FlyCRJ.com

The next couple weeks are going to be stressful both from a pilots perspective and the passengers perspective.

Flights are going to be full. Weather may play a part in your trip. Crews will be commuting to their bases on packed airplanes. And passengers will be trying to get to their families to celebrate the holidays.

Now, as a flight crew member, I am accustomed to dealing with irregular operations such as weather or ATC related delays. Your typical holiday passenger who travels once a year is not. Therefore it’s super important that crews remain empathetic to their passengers travel perceptions and provide them with the BEST possible travel experience.

So what can we do to make the trip a little easier for everyone?

Communication

Well, I’ve said it before, but communication goes a long way in making a trip a better experience for everyone.

 Flight crews have the ability to provide their passengers with a positive travel experience during these traditionally stressful times by just communicating.

A pleasant greeting and a smile go a long, LONG way to making a trip a much more enjoyable experience. Whenever I can, flight deck duties aside, I try to greet the passengers as they come on the airplane and as they leave. Proactive, confident, and professional communication from the crew is a very effective way to minimize customer dissatisfaction when uncontrollable delays impact a flight. I’ve found that by greeting the passengers, this helps tremendously in setting the tone for the whole flight. Now, they can put a face with the voice. Then, as the flight progresses, promotional and safety-related announcements also serve to enhance passenger confidence and enhance their flying experience. Furthermore, if you provide your passengers with frequent updates during delays, you will most likely have happier passengers at the end of the flight which is the whole goal.

What Did They Say?

I can’t say it enough, passenger announcements are ESSENTIAL! And there is a right and wrong way to make them. Remember, when making passenger announcements, how you say it is just as important as what you say. They must be constructed to convey what you intend them to mean without degrading passenger confidence. Since the passengers can’t see you, it is even more important that the announcement be upbeat, clear, and concise. A grumpy, uncaring, exhausted announcement by any of your crew can ruin the whole flight. 

See my two blog entries: 5 Things To Do When A Flight is Delayed and Empathy and Connecting with Passengers, if you would like more reading.

Professional Image

Professional image goes a long way in instilling confidence in the passengers. The passengers need to know that their crew is experienced, capable, and cares about their travel experience. You can increase passenger confidence and their perception of you by portraying a professional appearance (uniform, etc.), and responsible public behavior. You are a professional after all, aren’t you?

Start It Out Right

Finally, as a captain, I review passenger communication goals with the crew during the my initial briefing. I discuss passenger communication plans for ground holds, delays, and diversions. We discuss that air travel is all but routine to most holiday passengers and how we interact with them my well set the tone for their whole holiday.

So when things get tough, the days get long, you experience one delay after another, remember to think positive and remain professional. You are the leader of the crew and your actions DO MATTER.

Another interesting and useful travel link:

AirportRooms.com – is cool website for crews to get those great deals on hotel rooms and rental cars when you can’t get home. Check them out at: www.AirportRooms.com.

To Your Flying Success…

Jeffrey

Jeffrey is a captain at a regional airline and flies the CRJ200, CRJ700, and the CRJ900. He has over 4000 hrs of flying experience in many different airplanes and is a Gold Seal flight instructor to his credit. He has recently written “The CRJ200 Quicknote Study Guide” that simplifies the systems of the CRJ200 into a easy-to-understand, downloadable eBook. Click here to get your copy today!

Be Sociable, Share!

•