Jaunted

We're not quite ready to call this a tipping point, but some of the moves airlines are making look promising. Delta Air Lines, for example, is spending $100 million to improve its Atlanta hub, which includes upgrades for luggage conveyor belts and sorting systems.

American Airlines, meanwhile, is actually keeping some planes on the ground longer between flights to provide a cushion of time to accommodate boarding problems and other delays. Furthermore, it plans to leave unsold a few seats on flights in key markets this Thanksgiving, in case passengers from other flights need to be re-booked.

It must be awfully tough for airline bosses to go against their revenue-maximizing inclinations here, but it seems like they're finally recognizing the costs of pissing customers off as well. Bravo to that.

And while some passengers still have plenty of complaints, others, like English teacher Aaron Trompeter, put it into historical perspective:

"It's so much better than a stagecoach or a car," Trompeter said at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport after getting off a United flight from Washington. "So the lack of service, or the perceived lack of service, is still very much worth it."

We'll concede that air travel trumps auto travel for long trips, but for short jaunts around town, we'll take the stagecoach any day.

[Photo: Wikimedia]

Related Stories:
· As Fares and Fees Rise, Passengers Want Service [AP/Yahoo! News]
· Airline Coverage [Jaunted]

Tags: Airlines / Airline News / Airline Travel / Airline Fees / American Airlines / Delta

by Victor Ozols