I hate flying

[island911]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

...
Imagine if we had a viable rail system for 500 mile trips.

We do. It's called Amtrak.

Should cost only about 3x the flight cost. (not counting the tax subsidies)

And, the customer service can be just as bad, if not worse.

[wdfifteen]

^^
I said "viable." Our passenger rail system is a disgrace to the civilized world.

[creaturecat]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

^^
I said "viable." Our passenger rail system is a disgrace to the civilized world.

Not when compared to the Canadian rail system. : )

Stay away from Ryan Air, at all costs. Never seen anything like it.

[Dantilla]

I love flying. Nice to have a pilot's license and a small airplane!

There is an airline pilot that writes a column in FLYING magazine. Interesting to get the other side of the story. Gate holds, ramp control, lots of things that can cause a delay completely out of the hands of the pilot, or the airline itself. It is clear that he wants to give excellent customer service, and does his best to keep the entire flight crew happy. He is often as frustrated as his passengers.

While I rarely fly commercially, it's usually a fairly pleasant experience. I find that if I have a good attitude towards the airline employees, I get a good attitude from them. It's amusing to watch grumpy passengers complain when they get the grumpy attitude returned their way.

The flight attendants are just humans, doing the best they can under sometimes nice, other times, very stressful conditions.

[imcarthur]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

BS.

You might want to Google the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. What we have today is a result.

Ian

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by BE911SC

America wanted "low cost" air travel and America got it.

Then why are we paying more than we did before? I know... fuel cost blah, blah, blah...

They cut my pay and I kept doing my job... times are tough for the worker... still doesn't give anyone an excuse to be lazy IMHO.

I should add you get what you pay for... you are not going to get Porsche performance at Hyundai prices.

I commuted from LAX or LGB to PDX for a couple years exclusively on Jet Blue and Alaska and never had a bad inflight experience... the security BS before getting on the plane was a huge PITA but that is not the airlines fault.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by imcarthur

You might want to Google the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. What we have today is a result.

Ian

Thanks. I did. I did not see where deregulation was done at the behest of passengers. I agree that it led to the mess we have now, but I don't see how that was done on behalf of passengers.

[recycled sixtie]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Thanks. I did. I did not see where deregulation was done at the behest of passengers. I agree that it led to the mess we have now, but I don't see how that was done on behalf of passengers.

It was done likely to streamline fares, efficiency, and enhance the profitability for the airlines. The fallout for the passengers was more discomfort due to more folks per square foot in the aircraft.

Ways to minimize discomfort?
Direct flights
Bus. class if you can afford it.
Avoid air travel in your job if it bothers you that much. ie. if your job prospect looks like it entails too much air travel, then find something else.

I agree there is no fun being stuck in an aluminum tube for too many hours especially if delayed and stationary. There is probably no worse form of punishment except being in jail!


Guy

[Chocaholic]

As someone who has been flying weekly for probably the past 20 years...I disagree with all above.

It's all about expectations. Be realistic. Any industry that moves that many people as safely and effectively as our airline industry does is ok with me.

I don't know what you guys expect. Foot massage at 30k feet by buxom flight attendant? You really quit a great job because you were too inconvenienced to fly on occasion? Wow. Just wow. Glad you don't work for me...you wouldn't like that either.

Overall, most of my flights are on time and I don't complain when I get a center seat in row 35....despite a million miles+ on Delta. If you had to put up with sh>> that flight attendants deal with, mostly from people who think they are owed the world because they bought a $300 ticket, you wouldn't be anywhere close to what I experience weekly from 99% of the airline employees I interface with.

It's a logistics nightmare and passengers are a-holes far more often than airline employees are. If you'd rather drive 9 hours than take a 2 hour flight....good! One more seat that I can get on when I arrive early to the airport and stand by for any seat I can get.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by BE911SC

America wanted "low cost" air travel and America got it. In large part that "low cost" came out of the employees pockets so you'll understand if the employees aren't always delighted to help you with your huge carry-on bag that you're trying to get around the baggage fee by forcing it into an overhead bin even if it kills everyone in the cabin. Deal with that every day and you'll understand why cabin crews aren't always eager to accommodate you with a smile on their face and limitless patience.



Your "low cost" ticket does not entitle you to "First Class" treatment. You gotta' pay for that, just like someone has to pay you more than a certain amount to do your job.



And in an open plea to the traveling public, do try to put something on before leaving for the airport. Your T-shirt and flip-flops may be intended to indicate your casual, carefree, laid-back sun and surf lifestyle but no one cares. Google the word "deodorant" and go buy some. Learn how to shave and comb your hair. Maybe then that one cute stew you're eyeing will pay attention to you. She sees slobs all day, every day so clean yourself up, smile and be polite (and gate-check your huge duffle bag) and maybe it'll pay off.

Spot-on. It's ALL about price point. This is a big reason I gave up on my dream of being an airline pilot (flight instructed full-time for a year and a half, then flew Part 135 as a cargo captain, was interviewing with the regionals when 9/11 happened (which pretty much twisted the knife in...). I didn't feel like flying cargo for another two or three years for $30k-$40k a year to hopefully get another crack at a regional (assuming the industry turned around at all, which wasn't certain at the time) to sit right seat for $20k a year - typical salary because of the desire to cut costs above anything else. I quit and went back to doing design work professionally and it was the best thing I could've ever done for myself. I miss the flying part terribly but it's just not a very viable career path anymore due to the constant state of fare war between carriers. It's ALL about price point -service no longer counts for much if anything.

[FLYGEEZER]

Scary thing, the working end of a CRJ. And it's usually crewed by a very hard working, older Captain & a kid FO thats 10 miles behind the airplane when ya really need him/her. Many legs a day and a bad nights sleep, then it starts all over tomorrow. Sittin' in the front seats on a regional carrier ain't no better than a seat in the back, that ones got to pay for to ride in. I don't ride in 'em anymore. I'll drive anywhere I gotta take a regional to get me there.

[fred cook]

The last time I got on a commercial flight was about 5 years ago. I swore that I would never again set foot on a commercial airliner on my own free will! Any place within a 1 - 2 day drive will see me arrive in an automobile, any place father than that will be done on a chartered flight. It's not that I don't like flying, I do, but I refuse to put up with all of the security bs.

[Don Plumley]

I don't fly now as much as I used to (lifetime AA Plat), but mostly I agree with Chocaholic. The end result of being in another part of the US or the world, for whatever reason, is worth whatever bits of inconvenience you might feel for a few hours. And pretty entertained looking at all the humanity - then I put on the noise canceling headphones and check out for a few hours of solitude above the clouds. There's nothing, nothing, like looking at the world from 35,000 feet on a clear day. And there's nothing better than going asleep and waking up in Tokyo, or Paris, or anywhere. I'm not talking about flying First Class/B Class either (though that helps), I almost only fly coach overseas now. I just love travel and still get all giddy when I drive up to an airport and see airplanes.

For those of you that hate the security BS, I have two words for you: Global Entry. Best $100 you could spend. You get TSA Pre Check and bypass the BS. Coming through Passport/Customs overseas is super fast and easy.

My two yen.

[Arizona 911]

I'm flying to the Philippines this July and don't have a clue what I'm doing. I have never flown before and am pretty scared about it. The thing I really dread is how I'm going to cope with such a long flight. I'm 6'5" tall and weigh 220#. One of the few times I wish I was small.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Arizona 911

I'm flying to the Philippines this July and don't have a clue what I'm doing. I have never flown before and am pretty scared about it. The thing I really dread is how I'm going to cope with such a long flight. I'm 6'5" tall and weigh 220#. One of the few times I wish I was small.

I would say don't worry. Delta is the only international carrier where I really felt no one cared if I lived or died. Most of the others seem to want your business. Domestic, especially regional flying is way different.

[island911]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

^^
I said "viable." Our passenger rail system is a disgrace to the civilized world.

This?


Maybe this?


Seriously, many trains, of the ROW, have toilets that are nothing but holes to the tracks. But Amtrak is a disgrace to the civilized world.



I think that a metal tube on rails can be cut-rate poor service, just like the metal tube in the sky.

[mattdavis11]

Last time I had a high speed aluminum tube propel my ass, it was all my fault that it was not desirable. Next time, I won't spark a conversation, as there might be two magpies, one on each side. Last seat on the plane.

SWA for me only.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by Arizona 911

I'm flying to the Philippines this July and don't have a clue what I'm doing. I have never flown before and am pretty scared about it. The thing I really dread is how I'm going to cope with such a long flight. I'm 6'5" tall and weigh 220#. One of the few times I wish I was small.

Take gorp and gatoraide, earplugs and an ipod, good book, blinders, a blowup neck cushion, and clothing you can sit on because of those uncomfortable seats (which should be angled 5 degrees back for comfort).

[Nate2046]

Originally Posted by FLYGEEZER

Scary thing, the working end of a CRJ. And it's usually crewed by a very hard working, older Captain & a kid FO thats 10 miles behind the airplane when ya really need him/her.

I flew a CRJ for 13 years and couldn't agree with you less, at least for the part that I quoted. Threads like this remind me of how grateful I am that I fly primarily freight these days. The general public's demands are so unrealistic its unbelievable.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Nate2046

The general public's demands are so unrealistic its unbelievable.

What do we demand that is unreasonable?

Don't make sit on the Tarmac waiting to take off for more than half an hour

Make the seats wide enough that the 300 pound guy sitting next to me fits and doesn't slop over onto my seat.

Give me enough room in front of my seat that my knees don't press against the seat in front of me.

Provide cabin crew that help passengers.

Maintain posted schedules.