When an airline CEO has to “write” an e-mail to their customers (by write, I mean having their PR staff and legal vet suitable language to go out for consumption), it is normally to write about some “enhancement” that is going to improve the airline’s bottom line and ditch the loyalty of the customer. Or, it is to apologize after the media has ripped up some actions taken by someone wearing an airline uniform.
A Refreshingly Positive E-Mail from an Airline CEO
Today, when I received an e-mail from the CEO of Aegean Airlines (my main airline for loyalty), I was immediately a bit nervous that this was going to be an announcement of some changes to their award chart (which I love) or something similarly negative – since this is what we are accustomed to from such an e-mail.
Instead, it was an incredibly refreshing e-mail letting their customers know that things in the scheduling department have not been up to their standards as of late and they are working hard with the appropriate authorities (like air traffic control, something the airline has no control over) to make improvements. I will include the e-mail below but I just have to say that it was refreshing to see an airline CEO write to their customers to apologize and explain about these delays.
I fly Aegean often and I had not actually experienced any of these delays but I have noticed some of them in the schedules as of late. There is one part in the e-mail about adhering to compensation according to EU regs and even free airline tickets that was also impressive – they are not trying to wiggle out of this but are actually following the regulations while still admitting it is not enough. Impressive!
| Dear member,
Improving your travel experience and fulfilling your needs at each step of your journey is at the heart of our daily efforts throughout our 20 years of operation. After all, the quality of the services we provide is one of our main values and behind every investment we make in training, in our people’s culture and in our fleet. Our consistent high performance in on-time flight departures has been a key element towards this direction over time. However, during the last 2 months we haven’t been able to meet expectations as we frequently face delays, sometimes with significant duration. So, we feel the need to apologize, because your trust in us deserves much better. At the same time, we need to point out that the vast majority of flight delays is caused by the limited capacity of the air traffic, which gradually gets more stressed during the day and results in chain delays that affect more the afternoon and evening flights. Obviously, the air traffic control is beyond our responsibility. But we put the best of our efforts to cooperate with the relevant authorities to resolve the problem the soonest possible. Moreover, we strictly apply the European regulation for passenger compensation and, in addition, we follow our company’s policy for free tickets. Yet we know that sometimes this is not enough. The sole purpose of this communication is to sincerely thank you once again for the trust you have shown to us and for your kind understanding during this difficult period. Of course, we will keep working intensively and investing in our people and fleet, so as to continue to be your first choice. Sincerely, Dimitris Gerogiannis |
I have met and even had breakfast with Mr. Gerogiannis as well as exchanged correspondence with him and found him to be a man that had great respect for their customers and also great pride in the airline he leads. This e-mail only furthers that impression of him and I am glad to be a loyal Aegean flyer!
Featured image is courtesy of Aegean Airlines
Makes me want to fly Aegean again! Will make it a point this fall when back from Japan and Russia.
Aegean really is an absolutely fantastic airline, which does certainly put its customers first. I’ve experience only the best from their efficient crew, serving delicious meals with warm Greek hospitality and high standards that we have all grown to love. Wish them all the success for the future.
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[…] In their case, it seems that this terrible summer performance is all but an accident, which nonetheless prompted the CEO of Agean Airlines to write an email to the airline’s customer, promising to do better. […]