Peeves and Picks
from May/June 2007
U.S. airlines routinely fare poorly in surveys about service and quality, especially when judged against their foreign competitors. Last year travelers surveyed by Skytrax Research, an airline research organization in London, rated British Airways Airline of the Year for international travel, followed by Qantas Airways (Australia), Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong), Thai Airways (Thailand), and Emirates (United Arab Emirates). North American travelers were heavily represented in the survey, says Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted, yet not one North American carrier cracked the survey’s top 10.Directors interviewed for this article seemed to have the same low opinion of U.S. airlines—and their dislike spilled over to U.S. airports. Some had pet peeves. John Hall, 74, a director of USEC Inc., an energy company in Bethesda, Maryland, and GrafTech International, a manufacturer of industrial and graphite products in Parma, Ohio, says he tries to avoid Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. “Once things start to go downhill there,” he laments, “it all goes downhill.” Attorney Richard Koppes, 60, a director of Apria Healthcare Group and Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, makes an effort to steer clear of San Diego International, New York City’s LaGuardia, and Dulles International. “San Diego and LaGuardia are just too crowded; they need to be leveled and rebuilt,” he says. “At Dulles, I just hate the transportation system”— the shuttle buses that carry passengers from the gates to the planes.
But what if you have to go to one of these places? In Washington, consider Reagan National Airport as an alternative. It’s a mere four miles from downtown D.C., versus about 26 miles for Dulles. Or try Baltimore/Washington International, 30 miles north. An alternative to LaGuardia? Newark, New Jersey. It’s a longer ride into Manhattan, but the airport is newer and it’s a heck of a lot cleaner.
