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The trendsetting airline industry, which has become the poster child for impoliteness in travel, wants you to believe it doesn t matter. It claims fares are low — an average $283 ticket price in 2012, which is roughly the same as 2001 after adjusting for inflation. It points to its almost-flawless safety monthly car rentals las vegas record. Who cares that no one treats each other well?
But as 2013 draws to a close, you know something is wrong — very wrong — with the way we travel. Expedia s Airplane Etiquette Study , released this month, exposes the many ways we re annoyed. Topping the list: negligent parents, seat kickers and smelly seatmates.
We ve lost respect for each other, says Jacqueline Whitmore, author of the book Business Class: Etiquette Essentials for Success at Work. She should know. As a flight attendant for Northwest monthly car rentals las vegas Airlines in the 90s, she had a front-row jump seat to the rise of rudeness in travel.
Some say the end of common courtesy coincides with the deregulation of the airline industry in 1978. Others claim it s the post-9/11 airline policies meant to prop up their sagging profits — edicts like no waivers, no favors that forced ticket agents to abide by an airline s rules, no matter how silly. But a lot of passengers think the final straw was unbundling, or removing amenities that traditionally were included with their ticket.
Food, blankets and pillows monthly car rentals las vegas used to be considered part of the deal when you fly, says Joy Martin, a retired postal worker from St. Louis. When airlines removed these extras monthly car rentals las vegas or began charging for them, they made their cabins a less civil place.
It s difficult monthly car rentals las vegas to say if travelers turned rude first, or if a demoralized workforce of overworked and underpaid flight attendants started this. Maybe it was a little bit of both. But we can all agree that the difference between before and after was dramatic.
David Miller, the president of a travel agency in Quebec, remembers a time not so long ago when every airline employee welcomed you and treated you as a valued guest and client — better than they treat even first-class passengers today, he says. Oh, for those good old times.
This is the perfect time to start thinking about reversing the trend, before monthly car rentals las vegas the toxic effects of air travel seep deeper into the American hospitality industry, which used to be the envy of the world.
During the busy holiday travel season, do you give yourself enough time to get to the airport? If not, you ll stress out and may forget monthly car rentals las vegas your manners, she says. Did you pack light? Nobody likes a bin hog. Are you considering the feelings of others? Yes, you on the armrest. And you, the guy leaning his seat all the way back into my knees.
Good manners make a great New Year s resolution for the airline industry, too. The domestic airline industry, which is on track to earn a handsome profit this year, needs to stop taking away from its passengers and start giving back. An occasional meal, a blanket, even a smile, might go a long way.
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