@Nonstop Dan @Turkish airlines Can you please correct your video with Turkish Airlines .Turkish Airlines is not a Middle Eastern Airline company cause Turkey Is not Middle East but `Eastern Europe` Geographically and Turkish Airlines has the best youngest (avarage Turnaround of the planes 8-9 years old) Fleet of Europe outside the EU Community . Its considered an insult to the Turks describing as ` Middle Eastern ` that we are not th-cam.com/video/Z__sAwi55G8/w-d-xo.html
As a flight attendant for a US based airline, this video is is on point. And he’s only scratching the surface. It’s a lot deeper. Good video. You could do well over a hour on this subject. I would give you my view points to help.
So making a story short, US airlines enjoy a “captive” market and don’t have competition in domestic markets. Without competition, there’s no reason to make things better for the passengers
I think you could argue that about most of North America; the market isn't as competitive due to the lack of density compared to Europe or Asia. Canada also has a pretty captive market at 1/10 the size of the US one.
@Sky Honkler There's also the whole notion of oligopolies in the US as the video touches since you can't just transit through the US without going through customs, there aren't any international carriers willing to do more than A to B from the US which decreases the competition on a domestic level. At the end of the day, if you have one of the world's largest markets captive with no alternative and you're a profit-hungry business...you can't expect them out of the good of their hearts to offer betterment for their customers.
@@jamesashe9547 It got worse before that. Pan Am was very average towards the end. TWA in 2000 was just as bad. In my experience, TWA crews had a terrible attitude in later years. The breakdown was gradual across all the US Airlines. In the early 70s AA United and Continental all put coach lounges in their planes, they all had similar products, and all were better than today.
Yep, I had some bad experiences with AA, and I realize that they are terrible after I started to fly to middle east and Asia with EK, Qatar, ANA and others.
@@yourneighborhoodwierdo8349 SW is inconvenient. Who wants to fly into Midway and Love Field and barely an NYC destinations. I like DL better than AA or UA
Ever since Covid and AA furloughed all the younger flight attendants I had some awful service by senior flight attendants. The only way to avoid this is to fly first class in order to be treated like a human. You can forget it if you’re in the back of the plane. Thanks for explaining why this happens in the US. I never knew why but it makes perfect sense. Great video as always Dan!❤️👍✈️
I have flown first class on United from Houston to San Diego. It was okay and flight attendants were nice. It was nothing compared from when I flew first class on United from Kona, Hawaii to Los Angeles pre COVID. I have never had bad service with united
First class is the only way I fly, period. I often joke that "I don't want to be among the commoners", but it's true. People with manners and good public behavior (GPB) are usually in first class, which is where I want to be. No offense to anyone who cannot meet the criteria. I don't expect a "royal" treatment in the 1st zone, I just expect to be separated from the others who not pleasant.
My late uncle worked for Delta from '69 until his retirement around thirty years later, much of his tenure there was in customer relations. He told me that it was their customer service that separated the "men from the boys".
I would say the hardest job is in supply chain. You have to constantly stay on alert to ensure suppliers are not screwing you over. And they try that all the time!
I worked 3 years as a ramp agent and in my experience, the gate agents have the worst job. They get paid slightly higher than minimum wage and anytime there is a delay or cancelation, they were the ones who had to stand there and listen to angry passengers talk to them like dogs and and get cursed at and even assaulted while having to just take it or lose their job. I at least had the luxury to swipe my badge and walk outside when I got tired of a passenger insulting me.
@@Chorizo727 lol I don’t care about widebodies, it’s just about the plane taking you where you need to go. JetBlue and Alaska airlines are literally made to travel the COUNTRY
you make some good points but how is this different from the airlines within Europe? I've seen British airways or air France have similar products that aren't anything special. I would argue that flying is viewed as more of a means of transportation in America and Europe rather than an experience.
Absolutely agree with this. In fact, in many ways, mainline EU/EEA carriers are worse than their US counterparts in my experience. Their hard products are pretty bad on short-haul flights, with food and service being nothing to write home about. This especially applies to the so-called "eurobusiness" which is terrible compared to US domestic first, and should really be called Economy Plus. The most overrated airline being LH in my opinion, which is really only good on long-haul flights, and actually, not *that* much better than US carriers there either. Additionally, they have started gouging out your eyes with absurd fees for every little service, such as picking a seat. Not picking a "good" seat mind you, just picking any seat at all before check-in. Honestly, most mainline European carriers are operating more like LCC's every day, which charging MC prices. Americans should be thankful the US domestic market hasn't fallen into the same sad state of affairs.
I flew from Auckland to Heathrow once and even though there was a 2 hour stop over in LAX, We still ran to get back on the to continue onto Heathrow. Would not recomend transit through US. Our original flight via Shanghai (from Auckland) we missed because there was a cyclone at the time and the aircraft that was supposed to fly us domestically got hit by lighting. Obviously couldn't fly then. We contacted ANZ service (they are very good) and we got the last seats on the US flight. My parents ended up getting harldy any sleep so that we could get visas. It took 4 hours and we arrived home at 10pm so up until 2am getting visas. Thankfully we made it to the UK, just a day later and on hardly any sleep.
Great vlog and will presented. Having been a flight attendant for one of the 3 majors, what you say is true. I loved my job and it was a pleasure to give the best service I possibly could. Thanks for your time and effort in keeping us all informed.
Part of the reason why the US makes all arrivals go through customs is that US airports don't segregate international departures and domestic departures: there is no way to separate international pax from domestic ones. US airports were designed for a domestic market first and foremost. Also airlines like Pan Am, Delta, Northwest, and United used to have international connecting networks well into the 1990s and 2000s but they started paring back on those, such as Delta ending the Narita hub it got from Northwest.
International connections are largely done through alliance partners now. United is part of Star Alliance, Delta is part of Sky Team, and American is part of One World. In fact, all 3 were founding members of those alliances.
@@collinparsons3363 the fact Alaska Airlines is also part of One world is a good quality US airline I love the flight attendents on Alaska Airlines very attentive compared to united and American airlines. Alaska Airlines friendly service made for comfortable flight vs united and American Airlines.
I think you meant to say it's because US airports don't separate domestic departures and domestic arrivals. Heathrow doesn't have separate areas for international and CTA departures, but they still don't force people connecting onto an international flight to go through UK immigration and customs.
Really great and accurate. You touched on it, however, management at these airlines simply don't care. If you're at or near the top and don't care, what should one expect as the employee chain trickles on-board. U.S. carriers used 9/11 to deliberately dumb-down the operations, while necessary for a few years, the industry recovered with lighting speed in terms of demand, yet, they left the cost-cutting in tact where the accountants run the show (counting lettuce leaves for example). You didn't touch upon how all North American airlines, and the Unions, in rare unanimity fought hard to prevent the G-3 landing and gate rights. They lost of course like a little kid screaming for territorial rights to a sandbox. A Story - friend of mine worked for United. She was new, young, enthusiastic, great attitude and worked her tail-off. After a couple of years she happened to be working the front of the bus, and taking care of a very wealthy individual who was flying commercial because his own jet had a last minute mechanical and he needed to be somewhere. To make a long story shorter, wealthy dude noticed how hard she worked and how pleasant an individual she was, she's now going on 9-years private. Getting paid 30% more on a fixed salary (no waiting for the door to be shut), plus living expenses. I doubt she will ever fly commercial again and proof, in my opinion, how the unions foster and promote the division between crew and pax. My friend told me that she always wanted to treat a pax they way she would want to be treated if sitting in 32-B herself. Wealthy dude overheard her explaining this to another pax and gave her his pilot's phone number. Now she takes care of 'guests'.
I think that even when I become a pilot I'll still have a million times more respect for the flight attendants than pilots. They gotta deal with so much shit that's not their fault. I've flown around the world and I've observed that American passengers are the worst to deal with, it's no wonder why the cabin crew is so miserable
The dUSA is *wonderful* for opportunities, making money, white collar crime, and shopping. But socially and culturally, we've always been Absolutely The Worst.
I feel like only a select few American passengers are bad like the ones you see in the news. I've only ever seen someone act shitty once. But I still give huge props to the flight attendants for taking care of their passengers
It is, for the most part. Even though NYC is rebuilding its airports and Boston Airport is expanding, most airports here need to be rebuilt as far down as Miami and as far west as Seattle.
happened to me once: booked a flight from chicago to frankfurt on lufhansa, the flight was operated by united... there really was a difference there...
Great video Dan! I'm in the US and worked as a flight attendant for 4 years. The airline I flew for is no longer around, but we actually had a purser on every flight. we called them Seniors. They had special training and received a higher pay scale and that position was a promotion from the regular flight attendant level.. You are correct, AA, DL and UA don't have that position, at least on domestic flights.
I really appreciate the work you put into choosing the video content to go along with what you are saying. makes it worthwhile watching instead of it being a podcast
@Leyla Kohley. They do, but they really don’t. All US airline pursers do is what Dan said - make all the announcements and ensure that all the exits are armed/disarmed. That’s it. US pursers don’t do a tenth of what foreign airline pursers do.
This is so true. I'm currently mid trip with American Airlines due to an emergency. I had the misfortune of experiencing the intransit process in JFK;they were terrible during the snow in . It took FOUR days to reach my destination. They didn't understand that Antigen and lateral flow were the same and despit me having it and presenting it to them still insisted I didn't have one and that they told me ,,; something I've demonstrably shown was false. I've tried getting a partial refund of my outbound leg which is proving really hard. This is so true. When I return with them Ill do all I can to avoid using American; they really treat visitors to their country worse than than the behaviour they ascribe to for countries. The only rare Tay of light was a non American airlines information service worker seeing me in dire straits sleeping on the floor in s country I know no one to help and when I got to Miami someone form American then trying to help me. This is such s true videos, but also such a shame that airlines like American can treat pax so disdainfully 😢
I'd like to add three points and a half to your 3 points. First big point: in the US, there is little "service" culture in the first place. You can see that everywhere there are customer facing positions. Any industry, doesn't matter. That is a cultural trait in the US. "Service" is often equated with a sense of "servitude" (which of course it isn't). Also, many service jobs are often not considered "professional life-time careers" (although they should and sometimes are) but, instead, are seen as entry level jobs for the young from which one is supposed to "move on to a real job" later in life. As US unemployment has also fallen, there's just less decent human capital around to fill these "service" jobs with people that would actually give good service. Ever notice how much better customer service gets in times of high unemployment? Second big point: In the "golden age", hiring practices were completely different than they are today in the US. The respective managements back then hired very specific people for very specific jobs. A good example is/was stewardesses. They had to fit a certain mold physically, educationally, and service wise; if they fell out of the mold, they got fired or moved to ground crew. Outside the US, some of these practices can still be exercised. I'm not saying this is necessarily better - it's just a fact. Third big point: the massification of flying also brought with it the masses (duh). It also means that the flying public that once wore suit and ties for a flight are now boarding in shorts, flip-flops, and a hoodie. Why would one give good service to someone dressed like that? It's just a working fact that, when you are in a customer service position, you adjust your service to the person in front of you. All get the minimum (which is what we see in the US airlines now) but better dressed and behaved customers generally get better service. It's human nature really. And the half point: People forget that today's American Airlines is nothing but a reskinned US Airways. US Airways was always bad but they bought AA out of bankruptcy. So we all had higher expectations (not that AA ever was anything even remotely close to Pan Am) but forget that today's AA is just a dressed up US Airways... Changing a corporate culture for the better takes a very, very, long time while going to the lowest common denominator is actually quite easy...
Regarding your third point about attire... I completely agree. I noticed this back when I flew regularly. I wasn't required to dress up for travel days, but it didn't take very long before I realized that by dressing up to travel, I got noticeably better service from airline staff - both at the gates and on board. So instead of casual clothes for travel days, I ended up packing some of my nicest clothes for travel. I think dressing up also tends to change the attitude of the traveler as well. One could argue cause or effect on this aspect, but I also noticed that when coworkers dressed nicer, they tended to act nicer towards service staff on those days.
@@jimjefftube Of course it is a generalized statement JC and the nature of a YT comment forces this as well. Without a doubt there are individuals that do provide great service and sometimes one even sees a company that has assembled a good service team. Still, compared to other countries around the world, the GENERAL levels of service in the US are lower. There are many factors that contribute to this. Some are partly ingrained in our US culture and some come from the way we have built up employee/worker expectations. If you read my post again, you will see that I want/encourage/wish the US to provide better service to make up that gap vs. others in the world.
@@jimjefftube Mmmmm no, as an American who has lived abroad twice, travels extensively internationally (even now) and works for a US airline, they're dead on with their assessment.
Very informative Dan... I remember talking to a flight crew on JAL when I used to fly them regularly... they told me that you could end up working international first class on your first day of work. Everyone gets to do a bit of everything.
Rather then give us your opinion, why not get on the US big 3 and show us the “bad” service. I signed up for actual flight reviews. By the way, if it was not for American Airlines, the first airline to offer a frequent flyer program, you would not be flying free with miles!
A good point to make is how the two existing union airlines of today ( American & United ) create an “us vs. them” culture with their cabin crew members. I was a high ranking frequent flier at Continental Airlines that was also union but the culture of their cabin crew was not antagonistic with management at the time. In fact they really loved their former CEO, Gordon Bethune, who made them industry leaders in customer service. Fast forward to what became of them; they are now United. United has had a toxic cabin crew culture since at least the 80s and their cabin union has focused on growth with other carriers ....not quality among their personal. It shows glaringly. Those great customer service crew members from Continental were ground down to their least common denominator when combined with United crews and the result is what we endure today.
Nonstop Dan: This video is made in collaboration with Coby explanes Me and other Coby fans : Finally our boy is getting recognition I mean, there is something about him that makes him such a charming person, and his narration is one of my favorite Thanks Dan for helping him out and collaborating with him.
I feel lucky as an Australian, our domestic airlines are all reasonably good, Qantas and Virgin are great compared to AA or Delta. Once we are allowed to travel as normal, I want to go back to New York.
If you are vaccinated, it's looking like we may be able to leave the country sometime between July and October but I heard something the other day that it may be 2023 before Europe or the us are back on the cards.
Great video Dan, me and my wife are going to the Seychelles in december. Flying with QR and for the first time with A 350 (Q Suites). We have on numerous occations travelled with Emirates, Qatar and Singapore Airlines in businessclass. They all have similar standards and provide impeccaple service. It makes the whole experience something to remember.
I flew AA premium economy in 2021 International to Europe. The pilot introduced himself to us. He was older. He was old school. Like a Grandpa. Honestly that was the first time and I flew since 1981. We were shocked. The plane was a 787, I believe from 2016. We had access to a larger restroom. We had a surprising good meal and the seats were comfortable. One flight attendant told me before COVID, they had snacks and drinks sitting out in a galley to pick from. She was willing to get me whatever. She was the best. Everyone was wearing a mask but no one was being a jerk. It was non-stop. It came with a comfy seat and legroom was sufficient for a 6’ person. I want to fly premium economy with an airline outside of the star alliance or one world to compare.
1. So happy to see you collaborating with Coby!! I've followed both of you for a while and it feels great that you two now have a working relationship! 2. I'd love to travel to Auckland, NZ. My home is Boston, US.
I am literally moving back to the West Coast specifically so I can go back to flying Alaska Airlines where both the staff and the customer base make me feel like I actually belong. Between indifferent customer service, loyalty programs explicitly designed to only cater to travelers who game the carrier at the expense of their other travel loyalties, and an inability to deliver me on-time to the most basic of destinations in easy weather, the only reason I’d fly a big 3 carrier is to get points I can redeem on Alaska (sole reason I’m posting this from an AA plane right now) or because I have no other option.
The answer? It's because the United States is a corporatist country (mostly in terms of its religion of work, productivity, and profit) and it does not care about anything else at all. Money is the only thing American companies care about. Whatever they sell is nothing more than a vehicle for earning money. Only a select few actually care about their product or service offerings. The quality of their product is only important to them insofar as it provides them with a profit. We no longer have a culture of relationships and of a spirit to improve lives. It's just transactive and nothing more. We will never have good airlines as long as our idiocracy of no talent, no determination, and no heart continues. U.S. businesses are operated within an extreme scarcity mindset - cost-focused and benefit/investment blind. Only rare visionaries who start companies are the people who actually love their jobs and care about their products. There are maybe 10 major companies like that in the U.S. and the only others are small businesses that have almost no support at all for their stability and growth. America will never had good world class airlines again - unless the decarbonization of the aviation sector via electrification removes energy cost burdens sufficiently.
After saving up for an entire year... I finally got a first class ticket on Emirates to Dubai. One of the GREATEST flights I've ever been on. And the new refreshed first class cabins on the 777 (on my back) were BEAUTIFUL and this might just be the only time I've taken a shower at approximately 40,000ft.
This Video is in Wendover Productions analysis style! Amazing! enjoy your flight out of NY. Triopoly: This is why JetBlue getting the A321XLR is going to be amazing for competition. Karen said hi 😂🙄 Really really bad service... like forgetting your meal so they give you leftover salad for breakfast in business class
I always fly southwest when I can. The base fares are good and with all the freebies it ends up being a lot cheaper than the other airlines. Also all the cabins on southwest, in my experience, are exactly the same. Comfortable enough seats and you can get free movies on their app, no need for screens. I have flown delta and one time the cabin was great but the other time the cabin was absolutely TERRIBLE. Like super uncomfortable seats and no room. Also the southwest flight attendants give good service while not being overbearing. Southwest isnt perfect but I like that you can choose your seat, you get freebies, and for domestic flights, its a good balance of comfort and savings
Always love your analysis Dan! That was really fascinating, especially the point about the pursers. I didn’t realize that wasn’t a true supervisory position.
Dan, Thank you for having the courage to "tell it like it is!" The US-based carriers are horrible and it is hard to tell one from the other because the major US carriers are not even attempting to stand out from the crowd. The only two US-based airlines that I could mention that are trying to separate themselves somewhat are Jet Bllue eand Hawaiian. Keep bringing great content man!
JetBlue is good in flight but has one of the worst cancellation and delay rates. Hawaiian and Alaskan are good too but are inconvenient I'd say Delta is probably most convenient and overall best airline.
The three legacy carriers not serving as ambassadors for their nations, and instead for their shareholders is one reason I would argue they infact perfectly represent all that is the USA. Offering the worst product they can possibly get away with and scooping up all the profits for themselves only to serve their shareholders.
This is true, I had flown Qatar Airways , it was like flying in a dream, the service, WiFi, and movies were on point, then I got to the US and flew United and wowww, it was like flying in a shack, couldn’t, cold, hardly served, bad WiFi, movie selection wasn’t impressive, the turbulence was hectic, dunno if that is cos of the weather or just that the plane sucks itself but I couldn’t wait to get off
It will be mine too (my GF lives there) but we'll have to wait, believe me., before we can board any flight to Hanoi or HCMC. The news so far are less than great.
Living in Brazil and having traveled extensively for over 40 years, I adopted for myself the following: if avoidable, I do not use any American airline, even in Business Class. Service is appalling in general, and the crew acts as though they wish not to be disturbed at any moment, not even for a glass of water. Secondly, if I have to go to the Far East or Africa, I go through Europe or the Middle East. I do ha e a visa waiver for the US. But going to China via the USA turns out to be a long flight in total (even not bothering for a connecting flight). The American flagships have a long time ago lost any "charm". It died with Pan American and is well buried with it.
Dan, I when I fly within the US, it is often on the regional planes. This means I am not flying United or Delta or American but Air Wisconsin doing business as United Express, as an example. I wonder how much this has to do with the service experience if you fly mid-market to mid-market via a hub.
I think regional carriers offer a great service. In fact, they have more incentive to keep contracts. Passengers honestly come onto regional planes with a negative attitude and assumptions from the jump bc it’s a smaller plane. Much of the success of mainline carriers is due to the regional airlines operating their flights and its bc of regionals that many customers have the opportunity to fly. It’s disappointing if people really associate below par service simply bc its regional.
I cannot believe I'm here since like 50k... At some point along the line YT ceased to recomend your content on this account. And all the sudden we are here. Nothing more than ♥️♥️ to you Dan.
I’ve had mostly good experiences on domestic flights in the U.S. The one situation that was bad was when the airline my assigned seat to someone else, with no warning! I booked my flight and chose my seat online, 6 weeks before travel. I took a hard copy of my itinerary, which showed my chosen and approved seat assignment. I checked in 2 + hours for my flight at the ticket counter where my info was verified and so on. I checked in at the boarding gate with no problem, and NO MENTION of a seat assignment change. I go to my seat and settle in, only to have someone tell me I’m in THEIR seat, and they demand I move. After making sure I was indeed in the right seat, things got worse. A FA was called over to help. I showed her my itinerary hard copy with my approved seat assignment dated 6 weeks previously. I was told that I had to move because my seat had been GIVEN to an older couple so they could sit together! I chose my seat to accommodate my being physically challenged (last aisle seat at the rear, next to restroom). I didn’t want to split up the cute old pair, but I had needs too and I felt that I was being displaced unfairly. I got moved to another aisle seat in the middle of the plane, but I was not happy. How can they get away with making such last minute changes at travelers’ expenses?
I was fortunate enough to fly Pam Am to Asia several times before their financial problems began ! They were wonderful ... When United purchased the routing to Asia, many of the Pam Am "ladies" went over to United. You could watch them in the cabins and instantly pick out the previous PA ladies ..They were kind and bent over backwards to take care of you ! PA sent me a free Business class ticket anywhere in the Caribbean to thank me of my business !
I can remember hearing US passengers who frequently fly out with the United States and Canada saying that given the choice between any of the big 3 US airlines and one of the major European airlines they would usually opt for the European because they provided in many passengers eyes better value for money than say American, Delta or United.
Can't wait to travel to the south pacific! I love your new content these industry analysis videos are amazing. As a Texan, I would have liked to have heard how you feel about Southwest Airlines, a US based carrier that seems to have a much better customer experience.
Southwest is the one US airline I've sworn off flying on again. Multiple absolutely terrible experiences - mostly in Texas, at that. I quite like Alaska, Delta and JetBlue instead.
Having never flown on a US airline, I now understand why there are always peeps that say they get terrible service. Thanks for that enlightening vid. Having said that, I’ve always said that if I fly US Airlines, it would likely be Delta.
Awesome video, Dan. Hoping a future video covers the impact of the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, as that certainly plays a big role even now in how US airlines compete across the globe.
You left out the part where Asian and Middle East airlines can hire and relieve flight attendants based on appearance. That’s also why you don’t see any geriatric flight attendants, and why a lot of their FAs are very attractive, because, and I know this isn’t PC, attractive flight crews generate revenue, as it makes business class travelers (the primary money makers for airlines) want to travel again.
When I saw this title, I thought, oh here we go again with bashing American products. I watched it anyway, and you bring up very valid points. I worked for an airline for many years, and at first it was a good prestigious job, but when the likes of Frank Borman, Frank Lorenzo, Carl Icahn, Bob Crandall, etc. came on the scene and CEOs had no real accountability, things collapsed. When the only purpose of the executive staff is to win the Lotto every month whether the employees or the public is treated fairly, of course things will fail. Another factor in the U.S. was deregulation. Before deregulation, when the fares were essentially the same among all domestic carriers, the way to achieve and maintain market share was to provide the best service. After deregulation when only price became the issue, service tanked. Add to that, anybody who could get their hands on an airplane could start an airline. While this has somewhat sorted itself out, we now have, as you pointed out, basically little competition with in the U.S. airline industry. I can't say I agree that Delta is the best. In my experience, American has provided better service, but we all have our preferences.
Every other major aviation market has deregulated. The US is not alone in this regard. Going back to tightly regulated airlines would make things better, but it would no doubt increase prices and limit choice.
It made sense back in the 70s under the Carter administration, besides...it was apart of the growing trend that would become neoliberalism at the time... Now, I'm not saying it is good now, but given the time back then, it sure seemed like a good way to possibly help eliminate stagflation.
Same thing with pharmacies. Legislation puts all the power in the hands of big pharmacies. People need their prescriptions and have no viable alternatives. There’s no pressure on pharmacies to improve their service when customers have to with them regardless.
I also wonder how much of an impact ULCC's like Spirit and Frontier contributed to some of this decline, at least domestically. I know that they do not have as big of an impact as they do in the EU, but in the US many ULCCs still operate out of the largest airports, competing directly with UA, AA, and DL. We've especially seen AA and UA worsen their economy class experience simply because people in the US were shifting more towards airlines like Spirit for their transcontinental flights. After all, AA's 737-800s/Max8s with business class, extra legroom, and economy now seat 172, but Southwest's all economy 737-8s hold 175, just 3 more seats. It's clear that AA is really trying to squeeze in as much as they can simply because they can. I would say that the US airline experience sums up well US capitalism in a nutshell: you need them and you will pay for it no matter what. If you fly them or pay them enough or are rich, they will treat you better. But if not, they'll just take your money and seat you in the back because they know you often don't have another option. I'm saying this as someone with status from Delta. Before I had Medallion status or one of their credit cards, it wasn't that great to fly them. But once you hit even Silver status and get one of their Amex cards, it suddenly isn't so bad, but it takes a lot to get there.
It's this. The ULCC phenomenon is what drives down the level of service. When customers primarily choose on price: 1. There is no incentive to offer a better service 2. Costs have to be cut in order to still be profitable at lower fares; that means cramming in more seats to lower CASM and likely trying to cut labor costs, and if your pay sucks as a flight attendant, again you have no incentive to offer good service
@@matthewdixon6252 Very true, and I agree with you. However, a counter-argument I could see is why does service in the EU not get worse if ULCC impacts were even stronger? Or maybe it has also gotten worse within the Schengen and EU thanks to Ryanair, Wizzair, and easyJet, and that's a future video for Dan :D Perhaps it balances out as they also have to compete with robust rail networks, whereas the US only has that in the NE Corridor. (The last time I flew within the EU, I wasn't that impressed with the service either. Other than a small sandwich during the service, the on-board experience was about the same as in the US). As you can tell, I like to play Devil's Advocate with my own arguments lol
autos.yahoo.com/news/half-american-airlines-revenue-came-100007680.html As of a few years ago, 50% of AA's revenue came from the 87% of passengers who flew with them, on average, once a year or less. Additionally, AA's primary competitor for these infrequent flyers is actually Spirit. The rest is left as an exercise for the reader.
@@JuanWayTrips It IS worse in the EU. It's far worse! Almost all European airlines have no IFE whatsoever, not even BYOD, on flights as long as five or six hours. Even a lot of the ""full-service"" carriers have slimline seats that you'd only see on ULCCs in other parts of the world. Such seats have no adjustable headrest, often don't recline, and a 28-30 inch pitch is the norm. And all that's before I even mention intra-Europe """business class"""
The comparison has to be apples to apples. In other words: do not compare a domestic US flight to a foreign carrier's internationa flight. Instead, compare a domestic flight in the US with an intra-Europe flight on a similar plane and compare the product. And I would say that Delta's product is actually pretty good. I have flown ,Singapore, Air France, Korean, EVA, Emirates, JAL, China Airlines, KLM, Iberia, British Airways, Philippine Airlines, Aegean, Cathay Pacific...and I have experienced different cabins (First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy), and Delta's product is pretty good in each of those categories.
I think you may be missing another reason. The US is a big place with many large airports and no restrictions (pre-Covid) to travel anywhere within. As flying became a necessity, low cost carriers abound. People's expectations of what it is to fly are very low. When I was short on money and needed to get to Florida the weekend after Thanksgiving, it was Frontier down and Spirit back. It was the only possible way. The atmosphere on those planes is disturbing, to me. It truly was cattle car and the people's attitudes matched that. I'm in my late 40s now but flew a lot over the 80s, 90s and 00s. Not so much now. But, my goodness, the culture on planes has changed. And the search for bottom dollar rates, even if using all the add-ons you need to fly is more, is what drives the American public in airline choice. Fewer and fewer people will pay more for better overall experience.
Service is the reason I will not EVER fly a US Legacy airline internationally. I fly Emirates when I go to Italy. I've never had a bad flight with them. They put Alitalia to shame in that regard. Lufthansa was also good until recently, not sure why their service has gone down....But Delta? United? American? No thanks.
Your last video about Middle Eastern hub systems was beautifully done. I love how you approached this one too. I am a top tier elite on one of these US carriers and the disappointment is palpable. Keep up the good work.
I miss NZ LAX-LHR. I traveled it all the time... loved the innovative business class and premium economy cabins and the FANTASTIC LHR crews that NZ often had on these flights. My favorite was the 747. And, the LAX transit for through passengers at LAX was quite fast and efficient when NZ moved to Tom Bradley International Terminal. I know many many Kiwis that loved the NZ 1/2 flight because of the convenience, and timing. The short break in LA, even having to go through immigration was quite well choreographed and not difficult.
It’s true : EVERY SINGLE US AIRLINES is a sad and pathetic excuse of a flying experience. The best airlines are from the Far East (Thai, Singapore, Japan etc.) and Middle East (Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways etc.); only a few European Airlines like Swiss Air, KLM, Lufthansa, and possibly British Airways make the grade. Most airline travel is a pain these days. Not like in the 80s and 90s. Things really started going downhill after the 90s.
I disagree with almost all of this, and there were also several factual inaccuracies. I also think this is largely about culture. We (the US) are not a society that values service--service in the sense of luxury and "being served". We value convenience. When you discuss flying in America being "miserable", I don't feel that's how people think of the experience at all. Nothing special? Sure. Miserable? No. When people DO find flying miserable is when things have gone wrong. And I'm not saying wrong in the way of a flight attendant being too curt for your liking... I'm talking delays, cancelations, unscheduled aircraft swaps resulting in a downgrade, etc. and THAT is where the US airlines shine... Because that's what their primary customers value. All of the worst flying experiences I've had in my 30yr travel history have been when things have gone wrong--and they've all been on international airlines, because that's where they really crumble, and their operational inadequacies are exposed. Americans want to get somewhere on time, without fuss, and to be acknowledged when things go wrong. International carriers can get you there in style, but with not much else.
Agreed. The big 3’s core flyer base is business travelers in the front of the cabin. They want no nonsense high frequency and high reliability of service.
Thanks for the vid. So true it is. When i have a choice i fly Asian, Middel east airlines....but from the Netherlands to the US you dont have much choice than the ones mentiod at the beginning of the video.
Qatar is state owned. So is Emirates. They get discount fuel, free airplanes etc. So are many other middle eastern airlines..US airlines are not owned by the US govt. US airlines can't financially compete in the same markets. In flight coordinators plan the service especially on international flights and every international flight has a group briefing.
Most flights in the USA are flown by small cabin crews of 4 or less, so the hierarchy and accountability comparisons to foreign carriers doesn’t really apply
I am an engineer for one of the big 3, and let me tell you...you hit the nail on the head when it comes to the seniority issue. We have 20,000+ flight attendants and almost HALF are 30+ year people, and they take EVERYTHING. Every good flight, every hour of overtime, every good day off, every flight with a long layover..everything..and they are MILITANT about it. Also, they know that, short of slapping someone on camera they can't be fired due to the union. This means that the junior flight attendants quickly develop a feeling of despair that translates into lackluster service. FINALLY someone talks about this! I gotta tell you, I find some of your reviews a bit nitpicking...but for once SOMEONE is talking about what no one seems to want to talk about. Thank you, man!
I have had absolutely bad experiences on both United and Southwest when I flew them. Alaska and JetBlue were good experiences when I flew them. My family and I are planning a trip to Las Vegas soon.
It's because American passengers despite all of their grievances care about one thing above all else when it comes to flying: price. It makes no difference what little perks airlines have here and there, the vast majority of American flyers will pick the airline that offers the cheapest fare for a given route.
Viewing Coby Explanes and referred your channel. As I do alot of domestic flying since the 70's as a child into my older years alot has change for airlines but very little has been done to revitalize the experience that one would expect in the United States. Their is alot to be said experiencing international travel vs domestic and over the years we have been through alot of changes from 9/11 to the world pandemic we are in now. Since 2019 I have seen alot of change, primarily within our countries security and yes even the thought of TSA might seem more like a shake down before every flight it has improved in the past 12 months. They work very hard to keep our sky's safe. Thank you TSA!! I look forward to Viewing your channel and who knows we might bump into one another during flights. Safe travels to you and everyone and may your experiences be good ones. And who knows maybe I'll start my own TH-cam channel and start sharing my experience of travel..
15:00 May sound like a bad idea but a fix to this would be to put young flight attendants at first and business class with normal pay and experienced older ones for economy with higher pay to deal with more customers and due to their experience.
Check out Rosetta Stone limited-time deals thru March 31: rosettastone.com/nonstopdanyt
@Nonstop Dan
@Turkish airlines
Can you please correct your video with Turkish Airlines .Turkish Airlines is not a Middle Eastern Airline company cause Turkey Is not Middle East but `Eastern Europe` Geographically and Turkish Airlines has the best youngest (avarage Turnaround of the planes 8-9 years old) Fleet of Europe outside the EU Community . Its considered an insult to the Turks describing as ` Middle Eastern ` that we are not th-cam.com/video/Z__sAwi55G8/w-d-xo.html
@Nonstop Dan
I wonder what's your opinion about US vs European airlines?
Wow.
Dan I love your efforts!
@@info328 Geographically and culturally you are correct. For functional purposes, however, Turkish plays on the same pitch as the Gulf guys.
Spirit, Froniter, and Allegiant: "Oh, you ain't seen nothing yet"
😂😂😂
And American
@@NonstopDan would you do a video on southwest?
@@Speedster___ He better. My favorite US airline
I've been on Frontier a few times. And I find your comment hilarious!
As a flight attendant for a US based airline, this video is is on point. And he’s only scratching the surface. It’s a lot deeper. Good video. You could do well over a hour on this subject. I would give you my view points to help.
This is something I'd like to see.
So making a story short, US airlines enjoy a “captive” market and don’t have competition in domestic markets. Without competition, there’s no reason to make things better for the passengers
Damn,this video could have been 10 seconds and it wouldn't have changed what I learned lol.
I think you could argue that about most of North America; the market isn't as competitive due to the lack of density compared to Europe or Asia. Canada also has a pretty captive market at 1/10 the size of the US one.
And when there was more competition two decades ago, airlines were going bankrupt... it was just not economically viable then :(
In Conclusion: Profit over anything else
@Sky Honkler There's also the whole notion of oligopolies in the US as the video touches since you can't just transit through the US without going through customs, there aren't any international carriers willing to do more than A to B from the US which decreases the competition on a domestic level.
At the end of the day, if you have one of the world's largest markets captive with no alternative and you're a profit-hungry business...you can't expect them out of the good of their hearts to offer betterment for their customers.
Great American airline quality collapsed when Pan Am and TWA went bust
100% agree.
There was also Braniff international, it was a great experience to fly with them.
I once flew Pan Am (yes I'm old), it was like boarding a bus. The steward/esses job was mainly to throw packets of peanuts at the passenger.
100% Facts
@@jamesashe9547
It got worse before that. Pan Am was very average towards the end. TWA in 2000 was just as bad. In my experience, TWA crews had a terrible attitude in later years. The breakdown was gradual across all the US Airlines. In the early 70s AA United and Continental all put coach lounges in their planes, they all had similar products, and all were better than today.
Yep, I had some bad experiences with AA, and I realize that they are terrible after I started to fly to middle east and Asia with EK, Qatar, ANA and others.
United and Delta are a lot better than American Airlines.
@Kian Zahedani Can't compare Southwest with international carriers.
kariminalo on domestic routes Southwest is a better experience than American
Kian Zahedani I flew SFO-DEN with Southwest. I was going to fly United but Southwest had a huge discount that day so I tried it.
You don’t need to fly often to know how bad AA is 😂 I would know trust me
Out of all of the U.S carriers, I would say delta would be the best.
i think its southwest
@@yourneighborhoodwierdo8349 SW is inconvenient. Who wants to fly into Midway and Love Field and barely an NYC destinations. I like DL better than AA or UA
@@johnwellington5754 Chicago Midway is a classic destination, I respectfully disagree
@@johnwellington5754 SW now operates out of O’Hare too, not just Midway.
Definitely
Ever since Covid and AA furloughed all the younger flight attendants I had some awful service by senior flight attendants. The only way to avoid this is to fly first class in order to be treated like a human. You can forget it if you’re in the back of the plane. Thanks for explaining why this happens in the US. I never knew why but it makes perfect sense. Great video as always Dan!❤️👍✈️
I flew first class on united during the pandemic, and the service was so shit. The flight attendant was clearly forcing herself to pretend she cared.
I have flown first class on United from Houston to San Diego. It was okay and flight attendants were nice. It was nothing compared from when I flew first class on United from Kona, Hawaii to Los Angeles pre COVID. I have never had bad service with united
@@AUniqueHandleName444 You have NO IDEA what SHE might have been going through at that time.
First class is the only way I fly, period. I often joke that "I don't want to be among the commoners", but it's true. People with manners and good public behavior (GPB) are usually in first class, which is where I want to be. No offense to anyone who cannot meet the criteria. I don't expect a "royal" treatment in the 1st zone, I just expect to be separated from the others who not pleasant.
My late uncle worked for Delta from '69 until his retirement around thirty years later, much of his tenure there was in customer relations. He told me that it was their customer service that separated the "men from the boys".
The hardest jobs are not the CEO, accountants, pilots, ground crew but they are the jobs that deal directly with the public/customers in any industry.
truer words have never been spoken
I would say the hardest job is in supply chain. You have to constantly stay on alert to ensure suppliers are not screwing you over. And they try that all the time!
That's debatable considering pilots and ground crew are on the hook if something happens and if you ever read the FAR
I worked 3 years as a ramp agent and in my experience, the gate agents have the worst job. They get paid slightly higher than minimum wage and anytime there is a delay or cancelation, they were the ones who had to stand there and listen to angry passengers talk to them like dogs and and get cursed at and even assaulted while having to just take it or lose their job. I at least had the luxury to swipe my badge and walk outside when I got tired of a passenger insulting me.
I’ve worked in customer service and it’s not that bad. It’s not so bad in fact that teenagers work those jobs. Just be nice and they’ll live.
Dan, i am so proud of your new work. I really learned a lot from your last videos. Keep going!
i thought for a second it said 'i am proud of your new york'
Stop helping him insult our favorite airlines🤬
@@AtomicMilitary he is right tho
People who live in JetBlue hubs: “we are so lucky”
Literally NYC
Yeah, I live in Boston and take JetBlue very often
LA proud
Ya and they took LGB away :(
Alaska hubs: "Well west coast is definitely the best coast"
This Is why people love airlines Like Jetblue And Alaska!
And southwest
People like Alaska because of the free beer.
@@bgp6656 and Hawaiian (isnt really mainland but still usa)
They're both even worse! No widebodies, no cross-continental flights.
@@Chorizo727 lol I don’t care about widebodies, it’s just about the plane taking you where you need to go. JetBlue and Alaska airlines are literally made to travel the COUNTRY
you make some good points but how is this different from the airlines within Europe? I've seen British airways or air France have similar products that aren't anything special. I would argue that flying is viewed as more of a means of transportation in America and Europe rather than an experience.
Absolutely agree with this. In fact, in many ways, mainline EU/EEA carriers are worse than their US counterparts in my experience. Their hard products are pretty bad on short-haul flights, with food and service being nothing to write home about. This especially applies to the so-called "eurobusiness" which is terrible compared to US domestic first, and should really be called Economy Plus. The most overrated airline being LH in my opinion, which is really only good on long-haul flights, and actually, not *that* much better than US carriers there either. Additionally, they have started gouging out your eyes with absurd fees for every little service, such as picking a seat. Not picking a "good" seat mind you, just picking any seat at all before check-in. Honestly, most mainline European carriers are operating more like LCC's every day, which charging MC prices. Americans should be thankful the US domestic market hasn't fallen into the same sad state of affairs.
yea, places like asia are more devoted to the experience then the west
@@yourneighborhoodwierdo8349 My experience flying Air China was nothing to write home about.
@@Default78334 what was it like?
@@yourneighborhoodwierdo8349Not all that different from a US carrier except that the plane still had the old shared televisions.
I flew from Auckland to Heathrow once and even though there was a 2 hour stop over in LAX, We still ran to get back on the to continue onto Heathrow. Would not recomend transit through US. Our original flight via Shanghai (from Auckland) we missed because there was a cyclone at the time and the aircraft that was supposed to fly us domestically got hit by lighting. Obviously couldn't fly then. We contacted ANZ service (they are very good) and we got the last seats on the US flight. My parents ended up getting harldy any sleep so that we could get visas. It took 4 hours and we arrived home at 10pm so up until 2am getting visas. Thankfully we made it to the UK, just a day later and on hardly any sleep.
Great vlog and will presented. Having been a flight attendant for one of the 3 majors, what you say is true. I loved my job and it was a pleasure to give the best service I possibly could. Thanks for your time and effort in keeping us all informed.
Part of the reason why the US makes all arrivals go through customs is that US airports don't segregate international departures and domestic departures: there is no way to separate international pax from domestic ones. US airports were designed for a domestic market first and foremost.
Also airlines like Pan Am, Delta, Northwest, and United used to have international connecting networks well into the 1990s and 2000s but they started paring back on those, such as Delta ending the Narita hub it got from Northwest.
Funny how the dUSA couldn't segregate their airport terminals, but they are REALLY GOOD at segregating PEOPLE 😒
International connections are largely done through alliance partners now. United is part of Star Alliance, Delta is part of Sky Team, and American is part of One World. In fact, all 3 were founding members of those alliances.
@@collinparsons3363 the fact Alaska Airlines is also part of One world is a good quality US airline I love the flight attendents on Alaska Airlines very attentive compared to united and American airlines. Alaska Airlines friendly service made for comfortable flight vs united and American Airlines.
I think you meant to say it's because US airports don't separate domestic departures and domestic arrivals. Heathrow doesn't have separate areas for international and CTA departures, but they still don't force people connecting onto an international flight to go through UK immigration and customs.
Really great and accurate. You touched on it, however, management at these airlines simply don't care. If you're at or near the top and don't care, what should one expect as the employee chain trickles on-board. U.S. carriers used 9/11 to deliberately dumb-down the operations, while necessary for a few years, the industry recovered with lighting speed in terms of demand, yet, they left the cost-cutting in tact where the accountants run the show (counting lettuce leaves for example). You didn't touch upon how all North American airlines, and the Unions, in rare unanimity fought hard to prevent the G-3 landing and gate rights. They lost of course like a little kid screaming for territorial rights to a sandbox.
A Story - friend of mine worked for United. She was new, young, enthusiastic, great attitude and worked her tail-off. After a couple of years she happened to be working the front of the bus, and taking care of a very wealthy individual who was flying commercial because his own jet had a last minute mechanical and he needed to be somewhere. To make a long story shorter, wealthy dude noticed how hard she worked and how pleasant an individual she was, she's now going on 9-years private. Getting paid 30% more on a fixed salary (no waiting for the door to be shut), plus living expenses. I doubt she will ever fly commercial again and proof, in my opinion, how the unions foster and promote the division between crew and pax.
My friend told me that she always wanted to treat a pax they way she would want to be treated if sitting in 32-B herself. Wealthy dude overheard her explaining this to another pax and gave her his pilot's phone number.
Now she takes care of 'guests'.
I’m happy that her hard work was rewarded
I think that even when I become a pilot I'll still have a million times more respect for the flight attendants than pilots. They gotta deal with so much shit that's not their fault. I've flown around the world and I've observed that American passengers are the worst to deal with, it's no wonder why the cabin crew is so miserable
The dUSA is *wonderful* for opportunities, making money, white collar crime, and shopping. But socially and culturally, we've always been Absolutely The Worst.
I feel like only a select few American passengers are bad like the ones you see in the news. I've only ever seen someone act shitty once. But I still give huge props to the flight attendants for taking care of their passengers
Yeah they are paying the money for a crappt monopoly service backed by the government.
As an Asian Canadian I feel like US infrastructure are pretty outdated and inefficient to begin with, compared to Asia and even Canada
I agree
They choose to keep the outdated infrastructure. They can clearly upgrade if they wanted to but choose not to because airlines rather focus on profit
Improving anything would require the companies to dig into their profits, which is a no-no.
It is, for the most part. Even though NYC is rebuilding its airports and Boston Airport is expanding, most airports here need to be rebuilt as far down as Miami and as far west as Seattle.
Well Canadians always hate the us anyway so I guess that makes sense
Dude I would be first in line for the long haul flight on a 1950's 707 with original seats.
Here here! And 34"-36" seat pitch.
brmnyc Yeah the old planes had more leg room because that was the days before eco class was backpain class.
happened to me once: booked a flight from chicago to frankfurt on lufhansa, the flight was operated by united... there really was a difference there...
Great video Dan! I'm in the US and worked as a flight attendant for 4 years. The airline I flew for is no longer around, but we actually had a purser on every flight. we called them Seniors. They had special training and received a higher pay scale and that position was a promotion from the regular flight attendant level.. You are correct, AA, DL and UA don't have that position, at least on domestic flights.
Delta is a really good airline hes over exaggerating
I really appreciate the work you put into choosing the video content to go along with what you are saying. makes it worthwhile watching instead of it being a podcast
Mmmmh I have never looked at it from this perspective. This is absolutely true and James Asquith YT does this as well
Except when explaining domestivc travel in 9:33 he uses Indonesian airport footage
I flew with Delta once to New York (from Brussels) and it was actually very nice and the staff was very friendly
4:00 “their covid policies are among the best in the world”
*shows clip of people cleaning plane without masks*
*"THEY HAD US IN THE FIRST HALF, NOT GONNA LIE" *
Oh the irony...
that's probably a pre-COVID clip
That footage was probably purposefully shown to expose a mask karen in the comment section.
Covid 😂😂😂😂😂
Hey Dan! Great video ;)
Yooooo my 2 favorite youtubers!!!!
Wow talk about a absolutely amazing duo, can't wait to see your part Coby
US Airlines do have pursers tho. Its just not as perstige or noticable as international carriers.
He should really know that.
@Leyla Kohley. They do, but they really don’t. All US airline pursers do is what Dan said - make all the announcements and ensure that all the exits are armed/disarmed. That’s it. US pursers don’t do a tenth of what foreign airline pursers do.
This is so true. I'm currently mid trip with American Airlines due to an emergency. I had the misfortune of experiencing the intransit process in JFK;they were terrible during the snow in . It took FOUR days to reach my destination. They didn't understand that Antigen and lateral flow were the same and despit me having it and presenting it to them still insisted I didn't have one and that they told me ,,; something I've demonstrably shown was false. I've tried getting a partial refund of my outbound leg which is proving really hard. This is so true. When I return with them Ill do all I can to avoid using American; they really treat visitors to their country worse than than the behaviour they ascribe to for countries. The only rare Tay of light was a non American airlines information service worker seeing me in dire straits sleeping on the floor in s country I know no one to help and when I got to Miami someone form American then trying to help me. This is such s true videos, but also such a shame that airlines like American can treat pax so disdainfully 😢
I'd like to add three points and a half to your 3 points. First big point: in the US, there is little "service" culture in the first place. You can see that everywhere there are customer facing positions. Any industry, doesn't matter. That is a cultural trait in the US. "Service" is often equated with a sense of "servitude" (which of course it isn't). Also, many service jobs are often not considered "professional life-time careers" (although they should and sometimes are) but, instead, are seen as entry level jobs for the young from which one is supposed to "move on to a real job" later in life. As US unemployment has also fallen, there's just less decent human capital around to fill these "service" jobs with people that would actually give good service. Ever notice how much better customer service gets in times of high unemployment?
Second big point: In the "golden age", hiring practices were completely different than they are today in the US. The respective managements back then hired very specific people for very specific jobs. A good example is/was stewardesses. They had to fit a certain mold physically, educationally, and service wise; if they fell out of the mold, they got fired or moved to ground crew. Outside the US, some of these practices can still be exercised. I'm not saying this is necessarily better - it's just a fact.
Third big point: the massification of flying also brought with it the masses (duh). It also means that the flying public that once wore suit and ties for a flight are now boarding in shorts, flip-flops, and a hoodie. Why would one give good service to someone dressed like that? It's just a working fact that, when you are in a customer service position, you adjust your service to the person in front of you. All get the minimum (which is what we see in the US airlines now) but better dressed and behaved customers generally get better service. It's human nature really.
And the half point: People forget that today's American Airlines is nothing but a reskinned US Airways. US Airways was always bad but they bought AA out of bankruptcy. So we all had higher expectations (not that AA ever was anything even remotely close to Pan Am) but forget that today's AA is just a dressed up US Airways... Changing a corporate culture for the better takes a very, very, long time while going to the lowest common denominator is actually quite easy...
Regarding your third point about attire... I completely agree. I noticed this back when I flew regularly. I wasn't required to dress up for travel days, but it didn't take very long before I realized that by dressing up to travel, I got noticeably better service from airline staff - both at the gates and on board. So instead of casual clothes for travel days, I ended up packing some of my nicest clothes for travel.
I think dressing up also tends to change the attitude of the traveler as well. One could argue cause or effect on this aspect, but I also noticed that when coworkers dressed nicer, they tended to act nicer towards service staff on those days.
You obviously know nothing about America or being and American. What a condescendingly general statement about a country and culture.
@@jimjefftube Of course it is a generalized statement JC and the nature of a YT comment forces this as well. Without a doubt there are individuals that do provide great service and sometimes one even sees a company that has assembled a good service team. Still, compared to other countries around the world, the GENERAL levels of service in the US are lower. There are many factors that contribute to this. Some are partly ingrained in our US culture and some come from the way we have built up employee/worker expectations. If you read my post again, you will see that I want/encourage/wish the US to provide better service to make up that gap vs. others in the world.
@@jimjefftube Mmmmm no, as an American who has lived abroad twice, travels extensively internationally (even now) and works for a US airline, they're dead on with their assessment.
@@jeff92k7 Flying is uncomfortable enough without being stuffed into fancy clothes imo, that sounds like a nightmare
Very informative Dan... I remember talking to a flight crew on JAL when I used to fly them regularly... they told me that you could end up working international first class on your first day of work. Everyone gets to do a bit of everything.
Rather then give us your opinion, why not get on the US big 3 and show us the “bad” service. I signed up for actual flight reviews. By the way, if it was not for American Airlines, the first airline to offer a frequent flyer program, you would not be flying free with miles!
A good point to make is how the two existing union airlines of today ( American & United ) create an “us vs. them” culture with their cabin crew members. I was a high ranking frequent flier at Continental Airlines that was also union but the culture of their cabin crew was not antagonistic with management at the time. In fact they really loved their former CEO, Gordon Bethune, who made them industry leaders in customer service. Fast forward to what became of them; they are now United. United has had a toxic cabin crew culture since at least the 80s and their cabin union has focused on growth with other carriers ....not quality among their personal. It shows glaringly. Those great customer service crew members from Continental were ground down to their least common denominator when combined with United crews and the result is what we endure today.
Nonstop Dan: This video is made in collaboration with Coby explanes
Me and other Coby fans : Finally our boy is getting recognition
I mean, there is something about him that makes him such a charming person, and his narration is one of my favorite
Thanks Dan for helping him out and collaborating with him.
I knew coby since 10k and it was cool too see that
I feel lucky as an Australian, our domestic airlines are all reasonably good, Qantas and Virgin are great compared to AA or Delta.
Once we are allowed to travel as normal, I want to go back to New York.
How long will you have to wait… again ?
Qantas, Virgin , Jetstar are better than the experiences of AA any day of the week.
@@julosx Too long
If you are vaccinated, it's looking like we may be able to leave the country sometime between July and October but I heard something the other day that it may be 2023 before Europe or the us are back on the cards.
@@ma77mc Yes, I heard a couple of politicians on the radio back in mid 2020 it would possibly be 2023.
JetBlue is pretty good though
JetBlue seems like any budget airline in Middle East. do not let me start with 5 stars hotels in United States.
He was talking about the three big airlines
@@KK-zr9go jetblue j blows any other airline out of the water
@@issacjones4237 any other US airline out of the water
Great video Dan, me and my wife are going to the Seychelles in december. Flying with QR and for the first time with A 350 (Q Suites).
We have on numerous occations travelled with Emirates, Qatar and Singapore Airlines in businessclass. They all have similar standards and provide impeccaple service. It makes the whole experience something to remember.
Caption should be: Roasting US Airlines
Haha, yes
With good reason!
I flew AA premium economy in 2021 International to Europe. The pilot introduced himself to us. He was older. He was old school. Like a Grandpa. Honestly that was the first time and I flew since 1981. We were shocked. The plane was a 787, I believe from 2016. We had access to a larger restroom. We had a surprising good meal and the seats were comfortable. One flight attendant told me before COVID, they had snacks and drinks sitting out in a galley to pick from. She was willing to get me whatever. She was the best. Everyone was wearing a mask but no one was being a jerk. It was non-stop. It came with a comfy seat and legroom was sufficient for a 6’ person. I want to fly premium economy with an airline outside of the star alliance or one world to compare.
1. So happy to see you collaborating with Coby!! I've followed both of you for a while and it feels great that you two now have a working relationship!
2. I'd love to travel to Auckland, NZ. My home is Boston, US.
Actually some US Airlines do have pursers that are actually over the other flight attendants.
I like United! I flew that airline for 5 years! Their are some problems with the cabin crew! But so far I loved it.
worst airline imho. thats why they tend to have the cheapest international flights of the big 3 because they are that bad.
@@shriramvenu Cheap tickets is what most people want.
I am literally moving back to the West Coast specifically so I can go back to flying Alaska Airlines where both the staff and the customer base make me feel like I actually belong. Between indifferent customer service, loyalty programs explicitly designed to only cater to travelers who game the carrier at the expense of their other travel loyalties, and an inability to deliver me on-time to the most basic of destinations in easy weather, the only reason I’d fly a big 3 carrier is to get points I can redeem on Alaska (sole reason I’m posting this from an AA plane right now) or because I have no other option.
The answer? It's because the United States is a corporatist country (mostly in terms of its religion of work, productivity, and profit) and it does not care about anything else at all. Money is the only thing American companies care about. Whatever they sell is nothing more than a vehicle for earning money. Only a select few actually care about their product or service offerings. The quality of their product is only important to them insofar as it provides them with a profit. We no longer have a culture of relationships and of a spirit to improve lives. It's just transactive and nothing more. We will never have good airlines as long as our idiocracy of no talent, no determination, and no heart continues. U.S. businesses are operated within an extreme scarcity mindset - cost-focused and benefit/investment blind. Only rare visionaries who start companies are the people who actually love their jobs and care about their products. There are maybe 10 major companies like that in the U.S. and the only others are small businesses that have almost no support at all for their stability and growth. America will never had good world class airlines again - unless the decarbonization of the aviation sector via electrification removes energy cost burdens sufficiently.
After saving up for an entire year... I finally got a first class ticket on Emirates to Dubai. One of the GREATEST flights I've ever been on. And the new refreshed first class cabins on the 777 (on my back) were BEAUTIFUL and this might just be the only time I've taken a shower at approximately 40,000ft.
This Video is in Wendover Productions analysis style! Amazing! enjoy your flight out of NY. Triopoly: This is why JetBlue getting the A321XLR is going to be amazing for competition. Karen said hi 😂🙄
Really really bad service... like forgetting your meal so they give you leftover salad for breakfast in business class
Not only the A321xlr... Also the A220!
I always fly southwest when I can. The base fares are good and with all the freebies it ends up being a lot cheaper than the other airlines. Also all the cabins on southwest, in my experience, are exactly the same. Comfortable enough seats and you can get free movies on their app, no need for screens. I have flown delta and one time the cabin was great but the other time the cabin was absolutely TERRIBLE. Like super uncomfortable seats and no room. Also the southwest flight attendants give good service while not being overbearing. Southwest isnt perfect but I like that you can choose your seat, you get freebies, and for domestic flights, its a good balance of comfort and savings
Always love your analysis Dan! That was really fascinating, especially the point about the pursers. I didn’t realize that wasn’t a true supervisory position.
That part is not true it just depends on the airline
Dan, Thank you for having the courage to "tell it like it is!" The US-based carriers are horrible and it is hard to tell one from the other because the major US carriers are not even attempting to stand out from the crowd. The only two US-based airlines that I could mention that are trying to separate themselves somewhat are Jet Bllue eand Hawaiian. Keep bringing great content man!
lol
What about Alaska Airlines?
JetBlue is good in flight but has one of the worst cancellation and delay rates. Hawaiian and Alaskan are good too but are inconvenient I'd say Delta is probably most convenient and overall best airline.
@@thunderbird1921 Lets hope that is better!
Delta is good
you are almost an aussie with your comment on "Karens" love it
The three legacy carriers not serving as ambassadors for their nations, and instead for their shareholders is one reason I would argue they infact perfectly represent all that is the USA. Offering the worst product they can possibly get away with and scooping up all the profits for themselves only to serve their shareholders.
This is true, I had flown Qatar Airways , it was like flying in a dream, the service, WiFi, and movies were on point, then I got to the US and flew United and wowww, it was like flying in a shack, couldn’t, cold, hardly served, bad WiFi, movie selection wasn’t impressive, the turbulence was hectic, dunno if that is cos of the weather or just that the plane sucks itself but I couldn’t wait to get off
Vietnam will be my first choice when I travel again
It will be mine too (my GF lives there) but we'll have to wait, believe me., before we can board any flight to Hanoi or HCMC. The news so far are less than great.
@@julosx I feel you, buddy! I haven't seen my GF for over a year! And we still don't even know when we'll see each other again.
8:37 DME ❤
Living in Brazil and having traveled extensively for over 40 years, I adopted for myself the following: if avoidable, I do not use any American airline, even in Business Class. Service is appalling in general, and the crew acts as though they wish not to be disturbed at any moment, not even for a glass of water. Secondly, if I have to go to the Far East or Africa, I go through Europe or the Middle East. I do ha e a visa waiver for the US. But going to China via the USA turns out to be a long flight in total (even not bothering for a connecting flight). The American flagships have a long time ago lost any "charm". It died with Pan American and is well buried with it.
Dan, I when I fly within the US, it is often on the regional planes. This means I am not flying United or Delta or American but Air Wisconsin doing business as United Express, as an example. I wonder how much this has to do with the service experience if you fly mid-market to mid-market via a hub.
I think regional carriers offer a great service. In fact, they have more incentive to keep contracts. Passengers honestly come onto regional planes with a negative attitude and assumptions from the jump bc it’s a smaller plane. Much of the success of mainline carriers is due to the regional airlines operating their flights and its bc of regionals that many customers have the opportunity to fly. It’s disappointing if people really associate below par service simply bc its regional.
I cannot believe I'm here since like 50k... At some point along the line YT ceased to recomend your content on this account. And all the sudden we are here. Nothing more than ♥️♥️ to you Dan.
Lack of competition is a massive problem in most US industries.
I’ve had mostly good experiences on domestic flights in the U.S. The one situation that was bad was when the airline my assigned seat to someone else, with no warning! I booked my flight and chose my seat online, 6 weeks before travel. I took a hard copy of my itinerary, which showed my chosen and approved seat assignment. I checked in 2 + hours for my flight at the ticket counter where my info was verified and so on. I checked in at the boarding gate with no problem, and NO MENTION of a seat assignment change. I go to my seat and settle in, only to have someone tell me I’m in THEIR seat, and they demand I move. After making sure I was indeed in the right seat, things got worse. A FA was called over to help. I showed her my itinerary hard copy with my approved seat assignment dated 6 weeks previously. I was told that I had to move because my seat had been GIVEN to an older couple so they could sit together! I chose my seat to accommodate my being physically challenged (last aisle seat at the rear, next to restroom). I didn’t want to split up the cute old pair, but I had needs too and I felt that I was being displaced unfairly. I got moved to another aisle seat in the middle of the plane, but I was not happy. How can they get away with making such last minute changes at travelers’ expenses?
AA, DL, UA: we’ll provide poor service for lots of money.
Spirit Airline: Hold my beer!!
I thought spirit crews were generally really good
I was fortunate enough to fly Pam Am to Asia several times before their financial problems began ! They were wonderful ...
When United purchased the routing to Asia, many of the Pam Am "ladies" went over to United. You could watch them in the cabins and instantly pick out the previous PA ladies ..They were kind and bent over backwards to take care of you ! PA sent me a free Business class ticket anywhere in the Caribbean to thank me of my business !
Southwest and Delta are cool, I accept them
Also JetBlue and Sun Country are acceptable
14:14 my grandma worked for delta from 1973 to 2020.
As great as always Dan, at those strange days your videos are a glimpse of what used to be my routine.
I can remember hearing US passengers who frequently fly out with the United States and Canada saying that given the choice between any of the big 3 US airlines and one of the major European airlines they would usually opt for the European because they provided in many passengers eyes better value for money than say American, Delta or United.
Can't wait to travel to the south pacific! I love your new content these industry analysis videos are amazing. As a Texan, I would have liked to have heard how you feel about Southwest Airlines, a US based carrier that seems to have a much better customer experience.
Southwest is the one US airline I've sworn off flying on again. Multiple absolutely terrible experiences - mostly in Texas, at that. I quite like Alaska, Delta and JetBlue instead.
Having never flown on a US airline, I now understand why there are always peeps that say they get terrible service. Thanks for that enlightening vid. Having said that, I’ve always said that if I fly US Airlines, it would likely be Delta.
Awesome video, Dan. Hoping a future video covers the impact of the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, as that certainly plays a big role even now in how US airlines compete across the globe.
Yes that I understood was a big reason the service went down.m
You left out the part where Asian and Middle East airlines can hire and relieve flight attendants based on appearance. That’s also why you don’t see any geriatric flight attendants, and why a lot of their FAs are very attractive, because, and I know this isn’t PC, attractive flight crews generate revenue, as it makes business class travelers (the primary money makers for airlines) want to travel again.
Only US Airline l fly is Southwest but l stopped flying in 2017 l prefer to drive to where l need to go.
When I saw this title, I thought, oh here we go again with bashing American products. I watched it anyway, and you bring up very valid points. I worked for an airline for many years, and at first it was a good prestigious job, but when the likes of Frank Borman, Frank Lorenzo, Carl Icahn, Bob Crandall, etc. came on the scene and CEOs had no real accountability, things collapsed. When the only purpose of the executive staff is to win the Lotto every month whether the employees or the public is treated fairly, of course things will fail. Another factor in the U.S. was deregulation. Before deregulation, when the fares were essentially the same among all domestic carriers, the way to achieve and maintain market share was to provide the best service. After deregulation when only price became the issue, service tanked. Add to that, anybody who could get their hands on an airplane could start an airline. While this has somewhat sorted itself out, we now have, as you pointed out, basically little competition with in the U.S. airline industry. I can't say I agree that Delta is the best. In my experience, American has provided better service, but we all have our preferences.
Three words: Airline Deregulation Act
Every other major aviation market has deregulated. The US is not alone in this regard. Going back to tightly regulated airlines would make things better, but it would no doubt increase prices and limit choice.
You hit it on the nose!!
It made sense back in the 70s under the Carter administration, besides...it was apart of the growing trend that would become neoliberalism at the time...
Now, I'm not saying it is good now, but given the time back then, it sure seemed like a good way to possibly help eliminate stagflation.
@titanicman9329 it definitely wasn't "apart", but it was "a part"!
Same thing with pharmacies. Legislation puts all the power in the hands of big pharmacies. People need their prescriptions and have no viable alternatives. There’s no pressure on pharmacies to improve their service when customers have to with them regardless.
I also wonder how much of an impact ULCC's like Spirit and Frontier contributed to some of this decline, at least domestically. I know that they do not have as big of an impact as they do in the EU, but in the US many ULCCs still operate out of the largest airports, competing directly with UA, AA, and DL. We've especially seen AA and UA worsen their economy class experience simply because people in the US were shifting more towards airlines like Spirit for their transcontinental flights. After all, AA's 737-800s/Max8s with business class, extra legroom, and economy now seat 172, but Southwest's all economy 737-8s hold 175, just 3 more seats. It's clear that AA is really trying to squeeze in as much as they can simply because they can.
I would say that the US airline experience sums up well US capitalism in a nutshell: you need them and you will pay for it no matter what. If you fly them or pay them enough or are rich, they will treat you better. But if not, they'll just take your money and seat you in the back because they know you often don't have another option. I'm saying this as someone with status from Delta. Before I had Medallion status or one of their credit cards, it wasn't that great to fly them. But once you hit even Silver status and get one of their Amex cards, it suddenly isn't so bad, but it takes a lot to get there.
It's this. The ULCC phenomenon is what drives down the level of service. When customers primarily choose on price: 1. There is no incentive to offer a better service
2. Costs have to be cut in order to still be profitable at lower fares; that means cramming in more seats to lower CASM and likely trying to cut labor costs, and if your pay sucks as a flight attendant, again you have no incentive to offer good service
@@matthewdixon6252 Very true, and I agree with you. However, a counter-argument I could see is why does service in the EU not get worse if ULCC impacts were even stronger? Or maybe it has also gotten worse within the Schengen and EU thanks to Ryanair, Wizzair, and easyJet, and that's a future video for Dan :D Perhaps it balances out as they also have to compete with robust rail networks, whereas the US only has that in the NE Corridor.
(The last time I flew within the EU, I wasn't that impressed with the service either. Other than a small sandwich during the service, the on-board experience was about the same as in the US).
As you can tell, I like to play Devil's Advocate with my own arguments lol
autos.yahoo.com/news/half-american-airlines-revenue-came-100007680.html
As of a few years ago, 50% of AA's revenue came from the 87% of passengers who flew with them, on average, once a year or less. Additionally, AA's primary competitor for these infrequent flyers is actually Spirit. The rest is left as an exercise for the reader.
@@JuanWayTrips It IS worse in the EU. It's far worse! Almost all European airlines have no IFE whatsoever, not even BYOD, on flights as long as five or six hours. Even a lot of the ""full-service"" carriers have slimline seats that you'd only see on ULCCs in other parts of the world. Such seats have no adjustable headrest, often don't recline, and a 28-30 inch pitch is the norm. And all that's before I even mention intra-Europe """business class"""
The comparison has to be apples to apples. In other words: do not compare a domestic US flight to a foreign carrier's internationa flight. Instead, compare a domestic flight in the US with an intra-Europe flight on a similar plane and compare the product. And I would say that Delta's product is actually pretty good. I have flown ,Singapore, Air France, Korean, EVA, Emirates, JAL, China Airlines, KLM, Iberia, British Airways, Philippine Airlines, Aegean, Cathay Pacific...and I have experienced different cabins (First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy), and Delta's product is pretty good in each of those categories.
I love these documentaries Dan. Please continue them. Can I ask you to make a video about PIA please 😊
🤣
I think you may be missing another reason. The US is a big place with many large airports and no restrictions (pre-Covid) to travel anywhere within. As flying became a necessity, low cost carriers abound. People's expectations of what it is to fly are very low. When I was short on money and needed to get to Florida the weekend after Thanksgiving, it was Frontier down and Spirit back. It was the only possible way. The atmosphere on those planes is disturbing, to me. It truly was cattle car and the people's attitudes matched that. I'm in my late 40s now but flew a lot over the 80s, 90s and 00s. Not so much now. But, my goodness, the culture on planes has changed. And the search for bottom dollar rates, even if using all the add-ons you need to fly is more, is what drives the American public in airline choice. Fewer and fewer people will pay more for better overall experience.
Great video Dan! Still loving this ‘new’ series. 👍🏻
Service is the reason I will not EVER fly a US Legacy airline internationally. I fly Emirates when I go to Italy. I've never had a bad flight with them. They put Alitalia to shame in that regard. Lufthansa was also good until recently, not sure why their service has gone down....But Delta? United? American? No thanks.
COVID Dan = Wendover Productions haha. Love them both
Your last video about Middle Eastern hub systems was beautifully done. I love how you approached this one too. I am a top tier elite on one of these US carriers and the disappointment is palpable. Keep up the good work.
I Don't Really Care About Service. I Care About How Modern the Aircraft is or Not, Or How Safe It Is When Flying.
They go hand in hand really. Airlines with better service also tend to spend more on newer planes and safety gadgets.
Hi, I work at Air NZ and just wanted to say we flew to london via L.A for 36 years not "a while". cheers.
I miss NZ LAX-LHR. I traveled it all the time... loved the innovative business class and premium economy cabins and the FANTASTIC LHR crews that NZ often had on these flights. My favorite was the 747. And, the LAX transit for through passengers at LAX was quite fast and efficient when NZ moved to Tom Bradley International Terminal. I know many many Kiwis that loved the NZ 1/2 flight because of the convenience, and timing. The short break in LA, even having to go through immigration was quite well choreographed and not difficult.
As an Airline employee, this is very true
It’s true : EVERY SINGLE US AIRLINES is a sad and pathetic excuse of a flying experience. The best airlines are from the Far East (Thai, Singapore, Japan etc.) and Middle East (Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways etc.); only a few European Airlines like Swiss Air, KLM, Lufthansa, and possibly British Airways make the grade. Most airline travel is a pain these days. Not like in the 80s and 90s. Things really started going downhill after the 90s.
I disagree with almost all of this, and there were also several factual inaccuracies.
I also think this is largely about culture. We (the US) are not a society that values service--service in the sense of luxury and "being served". We value convenience. When you discuss flying in America being "miserable", I don't feel that's how people think of the experience at all. Nothing special? Sure. Miserable? No. When people DO find flying miserable is when things have gone wrong. And I'm not saying wrong in the way of a flight attendant being too curt for your liking... I'm talking delays, cancelations, unscheduled aircraft swaps resulting in a downgrade, etc. and THAT is where the US airlines shine... Because that's what their primary customers value. All of the worst flying experiences I've had in my 30yr travel history have been when things have gone wrong--and they've all been on international airlines, because that's where they really crumble, and their operational inadequacies are exposed. Americans want to get somewhere on time, without fuss, and to be acknowledged when things go wrong. International carriers can get you there in style, but with not much else.
Agreed. The big 3’s core flyer base is business travelers in the front of the cabin. They want no nonsense high frequency and high reliability of service.
I'm loving this new series, more informational. Great context, content... very nice work! :)
Thanks for the vid. So true it is. When i have a choice i fly Asian, Middel east airlines....but from the Netherlands to the US you dont have much choice than the ones mentiod at the beginning of the video.
That footage on the right at 0:50 is from my home airport (KRSW - SWFL Int’l in Ft Myers, FL).
Qatar is state owned. So is Emirates. They get discount fuel, free airplanes etc. So are many other middle eastern airlines..US airlines are not owned by the US govt. US airlines can't financially compete in the same markets. In flight coordinators plan the service especially
on international flights and every international flight has a group briefing.
Most flights in the USA are flown by small cabin crews of 4 or less, so the hierarchy and accountability comparisons to foreign carriers doesn’t really apply
I have never seen a better description of American passengers.
These videos are pure escapism and feed my curiousity about air travel in general. To travel again one day.
Since I'm 12 I've only flown to a few places but I would chose Boston
I am an engineer for one of the big 3, and let me tell you...you hit the nail on the head when it comes to the seniority issue. We have 20,000+ flight attendants and almost HALF are 30+ year people, and they take EVERYTHING. Every good flight, every hour of overtime, every good day off, every flight with a long layover..everything..and they are MILITANT about it. Also, they know that, short of slapping someone on camera they can't be fired due to the union. This means that the junior flight attendants quickly develop a feeling of despair that translates into lackluster service. FINALLY someone talks about this! I gotta tell you, I find some of your reviews a bit nitpicking...but for once SOMEONE is talking about what no one seems to want to talk about. Thank you, man!
I’m glad to hear the video resonated with you, and it’s unfortunate that this is the case😩
I have had absolutely bad experiences on both United and Southwest when I flew them. Alaska and JetBlue were good experiences when I flew them. My family and I are planning a trip to Las Vegas soon.
It's because American passengers despite all of their grievances care about one thing above all else when it comes to flying: price. It makes no difference what little perks airlines have here and there, the vast majority of American flyers will pick the airline that offers the cheapest fare for a given route.
You really need to review JetBlue retrofitted economy
Viewing Coby Explanes and referred your channel. As I do alot of domestic flying since the 70's as a child into my older years alot has change for airlines but very little has been done to revitalize the experience that one would expect in the United States. Their is alot to be said experiencing international travel vs domestic and over the years we have been through alot of changes from 9/11 to the world pandemic we are in now. Since 2019 I have seen alot of change, primarily within our countries security and yes even the thought of TSA might seem more like a shake down before every flight it has improved in the past 12 months. They work very hard to keep our sky's safe. Thank you TSA!! I look forward to Viewing your channel and who knows we might bump into one another during flights. Safe travels to you and everyone and may your experiences be good ones. And who knows maybe I'll start my own TH-cam channel and start sharing my experience of travel..
TSA is security theatre...
15:00 May sound like a bad idea but a fix to this would be to put young flight attendants at first and business class with normal pay and experienced older ones for economy with higher pay to deal with more customers and due to their experience.
Oh now be careful there Harry, that won’t fly because that would be age discrimination. Besides, it’s all about Seniority, not age