You’re getting jostled like a Boston commuter on the “T” at rush hour and the overwhelming stench of alcohol wafting under your nose brings you back to consciousness. Your eyes open and you crane your stiff neck off the travel pillow. Looking around, the absence of strobe lights and peanut shells crunching under your feet says you’re not at the brew house downtown. But the drunk guy next to you carrying on a conversation with his hand suggests that you’re still on the airplane.
Unlike funds and pilots, there’s no shortage of unfortunate incidents, belligerent passengers and bad weather for airlines.
“The hardest thing is telling a customer that they can’t get to where they need to go,” said Jeff Haag, newly appointed station manager for Southwest Airlines at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, who deals daily with sticky situations and (un)happy fliers.
“Honesty is the best policy.”
Haag said that of all the complaints he receives at Southwest, 90 percent of his time is spent dealing with a “weather nightmare” which can cancel and delay flights, prohibiting people from getting to weddings, graduations or family emergencies.
Haag is in charge of all station operations including overseeing the 19 Southwest flights a day that go in and out of Bradley, keeping up customer satisfaction, making sure bags are delivered on time and to the right place, and managing 65 employees.
Previously, Haag worked in Las Vegas, Southwest’s largest station, as a department manager.
He started with Southwest 11 years ago because his brother was working for them at the time. He has since lived and worked for Southwest in California, Texas, Missouri, Oregon, Florida, Nevada (three times), New York, and Connecticut.
Haag said the airline offers a good move package and promotional offers, which keep him moving for the company.
“The biggest draw for me is that Southwest offers an exceptional service to our customers,” said Haag, who enjoys reporting to work each day, even with impending inclement weather. “It’s very rewarding.”
Haag has a degree in finance from Southwest Missouri State University. He originally planned to be a broker, but the airlines have kept him busy and satisfied. When he was younger, Haag had a hankering to be a professional golfer, but continues to feed his passion for the sport by golfing on the side, particularly at his favorite courses in Las Vegas.
Haag, 32, lives in West Hartford. He indicated no plans to go beyond his post for the airline in the near future. “At this point I’m very content,” he said.
Amanda Blaszyk is a staff writer for the Hartford Business Journal.
