Last Sunday, Sept. 13 I had an amazing thing happen. I got thanked. Now some of you might think that's not such a big deal. And indeed in the general scheme of things, it's probably not earth shattering.
The big deal was that the president and CEO of WestJet thanked me for doing something I would do anyway - patronize his company. However, just as WestJet is no ordinary airline, Sean Durfy is no ordinary executive; he's a customer-service wizard. Instead of sitting quietly in his seat taking notes on what the flight crew were doing right and wrong, Durfy took the opportunity to welcome and express his gratitude to every passenger aboard the flight from Calgary that morning.
And rather than sounding glib, Durfy came across as sincere and committed to providing an excellent air experience for everyone who flies with his airline.
There are probably people reading this column right now who've had a less-than-stellar experience with WestJet. I'm not one of them.
I have never had my luggage lost and although I have had a digital camera go missing from my suitcase I suspect that problem came from the baggage handlers not the airline. I've never had a WestJet flight delayed by more than 30 minutes and I've never, ever had a sour flight attendant on a WJ flight.
And I seem to not be alone in my esteem of the little airline that could.
From humble beginnings in 1996, WestJet is now the most profitable airline in North America and the fourth most profitable in the world. And in this day and age that's saying a lot.
What makes this airline so outstanding? Well in my estimation it's a commitment to the basics of flying. Yes the days of free hot meals and gratis drinks are long gone on most domestic and overseas flights. And yes the fancy closed-off front section for VIPs is but a fond dream for most WestJet customers.
Instead you get what you pay for - a safe, comfortable flight with people who care about what they're doing.
On a previous flight from New York, I had pressed the attention button by mistake when the attendant came immediately she must have asked at least three times if there really wasn't anything she could do for me.
The other amazing part of the flight came at its end when the boss was helping the cabin crew tidy up. Yep, he probably does toilets too.
I'm not a WestJet stockholder and I'm not being paid to write this column. I'm just a satisfied customer who had the distinct pleasure of hearing a proud man give credit for the success of his airline to where it was due,the owners of the company - the staff. The business world needs more CEOs like Durfy.
