I just now read this NYT article on the airport industry’s efforts to pick up the airlines’ service slack:
Air travel is likely to be even more miserable in 2008 than it was this year, with growing delays, fewer choices, higher fares, dirtier airplanes and grouchier flight crews.
Still, always look on the bright side of life, as the Monty Python song goes.
Airports see opportunity in the growing numbers of people cooling their heels there. All over the country, airports are remodeling terminals to improve restaurants and to apply new retailing ideas, including vending machines that dispense high-end items like $300 Apple iPods.
……“Airports will put more emphasis on customer service and things like clean restrooms because they recognize that the airlines are no longer putting a lot of emphasis on that,” said Ira Weinstein, the president of Airport Interviewing & Research, a marketing research firm.
All in all, PTIA’s a pretty nice airport. Surely airport officials are on top of this outlook with Skybus starting up. I’m not necessarily predicting major problems like what went down over the holidays. But the bottom line is Skybus makes the passenger work a little harder, so there’s bound to be frustration. Let’s hope the airport’s there for passengers during those frustrating times.
