Business Etiquette in the Air
Right around 8:30 a.m. yesterday morning, I boarded a Delta airplane then tethered to New York City’s LaGuardia airport. I quickly found my seat and pulled out some reading material. Thirty minutes or so later, a pilot announced that a mechanical problem had been discovered and the flight was now cancelled. Of the last four Delta flights departing from LaGuardia that I had booked, it was the third that was cancelled or significantly delayed.
And yet, this is not another anti-airline rant.
Since moving to NYC, I have become a frequent flyer with Delta airlines. While the air carrier experiences its share of problems, I have found the ground and flight crews to be extraordinarily kind and helpful. Just 72 hours earlier, a customer service representative jumped through all sorts of hoops to switch a flight for me—something that got me home 1½ hours earlier. That may not sound like a big deal, but trust me, it had been a long, hard week on the road and every extra minute in my own little apartment better prepared me for this week’s travel.
In late January, when a small snowstorm slammed into the east coast, Delta cancelled my flight from Austin to NYC via Detroit. The airline rebooked me on flights that departed early the next day. When I arrived at the Austin airport, I was surprised to learn they had rebooked me in first class. I was coddled as much as any air traveler can now be all the way home.
Today, most travelers report that they find few activities more unpleasant than air travel. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that delays and cancellations annoy me. But the efforts Delta has made to address the travel problems I’ve encountered have been exemplary. In fact, I intend to book another flight with them tomorrow.
You may wonder whether business etiquette matters. In Delta’s case, their good behavior makes cents.
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