United Airlines-public relations crisis or profitability at the expense of consumer experience

July 10, 4:41 PMSeattle Travel Industry ExaminerCarlanne McCrystal

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Airlines have been charging for baggage, headsets, food, better seat selection, reserved seats and more for several months.  A new twist recently to the airline vs the consumer saga  is when United Airlines selectively targeted certain travel agencies and told them they could no longer access credit card privileges with United.  If and when this is fully implemented, it will impact consumers, especially corporate travelers, with additional service charges from the travel agencies to cover merchant account fees.  It will also likely put some agencies out of business.  In the meantime, all travel agencies are being encouraged by industry organizations to look at alternative carriers for the business they used to book with United.

United has also had a PR fiasco with baggage.  In 2008, baggage handlers allegedly destroyed (Sons of Maxwell)  Dave Carroll's Taylor guitar in Chicago while in transit between Halifax to Omaha for a show.  Although he tried to seek compensation for the $3500 guitar, United continually denied his claim for compensation.  When he received the final "No", he promised to write and produce three songs about his experience.  United Song 1 is now on YouTube, United Song 2 has been written and video production is underway, and United Song 3 is forthcoming.  Dave Carroll promises that. 
 

What will be the alternative for travelers who experience lost or damaged baggage if they are an average traveler, without a song to sing or notoriety to fall back on?  Perhaps everyone, regardless of talent or ability, can create a brief video to load onto YouTube, or other video streaming website.  Even cell phones today have the ability to shoot video and most have YouTube or Flickr connections.  So will  consumers begin to document the rudeness of a flight attendant, or the baggage handlers tossing the luggage about like 800 pound gorillas, or being trapped in a plane for hours without food or water, or any one of a thousand other perceived transgressions?  Where does this trend go from here?  Will it include bad lettuce at a grocery store, or the rude store clerk in a department store?  Will we all become a "60 Minutes" style reporter and expose the underbelly of poor customer service? 

In the meantime, Dave Carroll sings his songs.  Travel agencies continue their battle to stay in business and earn enough to put food on the table and a roof over their heads.  And airlines, like United, continue to attempt to become profitable through questionable means, at the consumer's expense.