One of my all-time favorite movies is, “Planes, Trains & Automobiles.” But never in a million years did I ever think I’d actually experience a few of those scenes first-hand. Oh but I did.
And I’m sad to say that it happened with the airline that I’ve logged over 250,000 miles with as a Priority flyer – American Airlines. I’m sad because, overall, I’m a pretty loyal consumer. But as a marketing professional, I take a very different, tougher approach to helping companies live-up to their brand promise. I work with organizations in a process-driven way to help them analyze each and every touchpoint or engagement with their customers.
The way I determine this is by documenting the customer experience – from the customer’s perspective – not from the organization’s standpoint. From that, I can pretty much tell if their brand promise is heartfelt or just all-talk. If it’s heartfelt, then great; I advise them to do more of the same (maybe with a few tweaks here and there). But if it’s all-talk, then their marketing process is overhauled at each step of the client engagement to realign it with their brand promise.
So back to my Steve Martin/John Candy experience with American Airlines. I had booked a trip for my nephew, Nick, and me to travel to Ireland. When my nieces and nephews graduate from college, a trip abroad is my gift to them – I want them to travel and experience the world. Before we left, I said to Nick, “My hope is that this trip will forever change your perspective by the experience you get.”
Needless to say, it did. But not in the way I wanted – or ever intended. We got caught-up in a perfect storm of airline delays and cancellations that ultimately threw so many wrenches into our plans that we had to abort the trip mid-stream. The furthest we got was from Pittsburgh to Chicago.
But rather than “tell” you this sad tale, I thought it would be more interesting to document it in the way I would if I were doing this exercise for my clients. During my experience, I had to engage with both American Airlines, whose brand promise is, “Something Special in the Air;” and Southwest Airlines, whose brand promise is, “The Love Airline.”
Below I’ve documented, via a timeline, each and every touchpoint with both airlines during my two-day experience in trying to get from Pittsburgh to Dublin. As you read through this timeline, keep in mind both airlines’ brand promise: Do you think American Airlines lived-up to their promise of being “Something Special in the Air?” And did Southwest live-up to their brand promise of “The Love Airline?”
You be the judge.
Brand Experience with American Airlines: “Something Special in the Air”
- 1:30 PM: Arrived at PIT Airport for 3:40 flight to Charlotte
- 2:35 PM: Received text from AA of flight delay due to air traffic
- 2:36 PM: Realized we would miss connecting flight to Dublin
- 2:38 PM: Called AA Customer Support
- Re-routed to Dublin through Philadelphia flight leaving at 3:40
- 3:10 PM: Received Text from AA that PHL flight cancelled due to weather
- 3:11 PM: Called AA Customer Support
- Told there were no options remainder of day
- 3:15 PM: Called Travel Agent; found option through Chicago, connecting to Air Lingus at O’Hare
- 3:30 PM: Went to gate to speak directly with AA agent
- Booked me to 4:45 PM Chicago O’Hare and 8:20 PM Air Lingus flight to Dublin
- Asked AA agent how to get boarding pass for Air Lingus
- Told to go to gate upon arrival at O’Hare
- 4:30 PM: AA flight to Chicago delayed
- 6:25 PM: Landed in O’Hare
- 6:40 PM: Took train to International Terminal 5
- 7 PM: Went to Air Lingus desk for Dublin boarding passes
- Air Lingus ticket counter closed
- 7:05 PM: Called Air Lingus Customer Support repeatedly
- No answer
- 8:20 PM: Missed Dublin flight
- 8:45 PM: Went to AA Desk in Terminal 3
- Told Pittsburgh AA agent should have never booked the connection with Air Lingus due to inability to print boarding pass
- Told there were no options to Dublin until Saturday; arriving Sunday
- Re-routed tickets through London to Dublin the following day
- Told we’d have to get a hotel but AA couldn’t pay due to policy (Spent $378 out-of-pocket for hotel)
- Told luggage was stuck in International terminal at Air Lingus holding area but couldn’t be retrieved because they were closed until 3 PM the following day
- Told there was no guarantee our luggage would be transferred in time
- Told to go to Baggage Service Desk one level down to inquire
- 9:30 PM: Went to Baggage Service Desk at O’Hare
- 10:10 PM: Spoke to Baggage Service Agent
- Told luggage would go on next Air Lingus flight to Dublin
- Told to return to airport early the next day to figure out how to get luggage transferred
- 11 PM: Checked into O’Hare Airport Hilton
- 11:30 PM: Called AA Baggage Dept out of concern that luggage would go to Dublin via Air Lingus
- Told that I was given incorrect information by O’Hare AA agent; luggage is not permitted to travel internationally without ticketed passengers on board
- Friday, 6/17; 6 AM: Arrived at AA Baggage Service Desk at O’Hare
- Told AA transfer personnel wouldn’t be in until noon
- Told Air Lingus personnel wouldn’t be in until 3 PM
- Told that it would take an addition 2 hours to get it transferred
- Told that they couldn’t guarantee luggage would transfer to London/Dublin flights
- 7 AM: Returned to AA Ticket Counter
- Explained situation to agent
- Told nothing could be done; had to be handled by AA Baggage Service Desk
- 7:31 AM: Received Text from AA that flight to Dublin through London delayed by over 8 hours
- Realized we would miss our connection from London to Dublin
- 7:45 AM: Returned to AA Ticket Counter
- Told there were no options until Sunday, arriving Dublin on Monday
- 8 AM: Made decision to abort trip due to risk factors with delays and lost luggage
- 8:15 AM: Went back to AA ticket counter to ask if we could re-route to PIT
- Told no way to get to PIT that day
- Told would have to stay at hotel but AA couldn’t pay
- 8:30 AM: Decided to switch airlines (cost $662 out-of-pocket for two SW same-day fares)
- Told AA couldn’t give me credit/refund for ticket for future use due to policy
- Told to go to americanairlines.com/refund and fill out forms
- 8:35 AM: Returned to AA Baggage Service Desk To See how to get luggage back
- Told only option was to file claim report at AA Baggage Service Desk at PIT Airport
- 11:06 PM: Arrived in PIT via Southwest Airlines
- 11:30 PM: Went to AA Baggage Service Desk
- Told to go to SW to file report; when I asked why since SW didn’t lose my luggage, was told it was the rules and I shouldn’t have switched airlines
- Agent then pointed in direction of SW baggage office and said, “Go over there.”
- 11:45 PM: END OF ENGAGEMENT TO DATE WITH AA
Brand Experience with Southwest: “The Love Airline”
- Friday, 6/17; 8:30 AM: Booked Flights to PIT on SW App, leaving Chicago Midway at 5:10 PM
- 9:05 AM: Arrived at Midway Airport
- 9:10 AM: SW agent put us on standby for all flights before the 5:10 PM flight
- Gate agents at each flight tried to get us home early; no luck due to full flights
- 5:10 PM: SW flight to Nashville Left on-time
- 6:30 PM: Landed in Nashville; SW gate agent apologized for flight delay
- 8:45 PM: SW flight to PIT left 30 minutes late
- Flight attendants congratulated customers on Stanley Cup win and led a cheer
- 11 PM: Arrived in PIT
- 11:45 PM: Filed baggage incident report with SW Baggage Service Desk
- When they heard the scenario, the agent said, “I am so, so sorry this happened to you!” She assured me they’d work with AA to get luggage returned
- Provided direct number but said they’d be in touch every day
- Received first status call at 1:54 PM on Saturday, June 18th
- 11:55 PM: END OF ENGAGEMENT TO DATE WITH SW