The Danger Belt

1. I’m in London’s Heathrow Airport. Because the captain on our incoming flight was incompetent (the flight was delayed for takeoff for 90 minutes because they couldn’t get the movies on-line), we missed our connection–despite a 2-hour layover. As a result I’m marooned in this massive mall/small town of a building until the next flight to South Africa (which is a full 11 hours later). Luckily our business class fare earns us admission to the British Airways Lounge. Between the unreal accommodations on the flight and the nicest airport lounge I’ve ever seen, I must admit that I don’t see how getting to the 5-star hotel could possibly make me any more comfortable.

I have been given a travel bag with an actual toothbrush, designer lotion, breathmints, socks, and premium chapstick, access to a free breakfast/lunch buffet with decent food, a free stocked bar with a pleasant selection of various wines, beers, and spirits, internet access, a movie theater-like TV viewing room with four rows long enough for me to stretch out and sleep on (I’m 6′2″), a free massage at the British Airways spa, a personal shower room with several ridiculous showerheads, etc. It is terribly lovely and I’m very happy to have this layover. Which leads me to point #2…

2. I’m convinced that America’s economic slump could be reversed with a sweeping change to the level of service provided by companies. Generally speaking, I’m kind of a miser with my money. But this trip has all but convinced me that were I to travel overseas on a personal vacation, I would likely spend the extra money to enjoy these accommodations. Ours was a flight that left at 5:00 pm in the US and wasn’t scheduled to arrive until 7 am (London time) the following morning. I didn’t sleep the entire flight. I was fascinated by the economics of an airline’s luxury cabins. The round trip airfare for just myself was several thousand dollars–markedly higher than a coach seat. Walking around the first class and business cabins late in the night, I noticed that there were far fewer seats than in coach or a regular first class cabin, but the price of the ticket clearly compensated for the loss of retail space. Additionally, the friendliness and attentiveness of the stewardesses was remarkable. And upon reaching the British Airways Lounge the service was again top-notch. Now I’m not one to be seduced by the appearance of civility and class and a British accent–the rest of the airport was pretty detestable–but these people were again friendly and provided for any and every whim that you hadn’t even yet thought of. With the amount of seating and space available to every person in the Lounge, it’s a delightful environment that nobody complains about at all. While I have nothing to back it up, I would imagine that British Airways holds a far more favorable place in people’s minds than any airline available in America. I mean, we flew American Airlines on the way out here and their lounge had only water, soda, and pretzels for free. The gap rings true in comparison to United, too. And to bring this back to what I started to say, I think a higher level of service is the perfect way to succeed with a business. Treating customers like VALUED customers and making it easy and comfortable to do business with you costs little more than your time and patience. And the ROI is a person who will pay a premium. I’m surprised this hasn’t been capitalized on more in America: customer service is something that many corporations purportedly strive for through surveys, automated hotlines, etc., but it ultimately rings false because something so simple is pretty hard to find.

3. Why the fuck do British people like tennis so much?