Just how bad is airline service

[Hughman]

To me a first class ticket is an rv with a jeep in tow.

 

[dmccarty]

Flying now a days is too stressful, too much work, too costly, too painful, etc.

The big problem is the airlines, like soooo many companies now a days are squeezing to save/make a very little percentage. They don't give a rats behind at the cost to their employees, much less, the Customer.

We will only fly internationally, or maybe across country, and we have settled on Delta because they have the best metrics going back years. Having said that....

We are planning an overseas trip and we thought we had enough points to fly for very little money. Long, Long LONG story short the ticket prices were much more expensive than we had planned and we spent far more cash than expected on tickets My wife has spent hours, and hours and hours on the phone dealing with one issue after another. Our original flight was changed. They split up the party onto TWO different flights! We paid for seat upgrades but did not what we paid. They then had us spread out all over the plane. We guess my wife has spent a good 24 hours on the phone straitening out the mess that Delta made.

The airlines want you too make early reservations but then they just change the flight one spent hours selecting. We hate flying.

I don't want government regulation but the airlines are asking for it. The overbooking, arbitrary flight changes, arbitrary seat changes, charges for every little thing, etc., along with the security theater, is what is pissing people off and causing misbehavior. We had one flight on United where the flight attendant announced that the TVs were not working, there was a problem with water, and he did not understand how management could let the plane fly. I can't image how someone with a flight phobia handled that rant. We were like, you had better fly this plane because we have a connecting flight to catch! We don't need not stinking TV or water. Fly this b....h.

My wife, even with Global Entry credentials, was all but stripped searched in Dublin. Why? We got to the airport early so we would not miss an early morning flight, security knew she had time before the flight, so to make their numbers, they spent 15 minutes searching her. I had to do an explosive test on my hands passing through security when I was going to pick up a child at the gate. Why? It was not busy and they had time to do this theater. They had NO reasonable suspicion I had handled explosives. Unless they think a thick book I was carrying was a bomb.... Then there was the security idiot at LAX....

 

[riptides]

I quit flying a couple of years ago. I just had enough of travel. I found entry and exit into the US of A to be more troublesome then entry and exits from Unions or Monarchies.

I set my mind that flying would be a hassle. Anything less than a hassle was considered a great day to rejoice.

I have had my stories with TSA, Customs and the State Department. LOL. But believe me, the stories for hassles when things go bad are a lot worse in other places. Some were career changing.

 

[NoTrespassing]

We were supposed to fly to the Philippines to my wife's parents this June but she took a new job so we'll wait until June 2024. I can't imagine what a hassle it will be. Normally it takes a 2 1/2 hour drive, 4 flights and an hour van ride to get there. That usually equals about 24 hours from our house to theirs. We usually stay a month and haven't been there since 2017. I've been there in 2006, 2007, 2011, 2014, and 2017. I have some harrowing stories about travel within the country.

In 2014 we flew through Vancouver and were delayed overnight for lack of crew. I got terrible food poisoning at the airport restaurant and after a sleepless night had to board at 8am. It was touch and go the whole flight.

Kevin

 

[dodge man]

When we flew Southwest used to be our choice. I saw a stat recently, as I recall they were canceling something lije 14% of their flights.

 

[JethroB]

Not much of a flyer but my last trip was a doozy. My parents get booted off a cruise ship in Alaska due to my dad’s sudden serious illness. Short story, we got home to south Georgia from Bellingham WA in a Lear 35 or 36 (?) semi-converted for med flights. Dad was recovering by then and he enjoyed the ride too at 43,000 ft. Two pilots, two nurses, mom, dad, and me. A wee bit pricey way to fly though.

 

[oldtimer 66]

I used to fly a lot. Not so much anymore. To give you and example. In 8 days I was on 8 different itinerates to eight different cities and that was in Mexico. Last week I got back from a cruise in the Caribbean. On the flight down to the cruise I asked the flight attendant how long the flight was. She said " I don't know. We've never made it".

 

[JasperFrank]

Never, and I mean NEVER, use Denver in a connecting flight.

 

[Joel/ak]

Not good news. I rarely fly but I'm planning on flying to Anchorage Alaska in August to visit my son and his family who is stationed there.

Maybe non-stop is the way to go?

I'd fly AKair and you will have 1 layover. When I flew out of DFW, had a stop in Seattle then on to Anchorage. Better chance to get on another flight in case you get delayed/bumped. Not so much with delta. Not sure if they added any new carriers in the last 10 years

 

[tradosaurus]

I'd fly AK air and you will have 1 layover. When I flew out of DFW, had a stop in Seattle then on to Anchorage. Better chance to get on another flight in case you get delayed/bumped. Not so much with delta. Not sure if they added any new carriers in the last 10 years

Thanks. I assume AK = Alaska Airlines? I would be flying out of DFW.