I am traveling on American
Airlines this week and I am shocked how far their levels of customer service have fallen
since I last flew on them. They still have the friendly and casual attitude
that most Americans have but one of the crew members has his top button undone
and two others were handing out coffee whilst having a conversation with each
other and ignoring the customer. I am sure that this is because of the Bidding
system used by all US carriers. The work rosters are issued and you submit a
bid for the line you want, the more seniority you have the higher the chance of
getting the line you bid. I am flying from London to Chicago midweek which will
be a high bid line as a Chicago-London-Chicago five times in the course of a
month is a full roster but only a three day week. The more senior you are in a
US carrier the less chance of layoffs which are also first in last out and
therefore the less you have to worry about your standards of service.
my final flight of the week was on one of their new B777's and with A Los Angeles based crew and the experience could not have been more different that the first flight, the crew were very attentive and the aircraft was new and equipped with new IFE and improved leg room.
