Why People Hate Airlines
In March 2022, my wife and I spent a week exploring the music and food scene of Nashville and were set to depart on Saturday afternoon on an American Airlines flight to Philadelphia to attend a friend’s baby shower the next day. The night before our departure, a severe winter storm unexpectedly hit the area, dumping snow and ice along its path.
On Saturday morning, we spent our last few hours in Nashville visiting the Gaylord Opryland Resort when I suddenly received a text saying that our afternoon flight to Philadelphia had been delayed. This meant we would arrive rather late, but it wasn’t the biggest deal. Shortly after, I received another message saying the flight was delayed by another hour, and then by another 20 minutes. Then I received one last message: “Flight 5568 to PHL is canceled.”
I immediately called the airline to get rebooked, but was told that the next available flight didn’t leave until Tuesday — two days after the baby shower we were going to attend. I asked if there were flights available to Newark or departing from nearby Atlanta, but nothing panned out, as the storm that had come through Nashville was now in the Northeast. I then started looking at bus and train options, but nothing would get us to Philadelphia in time. Finally, I opened Google Maps and realized we only had one option: to drive.
We headed straight back to our rental car and called the company to extend our rental period and change the drop-off location. Then we immediately hit the road. Without stopping, the 800-mile drive would take about 12 hours, but time was not on our side. We lost one hour crossing from Central Time to Eastern Time, and another hour for Daylight Savings Time, as this happened to be the weekend of “spring forward.” At 2 a.m. on Sunday, we were too tired to continue driving and stopped at a hotel in Washington, D.C., before completing the trip (and being the first to arrive at the baby shower!) the next morning.
This was the worst (and therefore most memorable) travel fiasco I’ve experienced so far, and it highlights some of the reasons why airlines are often regarded as one of the world’s most hated businesses. Common complaints about airlines include lost baggage, unexpected fees, unfriendly staff, and, of course, delayed or canceled flights (as in my case).
But in the airlines’ defense, the complex operation they manage is inherently difficult, and mishaps are bound to occur. Things just don’t always go according to plan when moving and tracking passengers and bags hundreds or thousands of miles. Many factors are completely outside of the airlines’ control including weather, maintenance, and safety regulations. Airlines bear the brunt of customer frustration not necessarily because they are at fault, but because they are the bearers of bad news during stressful travel situations — when businesspeople need to make their meetings on time, vacationers are looking forward to precious time off, and families are reuniting for special occasions.
That’s not to say that all airlines handle situations equally well. Airlines differ in how well they keep passengers informed, rebook them on alternative transportation, offer assistance or compensation, and train staff to be sympathetic. Indeed, airlines are in the service industry, so customer support should be a key area of investment. In my opinion, however, the poor reputation associated with many airlines disproportionately stems from the sheer complexity of their operations paired with passengers’ low tolerance for any disruptions.
