Keith Watanabe * NET 2.0

9-11 did a real number against the airline industry.  The situation is so bad that last week three airlines declared bankruptcy, with one practically shutting down its doors and laying off 1900 (Aloha Airlines) while yesterday there were murmurs of a merger between Northwest and Delta.  While that merger might make them the largest air carrier, I seriously doubt it'll solve the numerous problems that airlines continue to face, including skyrocketing gas prices which supposedly has led to a major contribution of them cutting down on major expenses to avoid bolstering fares.

The funny (or rather sad) part is that you really only see the American airlines groups seeing so much difficulty.  My belief is that the TSA and Homeland Security have effectively rendered air travel inefficient and inconvenient to the majority of the people.  Taking away traditional services and charging for extra baggage for the majority of Americans simply brew resentment by most cost conscious Americans.  Add to that, the naturally hostile environments of airports with the mistrust of baggage handlers, who supposedly are there to ensure our security, and you've got a natural recipe for a meltdown.

Of course, another huge issue is the recent whistleblower scandal at Southwest Airlines and the FAA.  That was a really scary one for myself as I had been somewhat of a fan of Southwest Airlines since I used to take them quite frequently back at my days in UC Berkeley.  Hearing about the backdoor bargaining between inspectors and the airlines demonstrate more evidence of the nefarious nature of the airlines industry.

As I previously had stated (or cursed), I am NOT sympathetic to the airlines industry taking this fall.  They've essentially brought it upon themselves.  The airlines industry is running things like a business, which seems like an odd statement considering it is a business.  However, as I previously mentioned, the whole thing is about service.  The problem I see with the airlines industry in the states is that the service is simply awful for the price you pay.  I think most people aren't willing to pay any price at this stage for essentially being treated like a criminal or feeling insecure.

In order for the American airlines industry to recover, they must fix this blemish on their image.  Start by doing things to improve customer service.  Instead of taking away services, add more for free.  Tack on charges, but improve the customization experience done by the flight attendants.  Do things to expedite travel and make people feel less insecure.  Having a guy with a big fucking gun and a fat woman insulting you by the gate do not aid in this perception!    We want friendly, trustworthy service.  Perhaps, the American airlines groups should hire nothing but Japanese customer service representatives, since it seems that most other ethnic groups just don't get the idea of what treating a customer with the best respect means.

Of course, they won't listen to my suggestions, even though they are completely valid.  And they'll continue to plummet in terms of profits.  But this is what they need to do in order to get back on track.