I went on a business trip recently to Chicago. I flew the new Northwest Airlines which is now Delta. I felt like I was flying first class. I only wish I was flying in first class. I have flown Northwest for years. Over the past several years I have noticed a deterioration in the attitude of the employees. I remember one flight a few years ago, the cabin attendants were in the back galley bashing management. By the way, that's not something you do in public where the people you serve can hear your conversation. From the minute that I arrived at the gate until I sat down in my seat I noticed a significant difference in everything. The plane was incredibly clean. The cabin attendants were extremely friendly. I was shocked when I was served peanuts and pretzels in coach. Something that Northwest did away with years ago. How much are your cost savings measures really costing you?
I was reading Delta's magazine before takeoff. It was clear I was flying a different airline. It might have been the same employees from Northwest however there was a different attitude and it was clearly different airline. In the magazine I was reading Richard Anderson the CEO of Delta talked about Delta's “Red Carpet” service. It's one thing to talk about it, it's another to execute. I firmly believe that attitude starts at the top. Your attitude in life will determine your altitude. Is your glass half empty or half full?