A key strategy to facilitate more of this is to help clarify and quantify the value of customer openness to companies who might benefit from it. We have begun a research project at the Berkman Center to do just that – provide evidence that users consistently behave in ways that create more value for companies that provide alternatives to lock-in. From this evidence, I hope organizations will then get creative and help support user-driven efforts to grow relationships with vendors. With airlines, this might take the form of an independent frequent flyer program that is self-managed and shared with participating airlines, who subscribe to your travel feeds and provide benefits to those who travel frequently regardless of airline.

I’m curious how Delta heard this? Are they listening or did someone tip them off. You have some good ideas above but I am very interested in if they realize there is a conversation they need to be a part of and are working on being an active part of that conversation. Step 1 in rehab is admitting you have a problem.

As for the sadness, yes, I was angry and sad, but I’m also a decent actress and wanted to make this video as close to a breakup as possible!

http://www.flyertalk.com/

It’s a forum with tons of inside info on getting elite perks, like status multiplier programs. Airlines often run get-elite-quick programs where they’ll double or triple your miles in your race to elite for the first year, and FlyerTalk members post ‘em.

And an airline won’t need to reward you for your disloyalty to them (which is effectively what you’re asking them to do with your post hoc VRM model) because the industry is screwed by its systems and its cost structure which have been undermined by low cost carriers and cherry pickers like Virgin. The resultant reduction in travel costs to historically low levels has been great news for travellers in the short term, but now the downside of cost competition is coming home to roost. Airlines should know that if they provide better service then you (and I) will come running and they won’t need to bother about our miles (an historical promotional device that they all despise anyway).

The key issue is whether any business that involves physical activity (i.e baggage and machines/planes) and direct human interaction can maintain service standards while increasing volumes and decreasing prices. I would love to think your scheme would work, but I think those fundamentals are against us.

I certainly know how you feel, and to some extent I know how the airlines feel as well — a good friend of mine is a Delta pilot. As Doc says, United is definitely an above average airline, even though it is too easy to have an awful experience on any airline these days. Before I get into the shortcomings in passenger comfort supported by FAA flight regulations, I have to start by pointing out that airline tickets have been dropping in price (adjusting for inflation) for at least 30 years. Deregulation was the worst thing to happen to airlines. Before that time, a lot fewer people were flying and were paying a lot more for doing so, although you could fly standby for 1/2 price or less. And very few people were flying 100K miles/ year. But the service was divine. People used to get dressed up just to fly somewhere. Continental used to have a bar with video games onboard in the economy lounge. It was a great place to meet people. Now we have collectively traded comfort for price; it’s been a race to the bottom. It pleases no one, except that a huge number of people fly now. Then came 9/11. Now we all are condemned to forever deal with restrictions from either security or dereg concerns. In the old days, if you missed your Delta connection, you could still use your ticket on another airline. And yes, the profit margin of the airlines together was high enough that they would all pay for you to stay in a hotel if you got stuck in transit. And yes, the average ticket price was higher. Before deregulation, you couldn’t have a race to the bottom, with cheaper and cheaper airlines slicing up the profit margin. Before 9/11, you could make last minute travel changes, no problem.

We now need a new look at air travel. We should have international regulations for larger seats, a system that allows flexibility in travel plans, and pays you a voucher if you get stuck somewhere. And we also need a way for airline employees to be even more helpful than they were in the past to make things easy for you, by better connectivity. To some extent, this has happened — it used to be very difficult to get a seat assignment ahead of time. But in other areas, passengers like you and I have been made to feel this big: tiny. Except in the case of personal space on a plane — there we are made to feel like gigantic freaks.

Meanwhile, you can get unsilo’d frequent flyer miles from some credit cards. But you need 3x as many as the silo’d ones.

Thanks to technology, plane travel could be better than ever. But we should raise minimum standards for flying through legislation, if the market can’t create a better experience. Yes, we would pay more for our tickets. But it could be worth it. Especially if they brought back standby at half price for those with some flexibility.