The joys of air travel... NOT!

I hate the people who bring on board over-sized bags and think they will fit in the overhead compartment. Had one lady on my last trip this spring try to pound her over-sized duffle bag into the bin a seat ahead of me. She held up people trying to board and the flight attendant just stood there. I don't understand why they don't stop people at the gate with these bags.

I hate flying with a passion...but have to so that my kids can see their grandparents and relatives. I started flying alone with my kids when I got divorced...they were 3 and 5 at the time and they had more commense than most of the people traveling and the airline staff.
 
Had an old uncle that homesteaded in Wyoming before the turn of the last century.
His family after many years of hounding him finally convinced him to fly to a convention back in Kansas City back in the 60s'

When asked how the flight was when he got back home, he said, "Well it was alright I guess, but I never did sit full down!":cool:
 
Arik said:
I don't care if I have to walk bare foot through the airport, get searched,,wait in long lines... they can have my DNA for all I care as long as they can guarantee a 100% safe flight. I just want the flight done and over with as fast as possible. There is nothing exciting or fun about it
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there is NO such guarantee...never was...never will be..........airport security is merely an illusion of safety...........
 
The good old days

steveno said:
back in the early 1970's when you flew in uniform airlines like United and Braniff would automatically sit you in first class. I wonder if United would still do that?
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I remember flying military standby in the late 60s in uniform. Half price tickets and if they had empty first class seats they'd seat you and treat you nice.

A few weeks ago we flew from Virginia to California and back to see my son and his family. No real problems but it sure isn't as pleasant as it used to be.

Once upon a time flying was fun. Now it's a necessity if you want to get somewhere quickly. I only do it when I have to.
 
Wow, I'm going to wait for those "half squat" seats before I fly again. I bet that will be a real "trip" and I don't want to miss that.
 
Aden67 said:
I hate the people who bring on board over-sized bags and think they will fit in the overhead compartment. Had one lady on my last trip this spring try to pound her over-sized duffle bag into the bin a seat ahead of me. She held up people trying to board and the flight attendant just stood there. I don't understand why they don't stop people at the gate with these bags.

I hate flying with a passion...but have to so that my kids can see their grandparents and relatives. I started flying alone with my kids when I got divorced...they were 3 and 5 at the time and they had more commense than most of the people traveling and the airline staff.
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I thought the airlines had a "box" that your carry on luggage had to fit in, otherwise you had to check it as baggage.
 
dswancutt said:
I thought the airlines had a "box" that your carry on luggage had to fit in, otherwise you had to check it as baggage.
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It would be so simple to place the size restriction bars for carry ons in front of the X ray machine. If your Carry on does not fit.... it is NOT a carry on! Duh!

Why the airlines haven't done so is a mystery to me but then common sense left the building on 9/12/01.
 
Arik said:
I don't care if I have to walk bare foot through the airport, get searched,,wait in long lines... they can have my DNA for all I care as long as they can guarantee a 100% safe flight.
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The only guarantee is that you will be disarmed and unable to defend yourself in the event of a violent attack by this country's enemies.

That and there is also no guarantee that a loony pilot doesn't lock his partner out of the cockpit and turn your plane into a lawn dart.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy your flight......
 
As,opposed to being allowed to carry on a plane now?

Thus I don't fly. And won't unless there no way around it. Actually I take that back somewhat. I'm ok with flying as long as it's a few feet of the ground. Max one story building hight.
 
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Business and first class travelers pay premium prices -- actually, their employers do, primarily -- and generate the most profit for the airlines. (I think most of the passengers in first have been upgraded from business. I think the passenger who actually pays for a first class ticket is pretty unusual.) These high prices also subsidize the prices for economy class passengers. Adjusted for inflation, economy travel is much cheaper than it used to be.

My theory as to why the planes are always crowded these days is that the airlines have software to help them figure out exactly what they need to charge to fill the plane, and that the last guy on pays a nickle.

I think at least part of the overhead bin being overloaded issue is that many of the airlines, for domestic flights anyway, now charge for checked luggage.

I flew business and first for many years across the Pacific, sometimes as much as almost every month. In retirement, I fly economy. While biz or first is a lot more comfortable, if the money is coming out of my pocket I'll stick to economy.

It is also true, as a couple of posters note above, that some foreign airlines economy class is pretty good in comparison to that of the US airlines. On the other hand, US airlines trap you with their superior milage plans, so for someone who flies fairly frequently, and hopes to save money, you tend to stick to one US carrier.

I don't disagree with anyone that plane travel is unpleasant these days. I look at it as an unpleasant experience which I need to suffer through in order to travel across the Pacific as frequently as I do.
 
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I wonder if anyone has done a study to determine how the checked baggage charge has affected carry-on luggage? I suspect part of the problem is the airline geniuses didn't factor in that if they charge people to check their bag, they will carry-on. So you get slow lines through the security checkpoints and overstuffed bins in the cabin.

The last time I flew, the only thing I carried with me was my phone, wallet, and a paperback book. I got through security much quicker that way.
 
Sitting at the Denver airport as I type this.

My Newark flight set for 1035 didn't leave until 1330. NO Crew to fly the plane!

So that set my whole day back. Now my 1837 flt to Helena has turned into the 1919 and not here yet.

I may get home by 2300 MST. After starting at 0500 MST.

But....Still beats driving for two plus days!
 
dswancutt said:
I thought the airlines had a "box" that your carry on luggage had to fit in, otherwise you had to check it as baggage.
Click to expand...

They do, and they almost never use it... in the US. The carry on limit is enforced with vigour at the London airports, and it makes US citizens going home very grumpy. The US carriers pay lip service to the carry on limit, the TSA just follows their example.;)
 
Just got home from Philthydelphia. What a flight. Almost 'Neff room to sit. worst thing to bother me is wondering if you are gonna make the connecting flights. I barely did by 5 minutes... and I hadda run. Understand..I just got out of the hospital with cardiac issues on Saturday. Momma Did keep up though. And I gotta go do it again the first part of September
 
I think some airlines even charge for carry-ons, except for one purse or briefcase/laptop case. I haven't been on a plane for about 2 years, but the last one I was on (don't remember the carrier) provided nothing free unless you wanted a cup of water. No coffee, soft drinks or snacks, unless you were willing to pay. I wasn't. I had understood that some airlines have reduced numbers of their flights so they can get 100% seat occupancy on those planes that did fly.
 
Next time fly Hawaiian Airlines - they do a pretty good job of customer service, and fly direct from PHX to Honolulu. AAA will set you up nicely. We had very nice 6-hour flights; the only fly in the ointment was a screaming kid right across the aisle on the go-to flight. It was something only the kid's parents might be able to control, and that didn't happen. I tried giving them "the look" but to no avail. **** happens.

John
 
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"Remember when people used to DRESS UP to fly?"

Back in the early-mid 1960s when I first began to fly regularly, it was a real dress-up event. Men almost always wore a suit or at least dress slacks and a jacket, with tie. Women wore nice dresses, and many wore hats. The stewardesses (they were called that then) were mainly young and very classy, not the grandmas of today. Eastern Airlines always had easily the sexiest stewardesses. I think all that began to change around the Vietnam era of the late 1960s and later, to the point it is today where virtually no one wears anything fancier than a T-shirt and blue jeans, if that.
 
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