Buh-bye, U.S. airlines

I consider myself a savvy traveler. And very much a picky one.

My recent trip home required some preparation, mainly in the case of finding reasonable fares and total traveling and transit time less than 26 hours. I had also made a stipulation that I will avoid Singapore Airlines, my home-based carrier, for the simple reason that I had a relatively unpleasant encounter years ago that I wasn't as warmly received as my richer counterparts (read: business and first classes, and Westerners). I swore to boycott them, so to speak.

For years until a year ago, I also had been the proud cardmember of the Northwest frequent flyer program. The reason why I abandoned it will be listed as a point I'll be making regarding the abovementioned headline. But let me add the sorest point of all is their miserable black-out dates.

Without further ado, here are three simple reasons why I will be seeking friendlier skies with Singapore Airlines and other non-U.S.-owned carriers. Please note that there will be unavoidable circumstances when I will have to travel with U.S. carriers, mostly in transits to smaller cities and within the continental U.S.

1. Poor customer service. This is a rant on strictly personnel matters.
(a) Observe carefully the next time you board the plane, the only times you will see a smile is when you board it and when you unboard it. Seldom in between, unless you are a well-behaved baby or toddler, will you be flashed those pearly whites by your attendants.
(b) On my recent flight back from Japan onboard American Airlines, an attendant came down the aisle with various custom forms. When I asked if I needed an I-94 form in addition to my custom form since I'm a Permanent Resident, she icily cut me off by saying that I only needed the latter.
(c) I was unlucky (again) to be seated with a dysfunctional monitor. The channels were switching rapidly and there was no way I could stop it. The only functions I could access from it were music and flight path. Fortunately, I had the brains to utilize the monitor on the empty seat to my left. However, the picture wasn't clear as I was receiving screen glares. I had to incline my chair to get a better look. Since it wasn't a full flight, you'd think a conscientious attendant will notice that and offer to find me a seat with a working monitor. This wasn't the first time it happened to me. A year ago, on my way back, again from Japan and again on another American Airlines plane, I had to request for a new seat due to the similar circumstance. I was greeted with disbelief when I showed them the problem. But they offered to check the computer to make sure it was really not working right. Geniuses! Which leads me to point number ...

2. Skimping on products/services.
(a) I had traveled on various international airlines -- Japan Airlines, Thai Airways, Garuda, Singapore Airlines (SQ), and Qantas. The products and comfort level of the U.S. airlines pale in comparison to these international carriers. I had the good fortune of returning from Singapore to Japan on Singapore Airlines. I know I said I would boycott them but I had no idea that my scheduled carrier, the Japanese ANA (All-Nippon Airways) is on the same alliance as SQ. This time round, SQ amazed me by their attentive service to the cattle class (economy). They offered REAL warm hand towels that stayed warm even after you touched it. This is in comparison to the cheap wet-ones I was constantly offered in U.S. carriers. Have you realized the minute those warm wet-ones were dispensed, they immediately turned colder than cabin temperature? What is the frecking point of that!
(b) SQ has foot rests on their economy class. This is especially important for those of us who had to endure more than 8 hours of flight. Believe me, every bit of comfort counts.
(c) SQ's lavatories have a complete range of wash products, with caps intact. American ones only provide soap and lotion, the latter of which is grimey with lotion smeared over the bottle. SQ even made sure that the trash is emptied regularly and the wash area dry. How often have I ventured into U.S. planes to find the tiny washroom's trash brimming over with towels. Gross.
(d) Often, in international flights, you find international travelers. Some of these travelers could either only communicate in their own language or have as basic grasp of a foreign language. I have often seen soft-spoken foreigners attempting to speak in English to these American attendants, who in turn raised their voices as though they would be understood better. Furthermore, I find it extremely belittling when these attendants speak really s-l-o-w-l-y, as if it made a difference. (Tip: good attitude makes a world of difference. Try that next time.) There were times when I had to step in and translate. Now, you know why I hesitate to have my mom travel solo? It's humiliating, to say the least. Why can't these U.S. carriers staff more bilingual attendants? Even if they had one onboard, they should tell these poor foreigners to wait and bring that solo bilingual attendant over later. Common sense, afterall, right?
(e) I was on Thai Airways a year ago, from Singapore to Bangkok. At that time, the economy was quite bad in many countries. Imagine my surprise when on my return flight home, I was handed a beautiful LIVE orchid-and-fern corsage (see picture below). It may be nothing to some of you. The point is, they made the traveling experience just a little more pleasant. It's like getting a present from the colleague/neighbor you never knew.

3. Poor food. I am not expecting gourmet fare on economy class. But does it hurt to have proper silverware, and not plastic ones? Most Asian carriers carry relatively superior fare. And we get a choice. Imagine my shock on my flight from Japan to Singapore, I was onboard United. Since it was only a 6-hour flight, we were given a snack. Now, bear in mind that we have international travelers. Oftentimes, the Pacific-route passengers are Asian and may include Buddhists. There wasn't a choice. Instead, we were handed a box (which they later recycled, a gross idea since it contained crumbs that fell from my mouth) of roast beef sandwich. Since I eat anything, I didn't check it. Also, I was ravenous. Imagine if I were a non-red-meat eater, that would have devastating impact on my psyche!

Have I convinced you to be more wary, savvy travelers? I hope so. If there's anything blogs can achieve, it's to share and input that little bit of awareness in all of us. Please, my American counterparts, I'm not writing this as an effort to slam the country. It's my years of collective travel and comparison traveling that finally prompted me to make these theories.

So, here are my final words to the U.S.-run carriers, shape up and quit cost-cutting all the nitty-gritty if you are going to retain loyal fliers or else BUH-BYE from this one.