The past two years have been difficult for us all but seemingly worst for those firms involved in Air Transport and Airport Management. Sure these firms laid off or fired thousands of their employees and limited their flights both domestically and internationally. Any responsible firm would put their remaining employee’s and clients’ health and safety before profits, right?
Globally, a horror story of air travel has spread through social media and the news. Many of our governments have opened up their economies claiming that their regions are “open for business”, so our neighbors want to travel and see the world as they once did. So what would a well-managed corporation do while they are in business-financial limbo(Pandemic)? Why of course they would prepare for the moment when traveling for private and business travel was approved right? Well, it seems most North American Airlines seemed to suffer from “Corporate Brain Death”, a syndrome affecting management heads in that industry. Did they give human resources the go-ahead to prepare a return their former employee’s back to the fold? What about pursuing young people graduating from specialty schools/colleges that specialize in hospitality, stewardship, and Airline Industry Professions? How about putting out a whole lot of want ads in local papers?
Last year 18,000+ Americans graduated from hospitality and Airline Management Programs, while 3,880 did so in Canada. Hire them! Many of these graduates are still unemployed. Why? The pay offered to them was unsatisfactory comparing the demands of the job to the safety and future financial development of these potential employees. The Wealthy Corporations who had received many millions of dollars from their respective governments to precisely maintain their workforce used this money for profit, management salary upgrades(pay increases for management), and advertising to drive an uncontrollable thirst for future travel among the public.
The formula had been set. Promote travel but offering low prices, fill the planes to excess, and offer little added customer at the airports and on planes. Don’t hire new employee’s on mass. Keep salary and costs in check while promising much, deliver only the sub-acceptable. A formula that brought with it many horror stories experienced in the airports and on board the planes.
We are told there are Bill of Rights for the Traveling person. We are told that “customer service” is paramount to these corporations’ operations. Really? Travelers are being mentally tortured by these airlines and their limited yet stressed employees. Ignorance, sarcastic treatment, being ignored, and not assisted in any way by those who took these travelers’ money. Yes, there are programs the government has to reimburse mistreated travelers, but who has the time to wait for action? Travelers are stranded in airports, with no accommodation for a night’s stay offered, or a voucher to have a meal at least.
These large corporations have shown their incapability to function properly, and that they have no real understanding of what customer service truly means.
Perhaps it is time to show these corporations what we think of them. They have shown us what they think of us Folks. They see us as “Sheep” with wallets, nothing more. It is time for a strike to be called.
All Travelers should not deal with these airline corporations. STOP buying their products just for 6 months. DENY the corporations their hefty profits and do staycations instead. Invest your traveling dollar in your region or nation. Many of the Corporate Heads of these airlines received salary raises while treating you terribly. Treat them in a likely manner. Force Airlines and their associated organizations to do better, improve their management and service plans, and hire those who will service you in the future.
A General Strike Against Corporate Mismanagement Needed.
Incompetent Airline Management to be Purged Immediately.
You can only stop this mess Folks. Force these nameless Corporate Elites to reform, and re-imagine themselves and their operations. Stop flying and buying vacations in the sky. Travel and buy local.
That will piss them off for sure. Pressure your governments to enact enforceable laws that protect travelers and punish idiotic corporate mismanagement. Travel within our regions should be an “Essential Service”, and as such responsible to the public. We Don’t need to take their guff Folks!
Steven Kaszab
Bradford, Ontario
[email protected]
