I tell people I am “The Official Complaint Taker” for the Eugene Airport, which often they think is funny, but it’s true. I feel very strongly that passengers and other patrons at EUG should be able to speak to a real and empathetic person when they have a concern or complaint about their experience at our airport, so I have appointed myself this person.

Fortunately at EUG I don’t get too many complaints. Most people find our airport friendly and easy all the way around: easy access, check-in, security screening, and boarding for departures, and easy to navigate upon arrival. We have some of the most professional and friendly tenant partners around: airlines, TSA, car rental agents, etc.

Commercial air travel today is not always easy and sometimes I do get complaints. From my experience, attitude is everything. Passengers are pretty understanding about delays due to weather or mechanical issues. Most realize that there is a domino effect that happens; when flights in one region get backed up, it can back up flights across the nation. What they do not tolerate is bad attitudes and I completely understand. The vast majority of the complaints I receive could have been avoided by people just being nice.

I don’t have a hammer. That’s my way of saying I have no power over how our tenant partners deal with our passengers. What I do have to wield is constant contact with our airline station and tenant managers to mitigate problems. I answer and follow up on every complaint, encourage apologies and corrective action, and reinforce how we want passengers at EUG to be treated. Sometimes this means even taking it to the corporate level.

Traveling can be stressful, but there are some things passengers can do to help ensure a good experience. Be prepared; come to the airport 90-minutes before your flight (120-minutes during heavy holiday travel), know your airline’s baggage requirements (weight, fees, and carry-on), listen and follow directions at check-in and security screening, and above all be nice! My mom always told me growing up: “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar,” so when something does go awry, try the nice approach first. I guarantee you’ll get better service than the guy next to you who’s yelling at the ticket agent.