Flying the Unfriendly Skies - an American Story

The tag line of United Airlines for many years was “fly the friendly skies” but like so many other American inventions, the friendly skies have moved to Asia. On a downward slide during the 80s and the 90s, after 9/11/2001 the American airlines slid even further into mediocrity.  Airports became increasingly unhappy places. The “war on terror” also seemed to become a war on fliers - on the ground and in the air. As the industry restructured, long term airline employees lost salary and perks and took it out on passengers. The TSA functions more like the “keystone cops” than anything else but most Americans puts up with the incompetence thinking they are being patriotic and doing their part in the “war on terror”. Low paid and often incompetent, our TSA airport security force often behaves like middle school bullies devoid of common sense. Of course, there are many hard working, diligent people working for the TSA but a bad system generally yields bad results and this is the story of the TSA.

Anyone traveling through the major airports in Asia – Narita in Tokyo, Changi in Singapore, Inchon in Seoul, or Hong Kong understands that airport security can be fast and in most cases courteous. Not so in the US where we would rather waste hundreds of thousands of man hours in productivity per year by forcing people to spend time in long airport security lines in lieu of more productive pursuits. Americans put up with it so it is not likely to change.

As someone that flies over 200,000 miles a year on United Airlines over 100,000 miles on Singapore Airlines and is also a “million miler” on American Airlines, I am a reasonably good judge of the service levels of carriers on both sides of the Pacific. As a global services member of United’s frequent flyer program, I know I get the best service they offer. I appreciate all the perks of being a global service member and how easy it is to book free flights for family members but unfortunately a great frequent flyer program cannot overcome a customer service system that is designed to provide a marginal experience in the air at prices higher than their Asian competitors. Normally it costs a few thousand dollars more to fly United from the US to Tokyo than it does to fly Singapore Airlines. Yet Singapore has newer planes, better seats, better entertainment, better food and more attentive flight attendants. Despite flying full planes to Asia and charging more than Singapore Airlines, United still can’t provide top notch service or earn a reasonable profit system wide.

On my current trip to Asia I flew from LAX to Tokyo on Singapore Airlines, after several days I flew to Singapore also on Singapore Airlines. Other segments were on Thai Airways and ANA. On most days, all these airlines provide better service than any American carrier provides.  On these flights the flight attendants checked the manifest and spoke to me by name, made sure I had ample food and drink and generally did what they could to ensure I had a good flight. Despite being a top level flier on American carriers, I almost never get the same level of service on a US airline. The question is why? Why can’t a country that invented most of the major innovations in the 20^th century and still has companies like Apple that are the envy of the business world, get out of its own way when it comes to air or rail transportation?

Despite the fact that United has gradually upgraded most of the planes that fly across the Pacific and Atlantic, they have not upgraded the attitudes of most of the men and women that provide service at check-in and in the air.  It is shame that the American Airline industry cannot right the service ills that plague it.  Sorry for the rant but as someone who flies over 100 days a year, I ponder this question more than most people.

Living here, working there

When I started writing this blog 18 months ago, I was beginning to think about what I would do next. After more than a decade of a very interesting and challenging work and life in Japan and China, it was hard for me to picture myself back in the US. I was quite sure it would be hard to adapt to the role my employer wanted me to take in the US. That has proven to be true.

 My wife and I were new “empty nesters” as we returned to America - a transition on top of another transition. Living in a house without kids was also a tough adjustment. In time it became somewhat normal but I still miss kids in the house.

The US changed dramatically in eleven years we were gone. In my opinion, most of the change was not for the good. People here still talk about "communist China" but as I returned to the US from "communist China"; I got the feeling that in certain ways,  "land of the free" was becoming more like the "land of Mao". As someone who has always been proud to be American, the change was disconcerting.

Despite the changes, I am happily living in the US. I like the house and city I live in. I love the simplicity of getting around, ease of buying the things we need and not having to worry if a language mistake is going to result in 7 flat screen TVs being delivered to the house. 

Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I am not happily working in the US. I find my office frustrating - good people working in an environment becoming increasingly dominated by politically correctness and an absence of autonomy. Too many people living lives of quiet desperation. 

On Monday, I make my 15th trip to Asia since returning to the US. From a lifestyle perspective, I have disconnected from living in Asia but from a work perspective, Japan still seems like home. For various reasons, circumstances have dictated frequent business trips to Asia often generating questions from my Asian friends inquiring why I moved back to the US when I spend so much time in Asia. As my company tries to build a "new" corporate organization in Asia, I understand my days of making frequent trips to Asia has a finite life. My employer would prefer that I did not travel so often to Asia but every time a problem comes up, I find myself on a flight over the Pacific. I enjoy escaping the office.

A headhunter called me a couple of weeks ago about a role with a start-up company in an industry related to what I currently do. The main challenge is to build a team in Asia.

As we have only had preliminary discussions, I am not sure what if anything will come of this opportunity but the idea of building another team in Asia is a happy thought.

The laws of travel

I have come across more than one immutable travel law over the years:

1)  Never be the first person to board a flight from Japan to the US on an American carrier - you simply ensure yourself an extra inspection of your bags and your person that renders you the 50th person to board and no overhead space for your  luggage anywhere near your seat. I guess all those people flying on JAL to JFK are a much safer lot that do not require added security

2) Never look inside the kitchen in a restaurant in China (perhaps anywhere but I am sure about China). Like a moth attracted to the flame, I am always tempted to see what goes on beyond the often dirty plastic sheeting that for some reason not clear to me serves as a doorway to many restaurant kitchens in China. Do I really mind that the person preparing my hot peppered chicken is both smoking over and sweating into my food?  Perhaps not, because I keep going back to the same place and have never gotten sick there. Do I mind when I see a small rodent scurry across the kitchen floor? Yes, I do and I do not return to those restaurants. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

3) Always hit the “do not disturb” button in your hotel room before getting in the shower or going to the toilet. Anytime I forget this law travel, results in some well intentioned  service person (the exception to this rule is 99% of US hotels) delivering laundry, wanting to check the mini-bar or arriving with a “welcome drink”. 

4) If you are not sure what a button means on a Japanese toilet - DO NOT push it. I think every member of my family learned this lesson the hard way. My memorable moment was before teeing off at a Japanese golf course many years ago. I pressed a button and knew it was a bad idea when I heard a hydraulic noise and then remembered that I had been warned to “beware of high tech toilets in Japan”. Before I could manage to get up and out of my stall (I was enjoying the warmth of the toilet seat on a cool fall morning); I was soaked by the spray that was supposed to clean my private area rather than soak my golf attire. I had to endure the walk of shame past several people who saw the “gaijin” come out of the locker room area dripping on his way to the first tee.

More later........