One brand has a wonderful reputation, the other was just declared the worst of America's major airlines. How big is the difference? //

The Lesson. It's Always The Human Element.
There wasn't so much to choose between the two airlines. Or, at least, not as much as I'd imagined. This wasn't the glorious vs. the grotesque.

The real difference -- other than the painful disparity in food quality -- was that the human element of customer service seemed infused throughout the Delta experience, while on American it was rather confined to one exceptionally, spontaneously thoughtful gesture.

As everything becomes roboticized, personal touches still have an enormous effect. Whether the product experience is going right or wrong -- and with airlines people really dislike the wrong -- how your employees handle it is crucial.