You may have heard by now that Heathrow has hired a writer-in-residence, who wants to make it very clear that he can write about anything he wants – the good, the bad, and the horrible about the London airport – and air travel.
Fine. Literature is a wonderful thing, but – let’s get practical here. Airports (and airlines) have lots of room for improvement and I don’t see any writer fixing these problems.
How about this for an idea? An “airport ombudsman”?
You know, someone you could go to with complaints – who would then take action.
Keep reading – I need you to tell me if I’m all wet or not.
Maybe the ombudsman’s office could field a team of wandering ambassadors who would rove the terminals offering on-the-spot assistance. In some instances, it might be that the only aide an ambassador could render would be to direct you to the proper line, or send you to the correct agent – or perhaps he/she could speak on your behalf to a grumpy ticket agent who seems disinclined to help you.
But I’d like to see this office be given real power – so that perhaps the ombudsman could be the “judge” in disputes between an airlines and passengers.
Case in point: What about those folks that were recently trapped on the tarmac in Minnesota? Wouldn’t it have been great if they could have called on an ombudsman, to get them off that plane?
On the other hand, I can see the ombudsman’s office being so swamped with complaints, the staff quits en masse shortly after opening.
Thoughts?
Look for the folks in purple jackets at Phoenix skyharbor. While they could not have helped in the “kindnap” situation in minnesota, they are very helpful.
Literature is practical. We need narratives to get through the day. And you’re a blogger and columnist, sheesh! I applaud Heathrow for being pro-intellectual.
Having a writer-in-residence does not preclude an airport from hiring a passenger ombudsman. Unless you, a writer, cook up a narrative that says it does.
In Atlanta we have folks in green who work for the actual airport who help direct folks to the correct concourses and correct security line. But that’s the closest we get.
As long as we the passengers don’t have stronge rights we will never get anywhere.If the airline had to pay $1000 for keeping passengers on the tarmac and not letting them off the plane after say 1 hour and chargeing then also $100 hour after that you would see how fast they get you to a gate.It would have to be cash (check) not a voucher for future flights on there airline..Where are the lawyers that want to do class action suits.
When the airlines can charge us for bags,our seats and water and many other things,we should be able to hit back.Those poor people where stuck on the airplane with no air bathrooms that we over flowing and screaming kids for 9 hours and they were only fifty feet from the gate and not allowed to get off.The airline did not want to pay the gate fee if they pulled up to it.If we could really hit them in the pocket you would see alot of things change.
We need to change the law.Speak up shout out people.Last thing we need a strong (peoples bill of rights) not written by the airlines there selves.