Q – (11.8.25) – We are, I am certain, not alone when it comes to concern and more than a little anger that we are subjected to so much stress over our next two major holidays regarding the shutdown and its impact on flights within the United States. If our political parties actually speak to one another this thing may end in a few days but from what I am hearing, that won’t solve the shortage of qualified (let’s pray they are) air traffic controllers. Been following this really helpful site for more than a year and wonder if you might share some of the advice you must be giving your personal clients during these challenging times.
A – We are pleased to share a communication we sent out to our guests yesterday:
Dear Friends and Flyers:
As our media is filled with stories highlighting the dysfunctional nature of our government and a bit of chaos at our nation’s airports, we thought it might be helpful if we could highlight some of what you need to know as this “crisis” unfolds.
We have scoured some of the best information currently available and put it in one report for your convenience. There are some cliches in the attached report but, also, some very good advice.
In terms of our reading of this air crisis we thought it best to highlight a few personal observations:
01 – There is a very real shortage of air traffic controllers in the United States. The number of job openings currently exceeds 3,000 and we do not see any way that this number will be increased in any dramatic way without special government intervention and funding. This has been exacerbated by the current government shut down. This means that, for safety reasons, flights and entire routes will be cancelled in the months to come. The current feeling is that a 10% reduction in the number of commercial flights operating in US skies is an achievable goal.
02 – There are no planned cutbacks of international flights to and from the United States. As they tend to involve larger aircraft, international flights are seen as an economic necessity when it comes to airline profitability.
03 – Small, so-called “Regional Jets” will be the target of most cutbacks this weekend and into the immediate future.
04 – Every domestic flyer should have a strategy. The first involves allowing 3-4 hours of check-in time until this situation is under control.
05 – Some TSA and Air Traffic Controllers are not being paid a salary given the government shutdown. In fact, several airlines have requested their catering management at major airports to deliver food to controllers working the “towers”. There are reports that some controllers have taken on second jobs such as Uber driver while the paychecks are being withheld. This shortage of controllers was predicted and will need to be addressed via systemic changes no one is openly discussing.
06 – You will be checking the status of your flights. Do not do that with a human being at the airline. Cancellations, pricing, and most scheduling is now a part of so-called “Dynamic” pricing which is managed by sophisticated AI programs.
07 – When you call an airline you will be led to believe and even told you are speaking with an employee reservationist. In fact, some air reservations customer service staff have been outsourced for years. Some are simply a component of the largest corporate travel agencies. Some are based outside the United States. One of our largest hotel chains was in the habit of setting up reservation centers in prison settings where those on “good behavior” work for $5.00 per hour with no benefits. The two best ways to check the status of your flight during a “crisis” is to use the airline app you have downloaded to your phone. This is the method most often used by airlines to notify passengers of any changes/delays/cancellations. Don’t be an “ANT” (A Naive Traveler) who books online. That is usually what “ANTS” do because it appears to be easier. But it rarely produces an iota of customer service or human care. ANTS are laughed at in much of the travel community.
08 – If you are making new air reservations, we strongly urge you to consider making them through Cranky Concierge or a similar service that includes real time flight monitoring via e-mail. Do not expect cruise line or tour operator air departments to have the staff to offer flight monitoring services. They are offering air “as a convenience”.
09 – If you have an issue with an airline that requires that you speak to a supervisor, do not try calling. Instead, state your case as clearly as possible and ask for as prompt response on the airline’s Customer Service Facebook site. They actually monitor Facebook.
10 -If you are getting frustrated – and can’t get through – here is a trick that often works. Call your airline at an overseas office in Europe. Google the airline and “London Reservation Center” etc. You will find you can often get through easily to an English-speaking agent who is sitting in front of the same flight database as colleagues in the States.
Major airlines have overseas locations where staffers speak English—in the U.K., Germany, Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore, for example—and they are typically just as able to help you as their U.S.-based counterparts, as long as their office is open (not all call centers are open 24 hours) and not dealing with a snowstorm. So if you need to speak with someone at, say, American Airlines, try calling one of their worldwide phone numbers. To keep the cost of the call down, use WhatsApp, Skype, or Google Voice.
11 – Gethuman.com is a website that gives you the best telephone numbers to use to reach customer service at a wide variety of travel-related corporations. Might save you time.
FINALLY – OUR CONGRESS MAY BE CLOSED DOWN –
BUT WE’RE NOT
CHURCHILL & TUREN LTD. WILL REMAIN OPEN THIS WEEKEND AND ALL WEEKENDS UNTIL THIS AIRPORT CRISIS, THIS PREDICTABLE CRISES, IS DRAMATICALLY IMPROVED.
