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There is no question that the airline industry has been drastically impacted by COVID-19 and is suffering in unprecedented ways. Recognizing the importance of ensuring the survival of an essential transportation infrastructure, most countries have provided significant funding to support airlines or, as is the case in Canada, are currently considering doing so.
At the same time, critics have questioned whether airlines’ own practices during the pandemic may have undermined their case for support. Even before COVID-19, many travellers shared their experiences of airlines behaving badly. Reports of interminable hold times on the phone, poor responsiveness to legitimate complaints and an indifference to customer welfare abound. Airlines have often become the businesses we most love to hate and, as such, failed to build a reservoir of goodwill that they can draw upon now.