In a time of budget airlines, boarding a full-service flight is a rare blessing.
I’ve just traveled across the pond to New Jersey for Thanksgiving, and to my surprise, I had a very pleasant flight. The line at the check-in counter was bearable. My luggage was handled swiftly and professionally (and I didn’t have to pay a separate fee to check my 50-pound bag.)
Of the many things to be thankful for this November, I’m thankful for full-service airlines who still care about delivering outstanding customer service, who recognize the competition in the airline industry and the fact that they need to earn your business. For me, the airline I continuously return to is Continental.
A professional staff who is always willing to answer questions, an easy to use website, a rewards system that actually adds up to free flights: these are services that were left on the ground in the business model of budget airlines. And while yes, I enjoy flying thousands of miles for 20 euro on Ryanair, I also have begun to wonder if their staff earns bonuses for being rude to customers.
Here’s my list of the travel-blessings I’m thankful for, the things that make getting home just that little bit easier.
1. No Baggage Fees: I expect the price of a bag to be reflected in the price of my ticket. To be excited by a fare, only to find out in the last stage of booking that an additional 15 euro will be charged each way for one checked bag – that feels a bit deceitful. Continental still offers you that first bag free of charge (although I think now they charge if you aren’t a member of their OnePass program.) I appreciate those 50 pounds every December when my bag is filled to the brim with gifts for my family and friends that I’ve picked up on my travels.
2. A Full Can of Soda: This may seem trivial, but I like it when the flight attendant gives me a glass of ice, and a full can of soda. I always find myself parched on planes, and although I try to remember to purchase a bottle of water post-security checkpoint, I don’t always do so.
3. Assigned Seats = No Lines: There’s nothing worse than arriving to the airport for a Ryanair flight back home to find a lengthy line 45 minutes before boarding time. With no assigned seats, people line up insanely far in advance, and if you’re traveling with others, you might as well get in the line too if you have any hopes of sitting together. Call me old fashioned, but I like an assigned seat, and the choice of aisle or window.
Autumnal Colors in New Jersey
4. Entertainment: A 7-hour flight across the pond is easier to swallow when you have 40 movies to choose from on demand. Continental offers incredibly recent titles (on my flight this week I watched Meryl Streep in Julie&Julia.. I think that’s still in some theaters?!) This feature also seems to keep kids quiet. If they have there own movies or cartoons to watch, it is less likely that their screaming will wake me up in the middle of my cat nap…
5. Punctual Schedules: Continental respects my time. If there is an unusual delay, a sincere apology is announced over the loudspeaker, along with the reason for the delay. If the wings are icy and something needs to be done about that, I’m fine with a time delay. If I’m sitting on the runway and no one has said a word, I find that quite bothersome. My experience suggests that not only is Continental on time, but usually even a bit early. This is one of the most important factors that has made Continental earn my business.
What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? What airline delivers great service to you consistently? Share your thoughts by posting below.
