Winging It: Passengers have love-hate relationship with airlines

Some of you may have the impression that for a person who writes about the airline business, I really don't like it much, citing as I do one complaint after another about airfares and fees and the service we get these days.

In fact, I've been fascinated with airlines and travel my whole life. I can honestly say I've enjoyed most of my flights over many years. I've never been in a crash or seriously scared, making me typical of the vast majority of passengers, and for the most part I believe I've gotten good value for the money spent.

I also sympathize with many of those who run airlines, and especially those who work in frontline positions dealing with customers. They're in a tough business that loses money when the economy is weak, followed by barely adequate profits when times are better. Many rank-and-file employees have taken pay cuts over the last decade.

Yet no matter how much they make or lose, airlines get low marks for quality of service, part of a love-hate relationship with many customers. The customers have an unquenchable thirst for the air travel - business travelers out of necessity and vacationers out of desire - but many people still expect a level of service that carriers simply don't deliver.

As air travelers today, we largely get what we pay for, I think. Because fares are lower, after adjusting for inflation, than they were 30 years ago, we don't expect to have much legroom, an empty seat next to us, free food besides pretzels, or pillows and blankets.

The airlines have trained us well, first to expect low fares and more recently to pay fees for services that once were included in the low fare.

Many travelers seem to have adapted to the fee system without much complaint. They've learned to use only carry-on bags if they don't want to pay fees or run the risk of losing them. They don't change a ticket unless they have to. They shop online or use a travel agent to find the best deal that meets their criteria. They accept that the best seats on the plane, and in some cases any reserved seat, may cost extra.

But the airlines' embrace of fees and their ability to find revenue other than selling tickets, which the IdeaWorks consulting firm estimates was worth $13.5 billion worldwide in 2009, has also led to a demand for more transparency in what a flight will really cost.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is contemplating requiring airlines to make it easier for customers shopping online to determine the total cost before making a purchase.

The Business Travel Coalition found in a recent survey that the great majority of corporate travel managers, representing companies that spend millions of dollars annually with the airlines, would welcome government regulation in this area if that's what it takes to make the full cost clear.

I also want to make clear that I don't particularly dislike any airline. Some airlines simply should not expect to see me on one of their flights because of their policies on fees or my experience with them.

Like most of us, if I could afford to fly first or business class, or charter my own jet, I probably would, although that would certainly hamper my ability to write about what the masses back in coach are going through.

I want you to know why I've flown Southwest more than any other in recent years.

Southwest has the most cheerful and helpful employees of any airline I've encountered. Some of them are really funny and entertaining, helping passengers relax during what can be a stressful time.

Southwest goes to most of the places I want to travel, usually at the times I want to go. Its fares are always reasonable, even though they're not always the lowest for a particular itinerary.

The only fee I pay on Southwest is $10 each way for early check-in, assuring me a better choice of an unreserved seat. And it's the only carrier I know of that charges nothing to change my plans, allowing me to retain the full value of a nonrefundable ticket for up to a year.

That's just me. Whichever airline you choose, I hope you have a good flight.

Clarification is needed for two sentences in the July 12 column that referred to safety regulation of regional airlines.

When I asked whether regional airlines should have "higher standards" for pilot experience and rest between flights, I was asking whether standards should be higher than they are now for all pilots, not whether they should be different for regional airlines and larger carriers.

Also, pilot error has been cited as the primary cause of the crash of a Colgan Air turboprop near Buffalo that killed 50 people last year. The National Transportation Safety Board is still studying a range of issues, including crew fatigue, as possible contributing factors in the crash.