US Airways -- which is trying to cut costs enough to emerge from bankruptcy protection this summer -- said passengers no longer use the clubs as they once did, mostly because of tighter security measures. Also, fewer companies are covering their workers' club memberships.
"As much as we don't like to close airport clubs, the dynamics of airport clubs, have changed dramatically," Christopher L. Chiames, US Airways' senior vice president of corporate affairs, said recently. "The club business for a lot of locations and for a lot of airlines isn't the profit center that it used to be. Clubs that aren't profitable, we can't afford to keep open."
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Last fall, as part of its own cost-cutting initiative, Northwest Airlines closed its Philadelphia club and one of its two San Francisco clubs. The airline now has 22 clubs, down from 25 in 2000.
Frequent flier Mike Kerry has flown United Airlines almost exclusively for more than 12 years. The Oconomowoc, Wis., cable TV equipment salesman said he tries to spend as little time in the airports by scheduling few layovers. And when his flights are delayed, Kerry said prefers to grab a cup of coffee at the nearest airport eatery. Even though he could receive a $100 discount from the $350 fee because of his status with the airline, Kerry said he wasn't interested. "I just can't see spending that much money for a half-hour visit," he said.
Poor Customer Service Blamed on Low Morale: The nation's airlines arrived later, received more customer complaints and lost more bags last year than in 2003. And one of the biggest reasons is the low morale of airline workers, according to an annual aviation quality study released yesterday.
Researchers at Wichita State University and the University of Nebraska at Omaha said that airline service is getting worse because more people are flying at a time when airlines have slashed their workforces to cut costs.
Performance declined at 10 of the 14 airlines studied in 2004 compared with 2003. But AirTran, Atlantic Southeast, JetBlue and United improved. A total of 16 airlines were reviewed in 2004, with ComAir and SkyWest added to the study.
Low-cost carriers ranked at the top of the survey for customer service, making up the top three airlines. JetBlue Airways ranked No. 1, followed by AirTran Airways then Southwest. United Airlines ranked No. 4 and was the highest-ranked legacy carrier. US Airways was ranked 12th, down from fifth place last year. US Airways was ranked No. 1 in 2002 and 1998.
It's the 15th consecutive year for the study, which is based on Transportation Department statistics on late flights, lost bags, denied boardings and consumer complaints.
