[Anonymous]

[MarcusUK]

Sunday Telegraph today featuring a US survey, which concludes that Flight Attendants have the worst prospects most stress, and lessening options for employment. Some rather interesting jobs outlined also…

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/10013321/Flight-attendant-the-worst-job-in-travel.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/picturegalleries/9915983/The-worst-jobs-in-travel.html?frame=2504140

With such huge changes ongoing with strategic plans being implemented in most Airline groups, we all know as regular travellers what gets worse, or is no longer done.

Many BT comments in various threads indicated specific changes, or deficits we each come across.

What is the most significant “worst” issue in your current travelling experience … as a consequence of Airline Industry changes?

[Shearer]

Something really simple – the erosion of co-operation (in travellers interest of course) thanks to the rise of the point to point carrier.

Remember years ago you in the days of Shuttle, you could travel on BA or BD even if on the ‘competitors’ ticket. Probably seen as anti-competitive now but the aim seemed to be convenience for the passenger willing to pay full price.

Of course, the demise of BA Shuttle was long before the rise of the low cost airline. I think though that calling them ‘low cost’ is a misnomer, they are low service airlines.

The risk of booking connecting flights has been systematically passed on to the passenger while low-service airlines feign sympathy but insist that a missed flight is none of their concern.

On a recent flight from Wick to London I couldn’t check my luggage through as it was booked seperately. Yet in years passed you could.

[FormerlyDoS]

” I think though that calling them ‘low cost’ is a misnomer, they are low service airlines.”

The low cost refers to their strategic positioning, not the fares they charge.

Ryanair is the textbook low cost focus company, but sometimes charges very high fares.

[Shearer]

Yeah I know.

[capetonianm]

Any position in which one deals with the great ignorant unwashed.

Ticketing and check-in position dealing with certain nationalities are the pits, I’d say Nigerians are right up at the top, Israelis a very close second, and all the others come a long way behind those two.

[NameRemoved-18/12/14]

As a student in London, I worked in housekeeping at a central hotel above a famous train station. I was even promoted to the executive wing! Bloody hard work, but in those days all rooms seemed to be smoking rooms, so if I got fed up I closed the door, listened to some music and had a ciggie 😉

Marcus – nothing to do with airlines, but travel related innit…

[MarcusUK]

There are many variations and experiences we could all list, thanks for all the responses.

For me I was struck just a few days ago, when taking a friend to Schiphol to check in for KLM.
All the check in desks for Economy are now removed, and capsules of “Self Baggage Tagging” (as well as self check in machines), stood there. Enough staff standing to assist, and desks to go to, but 90% of staffed check-in, has gone!
As a Gold member, I use the Priority Services at check in / Immigration / Security, and had not seen the changed scene. I am sure it reduces their staffing costs dramatically at Schiphol, as a Hub.
Have other Airlines moved so dramatically this way?

So for me, as well as us travellers booking everything ourselves, printing our own boarding passes, now luggage labelling, it the lack of contact needed to fly. For Legacy Airlines this is quite some slim-lining down.
It makes us responsible for everything now, so whatever goes wrong, we can just wait to be told “it was not us that did that”…?!

[FormerlyDoS]

NIRscot

Question for you.

Which airline offers the ability to change your return flight to an earlier one in the day

a) a legacy airline
b) a low cost airline

With regard to the risk of missed connections, through tickets (and EU261) still place the burden on the airline. If you are going to book with a loco offering only A-B flights, then there are no connections, they are very upfront about that.

[Author]

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