What the QM2 Could Teach the Airlines
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

Let’s think this through. Just a few weeks ago, Northwest Airlines took a bold management step to shore up its shaky finances. It stopped handing out pretzels to passengers. Inspired, yes?
At about the same time, Cunard executives were probably assessing how to improve the caviar canapes delivered to Queen Mary 2 passengers during the cocktail hour. Or, they might have been reviewing which kinds of chocolates should be handed around after dinner, or whether tea service should be offered in two locations on board, or three.
In another boneheaded economy move, American Airlines, and others, have removed pillows from the passenger cabins. Meanwhile, Cunard offers guests nine different types of pillows – nine! Goose down, U-Shape, foam – whatever.
Surprise! Travelers enjoy being pampered and spoiled. The Queen Mary 2 sailed last week from New York to Southampton, chock-a-block with 2,400 passengers, some of whom were traveling on business. These travelers-of-necessity decided to take a few days off, enjoy the luxury of total relaxation and relentless leisure, and avoid the horror of having to check in at LaGuardia Airport.
The difference? Northwest’s stock price ($12) is off more than 40% year-over-year, while that of Carnival Cruise Lines ($52), which has owned Cunard since 1998, is up 19%. Northwest, the fourth-largest carrier in America, has just seen its debt ratings reduced, and bankruptcy has been rumored.
Carnival, on the other hand, is posting solid earnings gains, 23% operating margins, and analysts expect the share price to break $60. It may strike some as an unfair comparison, but, after all, both Northwest and Carnival are in the travel business. The difference is that the airline industry has forgotten passengers want to enjoy themselves, even if they are traveling on business. They have dropped the “service” out of their service industry.
While it is true that the airlines have had to contend with high jet-fuel prices, bloated union demands, and the unusual security measures imposed since 9/11, it can be argued that the no-pretzel mentality has, in the end, killed the industry. Security aboard the Queen Mary 2 is also intense, but, according to company spokesman Amanda Reid, it has been arranged with the goal of not being intrusive.
That objective has been met. Boarding the Queen Mary 2 in New York is a painless affair, with cheerful staff carrying out a reasonable inspection of persons and goods. NYPD boats patrol the waters around the ship, and escort the gigantic vessel out to sea. It is not upsetting or unpleasant.
Couldn’t the airlines have teamed up with the government to figure out a better way of ensuring the safety of planes and passengers? Even the stodgy governments of Europe are well on their way to introducing new ID card schemes, which rely on iris screens and are more reliable than normal identification processes. This will likely result in quicker border crossings and less passenger aggravation. We are way behind.
Why haven’t the airlines managed their labor relations so that crews have a vested interest in making passengers comfortable? The crew on the Queen Mary 2 works long hours, but are paid and treated well. In return, they are attentive and courteous to the passengers. They are given pleasant quarters, allowed to partake of the ship’s entertainment, have their own bar, and appear to consider working on the QM2 a plum assignment. Good management, that.
The point is that the airlines appear to have forgotten that they are in the business of providing a service. We could conclude that airline travel is fungible, as the company managements appear to believe, but then we would have difficulty explaining the success of Song and JetBlue, both of which market with some eye to pleasing the passenger via wider seats or in-flight entertainment.
In any case, the success of the Queen Mary 2, and other luxury ocean liners, argues for a somewhat different take on the American passenger, who responds predictably to good food and comfort, and appears willing to pay for it.
Interestingly, even with a crew to passenger ratio under 2:1, prices for the Queen Mary 2 are not exorbitant. One can spend six days crossing the Atlantic in a premium room with an outside balcony for as little as $1,599. Considering that fares include all food, entertainment, and a terrific gym, it is a bargain. The only extra fees are for massages at the Canyon Ranch Spa and bar bills.