6 Reasons Service On US Airlines Is Inconsistent, Often Bad

Let me start this post by stating that I very much respect the work that flight attendants do. I think (for the most part) they work hard and have difficult jobs. I certainly wouldn’t last a week dealing with the traveling public.

That being said, I think most people can agree that US airlines don’t have a reputation for having the best or most consistent service. There are lots of incredible flight attendants who do their best and try to deliver a great experience. More often than not, though, they do so because it’s the type of person they are, and the fact that they take pride in what they do. It’s not because of any mandate from the company, or any punishment for non-compliance.

At best, I think service at US airlines can be described as consistently inconsistent, while acknowledging that service levels are different across airlines. Anyway, why is service on US airlines so inconsistent? It’s an interesting topic, so let me share what I’d consider to be the major factors, in no particular order…

Airlines don’t have true onboard managers

US airlines have lead flight attendants, though in reality these are flight attendants who are paid a couple of extra dollars per hour to make announcements and do the paperwork. These aren’t management employees, they don’t have the ability to discipline other crew, etc.

Personally I think this is an issue, and you’ll find that most of the airlines globally that are regarded for good service have a lead flight attendant who is actually empowered to discipline crew, deal with customer complaints in a constructive way, evaluate the performance of the rest of the crew, etc.

Essentially at US airlines, flight attendants are completely unsupervised once the door closes. No one is really in charge, and I think having a true “lead” flight attendant who is chosen based on merit could help create an atmosphere where service would be better and more consistent.

The US lacks service culture for non-tipped roles

I think the most fundamental reason that service at US airlines is so inconsistent is because our country really doesn’t have a service culture. Despite our obsession with fake smiles and always asking people how they’re doing, we’re not a particularly hospitable country. When there’s good service in the US, it’s almost always for tipped positions (which is highly transactional), and obviously flight attendants don’t fit into that category.

This is of course true across society, and the most obvious reason for lackluster service at US airlines. I mean, just compare going to a 7-Eleven in Japan vs. the United States. It’s a totally different experience in every way.

The same is true of hotels. Even luxury hotels in the US generally don’t have service that compares to what you’d find in countries in Southeast Asia, and even in some European countries, like France.

Safety and service are viewed as mutually exclusive

I value the safety training that flight attendants at US airlines have. When you look at the amazing job that flight attendants have consistently done in emergency evacuations, you can’t help but have respect for them. However, there’s another side to this. Since 9/11, it sure feels like some flight attendants view safety and service as being mutually exclusive.

We don’t need to be reminded that “flight attendants are here primarily for your safety.” That should be a given. I understand that the most important function that flight attendants perform is safety, even though they dedicate 90% of their time to service. It would be like a cruise ship crew telling you that their primary job is safety, and using that as an excuse for providing less service.

So for some (though certainly not all) flight attendants, it sure seems like safety is being used as an excuse for providing subpar service, since they don’t view service as their primary role.

Management & unions have toxic relationships

Personally I don’t think that unions or management are exclusively to blame for service issues. For example, Southwest has flight attendant unions but is known for their great service, while Delta doesn’t have flight attendant unions, but I don’t necessarily think they have better service than Southwest does.

From my perspective, there have been hostile relationships between management and unions for decades, and much of that is understandable, given what the industry has been through. The goals of management and the employees haven’t been aligned, and that’s a major issue, and is partly to blame for the lack of purpose that so many employees have.

This is an area where you’ll notice significant differences between airlines, though. For example, Delta employees are generally aligned with the company’s goals, in no small part thanks to the company’s lucrative profit sharing scheme. At American, meanwhile, employees aren’t at all aligned with the company’s goals, since the company can’t even seem to decide what its goals are.

There aren’t enough performance based evaluations

Personally I’m strongly opposed to crews being able to bid for positions solely based on their seniority. While I’m all for rewarding long term employees who are dedicated to the company, it seems silly to make that the only basis off of which they decide whether someone can work first or business class, get a desirable route, etc.

In much of the rest of the world, working in premium cabins is a promotion, and it’s something that flight attendants specifically have to apply for. In most situations, that’s not the case in the United States.

The issue is that there’s no real manager onboard to evaluate crews, so it’s tough to select them based on merit. This is something else that could be solved by having a true onboard manager. Flight attendants working premium cabins or desirable routes should get those routes at least partly because of how good they are, and not solely based on how long they’ve been at the company.

Low staffing levels take their toll on service

Another reason that service on US airlines often isn’t great is due to the staffing levels. All too often, US airlines simply staff their flights at FAA minimums, or on long haul flights, just above that.

It’s quite a contrast to airlines like Emirates and Singapore Airlines, where staffing is typically way above minimums. It goes without saying that it’s hard to provide great service when you’re spread so thin. It limits the ability for flight attendants to interact with passengers and try to be more personable, while still keeping up the service pace.

Bottom line

There are a lot of factors contributing to service issues at US airlines, and the inconsistency we see. I think the most fundamental issue is that flight attendants really have no supervisors onboard aircraft, so once the door closes, there’s little accountability in terms of service levels.

Admittedly that’s one of only multiple issues with service. There’s also the low staffing levels, toxic relationships between employees and management, and more.

I appreciate all the flight attendants who go above and beyond to take care of passengers, and their hard work doesn’t go unnoticed (at least by me!).

Why do you think service at US airlines is inconsistent and often not good?