Recent incidents on United and American airlines have left passengers furious with the industry and sometimes ready to fight. While these airlines have created some policies that create a game that often feels like “passenger vs. airline,” the passengers share a significant role in both incidents.
Working with hundreds of organizations, I’ve found neither side of a significant dispute is rarely completely innocent – or totally guilty, as the airlines have been called recently.
As a frequent flyer for business, I’ve seen my share of difficult airline employees and difficult passengers. I’ve also learned that your mindset can not only impact your own flying experience but also influence other travelers and even airline employees.
As I became acquainted with airline policies, I discovered what can be a competitive game with clear winners and losers. While most Springfield flights offer plane-side concierge service for carry-on luggage (leave your carry-on bag at the gate and pick it up at the next gate), many other flights run out of room for carry-on luggage forcing you to check your bags half way through your trip. Since this often means you will wait longer at your final destination, passengers utilize all kinds of tricks to sneak bags on board or board early while the overhead bins are still available.
Many airlines have created part of the problem by charging fees for checked bags. These same airlines won’t charge the fee to check your bag at the gate when the flight is full. This makes many experienced travelers play a game of carrying on their luggage waiting for a free offer to check. The airlines also offer early boarding for a fee.
All of this puts passengers in a position of competing with each other and with the airline.
It doesn’t take much for a confrontation, and I’ve seen it happen on several flights. I must admit when I first started flying more frequently, I often started in a bad mood.
Then I learned a lesson about how much impact one person can have on the experience with just a little change in attitude and some grace.
On a flight with my business partner, Randy Mayes, we were running to a gate to try to catch an early connecting flight home. At the counter, the plane had almost completely boarded except for one man standing there. We asked if we could board the flight, and the airline employee said yes. The passenger waiting at the counter went ballistic. He was flying home from an international trip and had missed another flight and was flying standby. In his mind, we had just taken his seat. The truth was that there were multiple seats on the flight and the airline employee was working to get his assignment. The man was demanding action, and the airline employee was stubbornly ignoring him while he worked to get his boarding pass printed. They were feeding off each other’s anger.
Randy and I realized what was happening and engaged the man to assure him that we weren’t going to take his seat and that there were plenty of seats on the flight. The airline employee printed our boarding passes and handed Randy and I our passes first. This angered the man, and even as the employee gave him his pass, he became as irate as ever and wouldn’t board the plane until a supervisor could be called. That’s when Randy did something simple and powerful.
He put his arm around the guy and, with just the right mix of empathy and firmness, said, “Let’s just go home.” The man was completely disarmed and quietly walked with Randy onto the plane.
I think about the United Airlines’ incident where a doctor was violently removed from a plane. If just one passenger had practiced a little grace or shown some kindness, instead of yelling at the airline employees or catching it on camera, the entire incident could have been avoided.
Human interactions are complex, and we all have the daily opportunity to lead each other either positively or negatively. My advice is to think a little differently when you fly. When you meet an irate passenger or an impatient airline employee, try to show them a little empathy and kindness. With my mindset changed, I’ve found flying to be much more enjoyable.
Don Harkey is the co-founder and chief innovation officer at People Centric Consulting Group in Springfield. He can be reached at donharkey@peopleccg.com.
