Time for this one to go home! Sitting here in the lounge-having visited my father for the last few days, and headed back across the Atlantic
The lounge here is packed, which is more than a little frustrating. Could not get a seat with a view to a TV so I could watch the Olympics.So I am drinking a beer ( or 2) and making up for my feeble lack of posting this week.
One thing about airline lounges in the US is that they highlight well, how shitty service on US air carriers is. Consider:
Lufthansa lounge Z-terminal Frankfurt:
No bar, not required. All the fixings are right there on a long countertop that has been thoughtfully engineered to provide a quick flow through the drinks which you can pour for yourself. Food, readily available and actually of some substance. Soft drinks easily obtainable-and there are plenty of business desks for those who need to work and or print.
United Airlines lounge IAD: One of two lounges in the C&D terminal is closed for some indeterminate reason. Thus EVERYONE is here making it an ordeal to crawl to the bar and fight your way through to flag down the bartender for a drink that may or may not cost you money.
Food? What’s that? Except for carrots and nuts-there is not a bit of substantial eats. Desks and power outlets to charge phones? Not near enough.
What the US air carriers keep failing to realize is that these perks are part of building customer loyalty. Like also enabling courtesy upgrades and other things. A plane flying with an empty first or business class seat is a crime.
Fortunately, I was able to get upgraded-but I had to laugh when I checked in online. It offered me an upgrade to first class on an airplane that did not have a First Class, just Business and Cattle Car. All for a mere 1000 dollars.
This reinforces for me why, if I have to be in Economy, it will not be on an American flag carrier.
I still maintain my theory that US air carriers could compete-if they would just bother to try. But, sadly, they don’t.
Time to board.