My Flight With Air France-KLM CEO Ben Smith…
Earlier, I shared my experience flying Air France’s La Premiere first class on the carrier’s first flight featuring the new cabins (as a reminder, I traveled as a guest of the airline). I mentioned that Air France-KLM CEO Ben Smith was on the flight, and several readers asked what it’s like to fly with an airline CEO. So let me share some thoughts on that, because Ben is quite a guy…
Earlier, I shared my experience flying Air France’s La Premiere first class on the carrier’s first flight featuring the new cabins (as a reminder, I traveled as a guest of the airline). I mentioned that Air France-KLM CEO Ben Smith was on the flight, and several readers asked what it’s like to fly with an airline CEO. So let me share some thoughts on that, because Ben is quite a guy…
Ben Smith is my favorite kind of airline CEO
Over the past couple of decades, I’ve met a countless number of airline CEOs (and other industry executives). In some cases it’s because I book an inaugural flight and they’re on it as well, in other cases it’s because I attend an event they’re at, etc.
It’s always fascinating to get to interact with airline executives. To be clear, I’m not “looking” for anything from airlines, but instead, the information they share on and off the record really helps shape my opinions on things. When they ask for feedback, I’m also happy to provide it.
The airline industry is run by a quirky group of characters. Roughly speaking, I’d say that most airlines CEOs fit into one of two categories:
- You have some who are incredibly passionate about the industry, airlines are their life, and they’re basically just living their childhood dream
- You have some who are your typical business leaders, and they could be running an airline or an oil company, and it wouldn’t make a difference to them
Now, of course there are all kinds of subcategories. Among the second group of leaders, their knowledge levels about their own product and the competitive landscape vary. Sometimes you’ll ask them what should be a basic question, and they don’t know the answer.
So that brings me to Ben Smith. I remember the first time that I met him, which was nearly a decade ago when he was President of Air Canada. I’d like to think I’m a huge aviation geek, but my gosh, I was put in my place when I met Ben. Within minutes of meeting, he was telling me about exact aircraft configurations in the 1970s, and why he preferred the 747-200 to the 747-400.
Ben is one of those people who can’t help but inspire you, as he’s the prime example of someone living their dream. To me, Ben is the perfect kind of leader — he strikes a balance between being a numbers person and a product person, all while having respect for labor.
He’s obsessed with every aspect of airline operations, and he’s also good at surrounding himself with smart people who share his vision (I don’t think anyone has hired more passionate people off FlyerTalk than him).
What’s it like flying with an airline CEO?
I’m sure a lot of aviation geeks are curious what it’s like to actually fly with an airline CEO on “their” airline. I’ve been on quite a few flights with airline CEOs in my lifetime, and my gosh, their vibes are all over the place.
How they interact with the crew and other passengers of course says a lot about them. I’ve seen airline CEOs be everything from friendly, to standoff(ish), to downright nuts. I’ll let you guess who fits in which category.
On our transatlantic Air France flight, I was seated immediately across from Ben. There was of course lots of interesting conversation, but more than anything, I couldn’t help but respect how he conducted himself. It’s clear this wasn’t just for show, but it’s just the type of leader he is:
- At the beginning of the flight, he personally introduced himself to several business class passengers
- He spent so much time talking to the crew throughout the aircraft, and it’s clear that he’s really liked by staff; some even addressed him by his first name, which shows the atmosphere he creates
- From our own conversations, he asked me for any and all feedback, no matter how minor or critical (I can’t count the number of times I’ve had airline executives simply pat themselves on the back, and rhetorically say things like “it’s amazing, isn’t it?”
- When I asked him if he’s always so active on flights, he explained that he’s often more active, and helps the crew with providing service, not even identifying himself to passengers as the CEO (he even showed me his “wings,” hah)
