Airline Industry

Customer service feels like a precious commodity in the airline business these days. However, some are trying better than others. A recent report of the nation’s largest airlines’ customer performance records ranked airlines in the area of customer service. So, which airline took top honors?

Last year, airlines in the US posted their highest profits in more than a decade — but all that money sure didn’t buy a lot of customer satisfaction.

People scared of flying might mark British Airways off their list of possible airline choices for good after an automated announcement mistakenly told passengers to prepare for a crash-landing — twice.

John Rich boarded a 10:50AM flight home to Nashville on Sunday but was reportedly declared too drunk to fly. Southwest Airlines personnel removed him from the plane and offered a later flight, but Rich chose to make his own travel arrangements.

In an attempt to appease adult travelers who would rather avoid screaming kids in a tight, confined space, airlines are increasingly segregating families with children to the back of the plane.

They may want to re-evaluate pilot training over at Delta Airlines and spend a little more time on how to work the lavatory. The pilot of an 18-passenger Delta flight got stuck in the airplane’s bathroom mid-flight and ended up causing a terror alert on the ground.

A Department of Transportation rule implemented in April 2010 prohibits airlines from keeping passengers sitting on a tarmac for more than three hours — a rule it says an American Airlines affiliate has since violated so frequently that it’s now been slapped with a $900,000 fine, the first such fine handed down since the edict took effect.

If you’re planning to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday, be prepared to have trouble finding open seats, pay a premium when you do and fly on a packed plane. Industry insiders say that, because of high costs and lower bookings, airlines have had to increase ticket prices and reduce the number of available seats.

Warning: If you have a fear of flying, this video definitely won’t help. A Boeing 767 made an emergency landing in Warsaw, Poland yesterday after its landing gear failed to extend due to a hydraulic problem.