving, even at LAX, 2 hours prior to departure is NOT unreasonable. Whether it's being realistic is another story. This story reminds me of an incident where Spirit Airlines was nearly evicted from Newark Airport ("EWR") because they thought they could save money and have one agent check-in 100+ people.
Most US-based airlines have lost sight of the fact that their Certificate of Operation is, in part, a public trust. The state of bad customer service would probably change over night if just one major airline had their Certificate suspended for a couple of weeks. True, this will probably remain a dream. However, passenger rights legislation is pending in Congress (addressing tarmac delays only) and passage may put a dent in the airlines' "customer be damned" armor.
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