Anil Polat, who runs foXnoMad, which is a travel blog for “people who love the journey as much as they enjoy the destination. foXnoMad is a resting point to gather information on the best ways and gadgets vagabonds can use to stay in touch, save money, and make the most out of any vacation,” has written a guide to using the fundamentals of Sun Tzu‘s The Art of War to deal with even the most difficult airline employee. Some wisdom is timeless.
We’ve summarized and annotated our version below, but you check out the original post here.
- “Use Anger to Throw Them into Disarray” – Being slightly agitated can help you get your way, but getting too angry has the opposite effect. Be firm but not crazy.
- “Cause Division Among Them” – Using confrontational words will only decrease their willingness to help you. Get the airline staff to work with you, not against you, to get your way with the airline.
- “…Even if you are winning, if you continue for a long time it will dull your forces…” – Get to the point. Don’t dig a hole for yourself by making the same point over and over again. The representative will start to regret trying to help you in the first place. Don’t give up, be persistent, but move on quickly.
- “…Overcome Others’ Force Without Battle…” – Tell the representative they are doing a good job, and you’d like to offer to write or tell their supervisor. Motivate them to go the extra mile.
- “Even though you are Competent, Appear to be Incompetent” – Sometimes, being seemingly ignorant can be to your advantage(we find it hard to pull off). Keep your mouth shut. Sometimes, it is not the best idea to not volunteer information.
- “Those who know when to Fight and when Not to Fight are Victorious.” – Knowing who and when to put up a good argument is essential. You want to work with the agents and make them want to help you. If there is nothing to gain by complaining…don’t.
- “Using Order to Deal with Disorder, Using Calm to Deal with the Clamorous, is Mastering the Heart.” – Accept the circumstances, come up with a strategy, and calmly execute it. Watch old episodes of A&E’s Airline to see what not to do when circumstances leave you unhappy.
- “Matters are Dealt with Strictly at Headquarters” – Don’t be afraid to escalate. Keep escalating until someone addresses your concerns in a satisfactory manner. If not at the airport, send a letter or email.
- “Conflict without Fighting is the Greatest Victory.” – Use everything you know and you have experienced to that point to your advantage. Find vulnerabilities in the other side, ie under what circumstances might they do what you want? You may need to become a bit aggressive, but look at each time this happens as an opportunity to hone your skills as a travel warrior.
Remember, you may emerge covered in blood(figuratively) and sweat(literally), but you will be victorious.