Ten Life Lessons From The Airline Business

Ten Life Lessons From the Airline Business

It is said that the only thing to know about running an airline is this: “Fly the airplanes on time and answer the goddamn telephone.” Truthfully, there is probably a bit more to it.

Last week, longtime airline executive and consultant Jay Sorensen issued a report entitled “Fly High, Land Right: Ten Life Lessons for Success in Business.”

Sorensen went to work for Midwest Express in 1984. He left in 1996 as director of marketing, and became an airline consultant. He has consulted for about 30 carriers, big and small. Here are his tips.

1. Honor Your Customers

“Customers are not dumb,” Sorensen said. Rather, they are smart enough to make decisions. Yet “airlines have an unfortunate tradition of incomprehensible complexity when describing change and cancellation policies to consumers,” he said.

I thought change fees were gone, but Sorensen told me, “That is a myth the industry has created. You believe change fees are gone, but they are back with basic economy fares.”

In 2020 United CEO Scott Kirby moved to eliminate most of them, declaring “When we hear from customers about where we can improve, getting rid of fees is often the top request.” They are gone for most customers, but not for all.

2. Your Employees Are Wiser Than You

Sorensen said that he regularly visits the galley when he flies. He said he began the practice as a Midwest executive. Once, a flight attendant listened to him for a while and said, “You don’t work for us, do you?” Before he could answer, she added, “Because if you did, you wouldn’t be here talking with us.”

“Please talk to your front-line employees to seek their wisdom,” Sorensen said.

3. Above All Be Honest

“To be honest is to be free from fraud and deception,” Sorensen wrote. “It’s not limited to truthfulness or accuracy; it goes beyond those qualities and is driven by intent.”

As an example of dishonesty in the airline industry, he cites an unnamed low-cost carrier that displays fares and offers two options, standard or discounted with a subscription plan. But selecting standard fare leads to a screen that promotes a 15-day subscription plan trial period, while it is too hard to find the small “Continue with standard fare” button.

4, Aim for Balance

Many processes require the ability to strive for differing objectives at the same time. A singular objective will almost always deliver a rapid result.

Sorensen suggests that airlines have been distracted away from the purpose of loyalty programs because of all the revenue available from credit card agreements. In 2024, the big four airlines (American, Delta, Southwest, and United) generated more than $23 billion from loyalty partner activity, about 12% of their revenue.

Now it is said that airlines are just credit card companies with fleets of aircraft.

The point of loyalty programs is to promote loyalty and generate ticket sales, Sorensen told me. But “They have become just another method of seat distribution.”

5. Not Everyone is Cheap

This has become a guiding principle for the airline industry. Most airlines suffered for years under the illusion that most economy passengers want the cheapest price. Now airlines promote “premium” products that generate “ancillary revenue.”

“Ancillary revenue has freed airline management from competing purely on lowest price by encouraging some consumers to spend more,” Sorensen said. “It even created a new cabin class by revealing the untapped potential of extra leg room in economy.” Also, airlines now sell first class seats, rather than giving them away in frequent flyer programs.

6. Listening Tells Your More

“Listening with sincerity” shows that you value what people are saying, Sorensen wrote. “We are all delighted to have our opinions be heard.”

Want to do a poll? “ Interviewing 100 customers at an airport gate area over the course of three days provides more wisdom than any survey or focus group can deliver,” he said. “That’s because you can adjust the process by changing the script as more is learned. During a 10-minute conversation, people can reveal the most amazing things to a stranger.”

7. I’m Sorry, I Made a Mistake

“Humbleness is a virtue I value,” Sorensen wrote.

“When you look for this in people, such as corporate executives, it’s amazing how many completely fail at this. They can’t admit something has gone terribly wrong. If the failure is impossible to ignore, they will choose to blame others.”

Taking responsibility has three benefits. “First, it offers some degree of comfort to those harmed by the mistake. Second, it portrays the speaker as having humanity. Third, the conclusion of the event occurs more quickly because the drama of finding someone to blame has ended.”

Sorensen notes that when the industry collapsed in the summer of 2022, as it struggled to accommodate heavy traffic after the pandemic, Delta did better than most in apologizing, because its apology was backed with bonus miles. ” An unexpected and unrequested apology with bonus miles is always a good idea,” Sorensen said.

8. Respect Those Who Shower After Work

Sorensen said managers should always value their front-line staff.

“Most of you reading this report shower in the morning, put on your casual clothes, and head to the office Tuesday through Thursday,” he wrote. “Please recognize that most of the world puts in five (or more) hard days of work using their bodies and brains; they shower off the dirt and grime of their work day when they get home.”

9. Saying No Can Be Best

Every company has a project which has consumed too many resources without a meaningful payoff, Sorensen wrote. These are not cancelled due to the belief that sunk costs justify the continuation of pouring in more cash. Corporate pride also plays a role in keeping failed projects afloat.” But sometimes you have to say no.

10, Treat Others As You Want To Be Treated

“For me it’s not a religious principle, it’s a recognition of our humanity,” Sorensen said.

Bonus Lesson Provided In Return For Reading This List

When I told Jay that some of his lessons seem obvious, he responded, “They do, but I think my role as a consultant is often to point out the obvious. A consultant can play a wonderful role for an organization when they are able to speak truth to policies that are designed by a committee of people who only work for the airline. There is a type of blindness that can occur within such an insulated group. That’s true in life. We can all become better people through the influence of advice from others, if we accept it when we seek it.”