This month, Erwin thought it’d be fun to have a guest author pen some tips based on her own past experiences. That’s why we’re happy to introduce the blogger you already know, Jordan as she tells us (and you) some of the things that she’d change if she were ever to run an airline (but she won’t because honestly, she has no idea how you guys do it, seriously, hats off to you).

By now the news is pretty saturated with the fact that summer storms and staffing shortages are making life hard for airlines and their passengers. I remember in my days as a flight attendant, nothing stoked the ole panic response quite like a lengthy delay.

Dread would course through me at the thought of walking down the aisle as we stayed parked firmly at the gate, essentially in limbo for hours.

And I was informed (at least more than the average passenger) and I had some behind the scenes tools to get a jump on updates (when there were any).

I was also getting paid to be there, and did not, in fact, pay to sit on a plane for 4 hours.

Look we all know weather happens and it’s beyond your control. But perhaps, while reminding passengers to pack their patience, it might be a good idea to go over your delay procedures. Some people will always complain, even when things go smoothly. But how cool would it be for you (and your bottom line) if you carved out a reputation for being, well, cool, when the inevitable issues creep up and make a delay inevitable?

1. Snacks- I know delay snack kits are limited- they have to be shelf stable since ideally, you’re not breaking them out every day. But (and my airline will remain nameless) a paltry, dusty, thumb-sized cookie in the wake of a rolling 3 hours parked at a gate doesn’t exactly inspire patience or customer loyalty (or a good tweet). Look around at different shelf-stable options- even if they’re a tad pricier, they could go a long way in keeping people a bit calmer while waiting for takeoff.

my kingdom for a snack cart

2. Make sure you’re staff knows what to do- in the same vein of snacks, I’ll never forget when my airline rolled out a new policy of bringing sandwiches and drinks to the gate during an extended delay. I’ll never forget it, because as hour 5 rolled along the gate agent I was working with looked at me like I had 3 heads when I asked for the sandwich cart to be delivered. The captain had promised the now feral jackels on board sustenance, and I had to be the one to inform them that because of a particularly surly agent on a power trip, there would be no sandwiches. I fought for my life that day, and I still shudder to think. Bottom line- if you roll out new procedures in the name of passenger comfort during delays, make sure everyone knows the deal, specifically the agent in DFW at gate D30.

3. Empower and inform – How’s your notification system? How about automated rebooking- is that thing you have? Cause it should be. We’re seeing long lines and chaos in airports right now, and this could (at least a large part of it) be avoided if there was a streamlined and mostly automated system in place allowing people to rebook/ get vouchers, etc. Partner with hotels in the area to see about easing the strain of finding/booking rooms in the event of a cancellation. So much of the time when passengers complain, it’s because of feeling a lack of control- so give it to them. Streamlining rebooking also has the benefit of needing no extra staff; everybody wins.