The only nice thing about having my flights back to the US cancelled when I was caught in the bullshit in 2016 at Ataturk Airport was that the EU rules required Turkish Airlines to foot the bill for my hotel stay until they could reschedule my flight back. That was nice.
Unfortunately, the hotel chain that is big in Turkey is named "Titanic" and I still wonder why anyone in any country would ever think that is a good idea for a business. I suppose they have different ideas about cursed names in Istanbul.
I won’t be happy until there are significant charges for BRINGING LUGGAGE ON THE PLANE! Sorry to be shouty, but people wag all the crap they can manage on to the plane and it takes forever to get loaded and get the plane off the ground. Make that a fee - $100 a bag, minimum.
Right? But it's also that picking up luggage takes soooooooooo long. Deplaning already takes for-fucking ever, then you have to hang around another 30 minutes at the luggage carousel for your stuff. And then to charge for it on top of it? No thanks.
I generally don't check a bag unless I'm on an international flight where the first bag is going to be included anyway. I always have two carry-on bags, though - my actual laptop bag that has the most crucial stuff in it and fits under the seat, and a weekender luggage bag that can fit into the bins, but can also get checked, if they are short on space and offering that service for free on a domestic flight.
Yes, I agree, but also people are cheap and airlines brought ON THEMSELVES with their greedy gouging the overcrowding of overhead bins and the ensuing debacles with gate check/plane check of baggage that can't be fit in ....
The latest for me was from Breeze Airlines. Got an email that was giving 35% off the base price of a ticket. You have no idea what it is until you “build” your ticket. Cabin fee, legroom fee, baggage fee. When it’s over you get about $13 off the price of a $300 ticket. 13/300= 4.3%
My biggest "add on" shock wasn't even a U.S. airline. Canada Air made passengers pay extra if they wanted an actual seat to sit in during the (international) flight. I often wondered whether a passenger would have to sit on the floor or maybe ride in the luggage compartment. I didn't test the theory.
I'm guessing that you get a standby lottery at that price, and you get put where they can fit you, even if it means the extra stewardess's seat at the back of the plane.
Fun fact: I was a Flight Attendant. I think that they shouldn't charge for checking bags but for dragging those motherfuckers on board. I GET the need for a child seat or a stroller and personal stuff, but I hate to drag that shit on board and feel punished for making it easier to get aloft faster.
But if you think that airlines hate passengers you should see how badly they hate their employees and especially flight attendants. Trust me folks! If they could put vending machines on the plane and not have anyone but the pilots, they would.
Don't get me started on "duty day" (up to 14 hours) AND we had to negotiate a MEAL for so many hours in flight. Like seriously, you've got a 4 day trip with 12 hr layovers (from when the plane pushes back until it makes it to the jetway on the return) and were literally expected to get your own meals all day long. This was in the 1990's! Not that long ago.
It's safe to go back to the bus station. Even better..Trial Rail. That's at least some fun.
If they could..Luckily the FAA dictates you must have X amount of personnel per plane loads. If you are on a 767 as an example and that plane holds say 250, you’d need a minimum of 5 FA’s. Now, there is some wiggle room because they would still fly understaffed by one and then there is some pay differential I think. Two understaffed? Flight cancelled.
Last time I flew was six years ago, and the time before that was something like fifteen years before. My plan is to never fly again - if I can get there within a four day drive, I'm driving. I hate to fly, I love to drive, Mom and Pop motels, a cooler full of club soda and sandwiches, I can bring whatever I want, no jet lag.... Never flying again.
We used to get nice meals on log flights not peanuts and a soda. For all the hype airlines make about themselves flying is just a royal pain in the butt - literally. I would rather drive. At least I know my doors won't fall off. They can do better. Much better.
Airlines can go suck wind. No one is saying that they cannot charge these fees. They're just saying you have to TELL people ahead of time that you are going to charge them. Trust me, a software engineer: The software will adapt probably with AI so the customer can say "I'm a poor and I need to get to Cleveland and yes I can limit my belongings to 20 pounds on the flight and I'll bring my own food" and get back: Airline X, one checked bag, $200 non-stop and Airline Y, one carry-on = $150 but it will take 3 hours". Another customer says "My company is paying for it all so I want food and I don't want to carry on my bag" etc. etc.
Those stupid fees are not considered taxable as income on the airlines' financial statements. That's why they load them on. And so it leads to all those steamer trunks being heaved into the overhead bins on board. Come on people. Demand the airlines stop the b.s.
I have extremely little brand loyalty. Delta is one of the few ones where I've got lukewarm feelings of brand loyalty as opposed to the stone cold hatred I feel towards other airlines.
Even my shitty experiences with Delta have been humanly shitty, not corporate shitty.
Edit: Two specific examples. 1. Flight from Atlanta to Minneapolis. Weather delay in Atlanta. I had a connecting flight. Delta gives its flight crews discretion to delay if not all passengers are on board in situations like that. I'm running across the airport, hearing my name on the PA because THEY FUCKING HELD THE PLANE FOR THE ATLANTA PEOPLE. There were five of us. The stewardess inside the plane greeted me with a bottle of water and said, "You made it!" 2. Summer 2022. Flight from Barcelona back to Atlanta. Plane delayed three hours because the flight crew was sick. Delta called in a reserve crew from their day off, including a pilot. We let the pilot cut the coffee line and chatted with him about the situation. The delay was because he legally couldn't fly until the rescheduled take off time. He said he'd at least gotten a full night's sleep, but would be negotiating an extra day off the following week for this. Totally fair. They ran that plane with a skeleton crew, only the two pilots, and two stewards. We gave them a round of applause when we landed.
I pay a premium for Delta tickets to this day, because when shit happens, as it often does when flying, I know they're going to try to make it as not-awful as they possibly can, when they can, and really that's about all I can ask for.
The only nice thing about having my flights back to the US cancelled when I was caught in the bullshit in 2016 at Ataturk Airport was that the EU rules required Turkish Airlines to foot the bill for my hotel stay until they could reschedule my flight back. That was nice.
Unfortunately, the hotel chain that is big in Turkey is named "Titanic" and I still wonder why anyone in any country would ever think that is a good idea for a business. I suppose they have different ideas about cursed names in Istanbul.
I fly a fair amount, and these changes will be NICE.
And WOW that is condescending to say that passengers can't handle all the information upfront!!
That little bitch Doug Mullen sounds like an Agolf Shitler hire!
I won’t be happy until there are significant charges for BRINGING LUGGAGE ON THE PLANE! Sorry to be shouty, but people wag all the crap they can manage on to the plane and it takes forever to get loaded and get the plane off the ground. Make that a fee - $100 a bag, minimum.
Then force the airlines to stop their fucking gouging for checking baggage.
It used to be free, remember? And the problem you describe DIDN'T EXIST THEN!
Right? But it's also that picking up luggage takes soooooooooo long. Deplaning already takes for-fucking ever, then you have to hang around another 30 minutes at the luggage carousel for your stuff. And then to charge for it on top of it? No thanks.
I generally don't check a bag unless I'm on an international flight where the first bag is going to be included anyway. I always have two carry-on bags, though - my actual laptop bag that has the most crucial stuff in it and fits under the seat, and a weekender luggage bag that can fit into the bins, but can also get checked, if they are short on space and offering that service for free on a domestic flight.
Yes, I agree, but also people are cheap and airlines brought ON THEMSELVES with their greedy gouging the overcrowding of overhead bins and the ensuing debacles with gate check/plane check of baggage that can't be fit in ....
The latest for me was from Breeze Airlines. Got an email that was giving 35% off the base price of a ticket. You have no idea what it is until you “build” your ticket. Cabin fee, legroom fee, baggage fee. When it’s over you get about $13 off the price of a $300 ticket. 13/300= 4.3%
Yeah, I bought a ticket to fly then they wanted to charge me extra for a "seat".
My biggest "add on" shock wasn't even a U.S. airline. Canada Air made passengers pay extra if they wanted an actual seat to sit in during the (international) flight. I often wondered whether a passenger would have to sit on the floor or maybe ride in the luggage compartment. I didn't test the theory.
I'm guessing that you get a standby lottery at that price, and you get put where they can fit you, even if it means the extra stewardess's seat at the back of the plane.
I posted before I read your comment. Right there with you.
Now how about regulations to prevent airlines from going out their way to make flying the most miserable experience possible?
Airlines would charge a fee for the air inside the cabin if they could.
And to get into the lav.
Put a coin in the slot and turn the handle?
Coin?
Credit card maybe.
Fun fact: I was a Flight Attendant. I think that they shouldn't charge for checking bags but for dragging those motherfuckers on board. I GET the need for a child seat or a stroller and personal stuff, but I hate to drag that shit on board and feel punished for making it easier to get aloft faster.
But if you think that airlines hate passengers you should see how badly they hate their employees and especially flight attendants. Trust me folks! If they could put vending machines on the plane and not have anyone but the pilots, they would.
Don't get me started on "duty day" (up to 14 hours) AND we had to negotiate a MEAL for so many hours in flight. Like seriously, you've got a 4 day trip with 12 hr layovers (from when the plane pushes back until it makes it to the jetway on the return) and were literally expected to get your own meals all day long. This was in the 1990's! Not that long ago.
It's safe to go back to the bus station. Even better..Trial Rail. That's at least some fun.
They're probably trying to find a way to have AI pilot planes as we speak...
If they could..Luckily the FAA dictates you must have X amount of personnel per plane loads. If you are on a 767 as an example and that plane holds say 250, you’d need a minimum of 5 FA’s. Now, there is some wiggle room because they would still fly understaffed by one and then there is some pay differential I think. Two understaffed? Flight cancelled.
Last time I flew was six years ago, and the time before that was something like fifteen years before. My plan is to never fly again - if I can get there within a four day drive, I'm driving. I hate to fly, I love to drive, Mom and Pop motels, a cooler full of club soda and sandwiches, I can bring whatever I want, no jet lag.... Never flying again.
We used to get nice meals on log flights not peanuts and a soda. For all the hype airlines make about themselves flying is just a royal pain in the butt - literally. I would rather drive. At least I know my doors won't fall off. They can do better. Much better.
Airlines can go suck wind. No one is saying that they cannot charge these fees. They're just saying you have to TELL people ahead of time that you are going to charge them. Trust me, a software engineer: The software will adapt probably with AI so the customer can say "I'm a poor and I need to get to Cleveland and yes I can limit my belongings to 20 pounds on the flight and I'll bring my own food" and get back: Airline X, one checked bag, $200 non-stop and Airline Y, one carry-on = $150 but it will take 3 hours". Another customer says "My company is paying for it all so I want food and I don't want to carry on my bag" etc. etc.
Those stupid fees are not considered taxable as income on the airlines' financial statements. That's why they load them on. And so it leads to all those steamer trunks being heaved into the overhead bins on board. Come on people. Demand the airlines stop the b.s.
When right wingers complain Democrats are " anti business " this is what they usually mean.
We're not anti-business, we're pro-consumer dammit. We need better PR people.
TBF, the Biscottis on Delta are sorta good.
I have extremely little brand loyalty. Delta is one of the few ones where I've got lukewarm feelings of brand loyalty as opposed to the stone cold hatred I feel towards other airlines.
Even my shitty experiences with Delta have been humanly shitty, not corporate shitty.
Edit: Two specific examples. 1. Flight from Atlanta to Minneapolis. Weather delay in Atlanta. I had a connecting flight. Delta gives its flight crews discretion to delay if not all passengers are on board in situations like that. I'm running across the airport, hearing my name on the PA because THEY FUCKING HELD THE PLANE FOR THE ATLANTA PEOPLE. There were five of us. The stewardess inside the plane greeted me with a bottle of water and said, "You made it!" 2. Summer 2022. Flight from Barcelona back to Atlanta. Plane delayed three hours because the flight crew was sick. Delta called in a reserve crew from their day off, including a pilot. We let the pilot cut the coffee line and chatted with him about the situation. The delay was because he legally couldn't fly until the rescheduled take off time. He said he'd at least gotten a full night's sleep, but would be negotiating an extra day off the following week for this. Totally fair. They ran that plane with a skeleton crew, only the two pilots, and two stewards. We gave them a round of applause when we landed.
I pay a premium for Delta tickets to this day, because when shit happens, as it often does when flying, I know they're going to try to make it as not-awful as they possibly can, when they can, and really that's about all I can ask for.
"Would only cause confusion and frustration.."
Yeah, there's no confusion or frustration when your $125 tickets ends up $249 when you go to pay. These people....
"Do you wanna get back home or not? It's simple, really."
Hidden fees? Just make sure the parts stay on this piece of shit until we can land again.
The Independent:
Delta Airlines Boeing plane loses emergency slide in mid-air
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/boeing-emergency-landing-delta-b2535623.html
Obviously, no one purchased the Duct Tape ancillary on that flight.