Traveling Did NOT Used To Be This Way (1 Viewer)

[superchuck500]

I swear, every time I fly, I have major issues. My friends in NOLA laugh because I'll say "I'll be there at ___" and it never ever ever happens.

I'm coming in for French Quarter Fest. Delta didn't have my reservation number, turns out I had a different one than the one in my email. They wouldn't let me request seat assignments (travelling with g/f) even though I'm not standby. And now Delta is cancelling MD-80 flights for wiring issues - of course my flights are all MD-80s.

Stuff like this happens invariably. USAir will never fly in the rain. Delta always takes hours longer than it was supposed to. I just don't remember it being like this when I was younger. It seems like the whole industry is wholly dysfunctional.

Anyone else need to vent?

 

[Saintman2884]

chuck, I like to vent sometimes too on these things. But by better wisdom keeps my mouth shut most of the time. Kind comes in handy in dealing with difficult people. I have met a few in my life, like we all have probably

 

[keepoursaints]

See the note below my screenname.

 

[iron error]

American is the worst to me. Southwest and Frontier actually seem to care. American is like...we suck....we know it...don't care....get used to it.

The chance of an AA flight being on time arrival is near zero. Bank on it. Then when you arrive late with a little bit of time to sprint to the next gate, they don't have a gate to dock in.

Now with the 1 bag 50# limit, there is zero chance of a customer ever being wholly satisfied. I really do wish we had a network of trains with overnight sleeping cars.

 

[gaminerie]

I swear, every time I fly, I have major issues. My friends in NOLA laugh because I'll say "I'll be there at ___" and it never ever ever happens.

I'm coming in for French Quarter Fest. Delta didn't have my reservation number, turns out I had a different one than the one in my email. They wouldn't let me request seat assignments (travelling with g/f) even though I'm not standby. And now Delta is cancelling MD-80 flights for wiring issues - of course my flights are all MD-80s.

Stuff like this happens invariably. USAir will never fly in the rain. Delta always takes hours longer than it was supposed to. I just don't remember it being like this when I was younger. It seems like the whole industry is wholly dysfunctional.

Anyone else need to vent?

i never tell people when i'm supposed to be there. It's only setting everyone up for disappointment. i don't even tell them what DAY i'm coming in. Asking someone to collect me at the airport is utterly impossible.

If it's my dad, then they give up their Quarter parking spot only to orbit the airport for no reason and probably give up and go home. If it's my mom or friends, they drive up to 50 miles each way to do the same.

i'll just be there, when i get there, and rent a car to get where i need to go.

Delta's doing the MD-80 dance, too? From this morning's news reports, it seemed like it was just American Airlines. i guess it's only a matter of time before this extends to the A319's USAir uses.

If i had to gamble on How To Get Home in the next two months or so, it would be on Southwest. They started the 737 inspections first, so they'll be done first. Of course, then it will probably be some other unattended problem. And they don't serve DCA anymore, so i have to take a half day off just to get to and from the flight, and deal with THOSE variables.

As usual, i don't blame the airlines for trying to suck every last penny out of every last minute of every day. i do blame the FAA for their regulation practices, allowing the industry to get away with seemingly anything and everything like poorly disciplined children.

 

[keepoursaints]

American is the worst to me. Southwest and Frontier actually seem to care. American is like...we suck....we know it...don't care....get used to it.

The chance of an AA flight being on time arrival is near zero. Bank on it. Then when you arrive late with a little bit of time to sprint to the next gate, they don't have a gate to dock in.

Now with the 1 bag 50# limit, there is zero chance of a customer ever being wholly satisfied. I really do wish we had a network of trains with overnight sleeping cars.

$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[jpcdolphan]

...

If it's my dad, then they give up their Quarter parking spot only to orbit the airport for no reason and probably give up and go home. If it's my mom or friends, they drive up to 50 miles each way to do the same.

...

He could check online for your flight status before going to the airport.

In my experience, out of the million and one things that airlines do wrong, the "flight status" thing is the one thing that they are actually pretty accurate about.

However, beyond that one thing, yeah airlines pretty much suck.

 

[Paul]

The only times I don't experience difficulty is flying to and from ATL/NO, because it's such a short, straight shoot, you really can't screw it up. Any other destinations, no matter the airline or the airport, I've had problems. But I expect it, and deal with it. One thing that I haven't been a victim of, and don't plan to be, is having my luggage lost/misplaced. I've mastered the art of packing one bag, even for a 4 day business trip. I know so many people whose bags check in, but they don't check out, and with the other issues such as untimely flights, rude flight attendants, rude passengers, security, overcrowded airports, etc..... the last thing you need is to not have your drawers when you get to Chicago.

 

[gaminerie]

American is the worst to me. Southwest and Frontier actually seem to care. American is like...we suck....we know it...don't care....get used to it.

The chance of an AA flight being on time arrival is near zero. Bank on it. Then when you arrive late with a little bit of time to sprint to the next gate, they don't have a gate to dock in.

Now with the 1 bag 50# limit, there is zero chance of a customer ever being wholly satisfied. I really do wish we had a network of trains with overnight sleeping cars.

Not to me. Continental. Worst. Airline. Ever.

Nobody's on time, ever. That ended a long time ago. If your flight is on time it's a glorious gift and you feel lucky.

The limit has been 45-50 pounds for a long time now. In most cases, people just need to either pack two bags or bring less stuff. Now with the second-bag charge rule, THAT might throw some people into a tizzy.

But you could always offer up more than 50 pounds of your most treasured possessions to get lost on your two- to four-day trip. You just had to do it in two bags, so the handler didn't go down with a hernia trying to loft someone's twenty outfits, five pair of shoes, and four small appliances. Those baggage haulers aren't bionic.

Just because people have to pay extra to bring along everything they own (and then cry when it gets lost), doesn't mean they'll stop doing it.

There's no consumer recourse with airlines; we've already covered that around here, i think. The most i feel i can do is just smile at the clerk and pray the mergers and bankruptcies stop.

i can't even get mad at deregulation, because i can see how the government keeps other industries in line (**cough cough BANKING INSURANCE PHARMA cough**)

He could check online for your flight status before going to the airport.

In my experience, out of the million and one things that airlines do wrong, the "flight status" thing is the one thing that they are actually pretty accurate about.

However, beyond that one thing, yeah airlines pretty much suck.

Frankly, that doesn't work at all. Airlines will tell you a plane has departed just when it backs away from the gate. You can then sit on the tarmac for the rest of your life.

www.flightaware.com is really the only way to know for sure. Sooner or later, when word gets out about them, they are probably gonna start charging.

And even though we are all hooked up to the interwebs 24/7, not everyone is. i don't expect anyone to sit at home staring at their computer just to be sure my flight hasn't been diverted to some other airport because of a mechanical issue etc.

 

[dajmno]

A year ago I was flying from New York to New Orleans on January 2nd. ( I went up to spend New Years). Well I underestimated traffic and ended up missing my Delta flight out of LaGuardia. Delta only had more more flight to MSY scheduled that day and it was booked; so my only option was to wait until the next day, this wasn't an option, I had to get to New Orleans that day. So I walk down to the American Airline counter and tell them

"I need to get to New Orleans, what do you have?"

"Oh we have a flight leaving for New Orleans in an hour."

"Great"

"It's $978 for a seat"

"$978!"

I didn't have a choice, it still pains to this day to think about it! Plus, the plane was only 3/4 full! Why am I paying almost a thousand bucks for this seat?!

 

[Dragon]

Well at least you don't have to rebook your flights TWICE in one week. We're flying to Hawaii in 19 days and had reservations on Aloha for inter-island flights and ATA for one of the other flights. Well now we're using Delta and Hawaiian. Luckily our TA managed to rebook with the other airlines or we would have been in trouble.

Wonder what the odds are of having reservations on two airlines that both goes bankrupt within a week ??

Delta's website still say that you can check 2 bags, but their condition of carriage now states that after May 1st you can only check one. I wonder when they are going to tell their customers. We leave on the 27th of April, so we can check 2 bags each going and one bag going home. I would hate to get that information in the airport waiting for the plane home and with no other options than to pay the extra $25

 

[dajmno]

All I know is that Continental 6:30am flight out of New Orleans to Newark is always on time! Haha, partly because that plane "spends the night" at the terminal.

 

[jpcdolphan]

Frankly, that doesn't work at all. Airlines will tell you a plane has departed just when it backs away from the gate. You can then sit on the tarmac for the rest of your life.

www.flightaware.com is really the only way to know for sure.

And even though we are all hooked up to the interwebs 24/7, not everyone is. i don't expect anyone to sit at home staring at their computer just to be sure my flight hasn't been diverted to some other airport because of a mechanical issue etc.

We must just have different experiences. I've never had a prob with picking people up (or being picked up) just based off of flight status. I usually just check about an hour or so before leaving for the airport and adjust accordingly (being hooked up 24/7 not required ).

I guess it wouldn't help if the flight ended up being diverted but, if that is a frequent occurence, then you are one unlucky traveller!

 

[gaminerie]

Well at least you don't have to rebook your flights TWICE in one week. We're flying to Hawaii in 19 days and had reservations on Aloha for inter-island flights and ATA for one of the other flights. Well now we're using Delta and Hawaiian. Luckily our TA managed to rebook with the other airlines or we would have been in trouble.

Wonder what the odds are of having reservations on two airlines that both goes bankrupt within a week ??

Delta's website still say that you can check 2 bags, but their condition of carriage now states that after May 1st you can only check one. I wonder when they are going to tell their customers. We leave on the 27th of April, so we can check 2 bags each going and one bag going home. I would hate to get that information in the airport waiting for the plane home and with no other options than to pay the extra $25

You CAN still check two. You can probably even check three or four. You just have to pay an extra fee for each bag after the first one. And if the first one weighs more than a certain amount, you have to pay a fee for the overage.

Not being allowed to, is different from being allowed to, and having to pay extra. It's been all over the news (here at least) to quite an uproar. Of course the airlines are not going to shout it from the rooftops, because people love to bring as much stuff as they can haul.

That's horrible about what happened with Aloha and now, i understand, ATA. i have been so fortunate that that PARTICULAR horror has not befallen me.

All I know is that Continental 6:30am flight out of New Orleans to Newark is always on time! Haha, partly because that plane "spends the night" at the terminal.

This is why i prefer to fly in the morning, whenever possible. First thing in the morning, they haven't yet had a chance to screw everything up.

We must just have different experiences. I've never had a prob with picking people up (or being picked) up just based off of flight status. I usually just check about an hour or so before leaving for the airport and adjust accordingly (being hooked up 24/7 not required ).

I guess it wouldn't help if the flight ended up being diverted but, if that is a frequent occurence, then you are one unlucky traveller!

Less unlucky, than frequent. i am flying around in a plane twice every two to three weeks (once to go home, once to come back here).

Probability dictates that if it hasn't happened to me, i am subjected to some newbie shrieking into a cell phone (to some poor unsuspecting victim, as well as the rest of the terminal) about how it just happened to them.

If it ever happened to anyone truly important, it might stop happening. But then i guess that is why anyone truly important travels via non-commercial means.

 

[blackadder]

I swear, every time I fly, I have major issues. My friends in NOLA laugh because I'll say "I'll be there at ___" and it never ever ever happens.

I'm coming in for French Quarter Fest. Delta didn't have my reservation number, turns out I had a different one than the one in my email. They wouldn't let me request seat assignments (travelling with g/f) even though I'm not standby. And now Delta is cancelling MD-80 flights for wiring issues - of course my flights are all MD-80s.

Stuff like this happens invariably. USAir will never fly in the rain. Delta always takes hours longer than it was supposed to. I just don't remember it being like this when I was younger. It seems like the whole industry is wholly dysfunctional.

Anyone else need to vent?

You're right.

I'm a veteran traveler.

It used to be cake.

Stinks now. Delays and inconveniences are the norm.

The system is overloading. Too much traffic in the airports, aging planes, fiancially strapped airlines and an outdated air traffic control system are adding up.

Good to see we're tending these pressing domestic needs.

Oh, wait....