Y ou will never read in an article I wrote about me saying that nothing beats traveling as a passenger in the economy class cabin. There are times when the seat is uncomfortable. There are times when there does not seem to be enough food served when compared to the duration of the flight — or perhaps the food is subpar. There are times when there is not enough legroom; where the airplane is completely full of passengers; when the in-flight entertainment system is inoperable; when the lavatory emits odors which evoke the worst nightmare of a landfill next to a sewage treatment plant.
Although I appear to be more tolerable than many people, I get it: no one will ever mistake travel as a passenger in the economy class cabin for a luxury experience…
People are Upset About Delta Air Lines Offering Suites in Business Class?
…but Justin Bariso lumps the virtues extolled pertaining to the new business class product to be offered by Delta Air Lines — which purports to be the first airline to have a business class cabin equipped with physical suites with doors, similar to offerings by competitors in their first class cabins — to the worsening of the economy class product of airlines overall in this article he wrote for Inc.
“When I read this, I couldn’t help but think of my colleague Chris Matyszczyk, who’s kept tabs on all the nickel-and-diming policies airlines have instituted lately–from reducing the amount of food they serve to charging you to sit with your children.”
Apparently, you have not “kept tabs” well enough with your colleague, Justin Bariso. Had you done your research, you would find that Delta Air Lines has not reduced the amount of food they serve — other than years ago, when all airlines based in the United States effectively removed meal service from many of their domestic flights. In fact, the airline has recently added meals in the economy class cabin on flights to Honolulu and other routes…
…and when other airlines virtually eliminated complimentary snacks, Delta Air Lines has always offered passengers in the economy class cabin a choice of pretzels, peanuts or biscuits — or a combination thereof where not all three choices were offered at all times — even when selling food for sale. While those complimentary offerings will never be mistaken for a lavish banquet, no passenger was forced to go without any sustenance for the duration of the flight.
As for Delta Air Lines being one of the airlines which “started charging passengers to sit with their children”, that depends on your perspective and point of view — and how the argument can be twisted. If passengers book tickets with a Basic Economy fare, they are purchasing a fare stripped of any amenities — and Delta Air Lines very clearly warns customers who are about to purchase a Basic Economy airfare — including the ability to change seats, as there are no seats assigned in advance of checking in for the flight, so passengers would need to purchase airfares at a higher cost than Basic Economy simply to have the ability to choose seats…
…but those Basic Economy airfares are not so low that a person would think that he or she is getting a deal when compared to basic airfares offered by ultra-low-cost carriers — which would certainly cause someone to believe that the restrictions are so unfair that he or she would warn others to not purchase that airfare.
Summary
Delta Air Lines is far from perfect on various levels of the product and service it offers in the economy class cabin — we can all find faults pertaining to the airline which could use improvement — but it arguably does a better job than its domestic competitors.
I have tried the economy class product offered by Etihad Airways — and although it was superior to that offered by Delta Air Lines on international flights in a number of respects, it was not to the point where there was definitively no contest. In fact, quite the contrary: there were aspects of the service offered by Delta Air Lines which I missed on flights operated by Etihad Airways.
While I do agree with the general premise offered by Justin Bariso pertaining to the concept of improving all classes of service aboard an airplane instead of improving the premium class service to the detriment of passengers seated in the economy class cabin, he chose the wrong airline with which to pick a bone, in my opinion — but to say that people are upset about Delta Air Lines offering suites in business class is erroneous at best; and perhaps to the point of misleading in terms of hyperbole or “click bait.”
In other words: I do not know of anyone who is “really upset” because of “this new, bold move” of Delta Air Lines offering suites in business class on select airplanes. Do you?
“I don’t need a private suite. I’d be completely happy with a decent meal, a little more leg room, and a glass of wine.”
I have been saying that for years — without the wine, of course, as I do not drink alcoholic beverages.
“Oh…and the hot towel is a nice touch, too.”
Okay…
Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.
