By Assunta Ng
One of ANA’s Boeing 787s (Photo by George Liu/NWAW)
When you fly on Asian airlines from Seattle to Asia, you’ll discover that U.S. carriers have much to learn from their Asian counterparts. Food and services are much more superior. And Asian carriers are making money, while U.S. carriers to Asia, are often struggling. What does it say our about competitiveness?
I have flown U.S. and Asia-owned airlines flying to Asia, including Cathy Pacific, China Airline, EVA, Delta, United, ANA, Korean Air, and Hainan to different parts of Asia. The U.S. airlines’ meals are lousy in both business and economy class; they are inadequate in both quality as well as quantity.
We were lucky to have won ANA’s inaugural flight lucky draw, flying to Hong Kong via Narita-Tokyo Airport. ANA’s method of showing different meal photos instead of a printed menu for customers, is clever. Flight attendants don’t need to be multi-lingual to serve its diverse, international customers.
Its Boeing 787 plane is the envy of its competitors. It’s spacious in its seats, aisles, and even rest rooms. Even its windows, which doubled the size of other carriers, are impeccably designed with a button to adjust the screen shielding from the bright sun. You don’t have to use the blinds to shut out the scenery. U.S. airlines have a lot to learn from. (end)
I came, I read this article, I conquered.
Agreed that US carriers’ inflight food and service leave much to be desired. But does that also have to do with culture? These days, taking a flight for the average US traveler is akin to taking a long-distance greyhound bus. Relatively cheap fare to be sure, but no expectation of service whatsoever. Whereas on Asian carriers, there is still the expectation to treat passengers as valued customers. Perhaps for many Asians, taking a flight is still something to be treated more seriously than use taking a bus?