Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
If air travel isn't insufferable, you haven't flown enough. Ask all those folks who frequently fly for work how much they "enjoy" it.
It might also be flying for work that makes flying insufferable for some. I’m not the most frequent flyer, but I did log 60k+ butt-in-seat miles last year including multiple transpac and several transcontinental trips, in a mix of F, J and Y.
However, they were pretty much all for personal reasons, and not for work, which probably contributes to why I mostly enjoy flying.
I think the thread has derailed. I don't think the OP meant that air travel was a delightful experience or even that it wasn't a bit of a hassle, just that she didn't see it as the torturous nightmare that many make it out to be.
If it was me, I would leave the 10K watch at home and travel with a more reasonably priced $100 watch..... won't turn your wrist green, I promise!! The checkpoint is only one place of many it could be stolen from you........
Heck, I don't think I'd wear a 10K watch ANYWHERE in public......
Insurance.
I wasn't trying to sound whatever, I was just emphasizing my point. It could be an expensive watch, or loose change, I just don't like letting go of my possessions and putting them in bins and them watching them leave my sight. I don't like standing in line. I don't like paying $16 for a crappy bloody mary at an airport. I don't like the uncomfortable seats. I get bored very easily on a plane, and you can barely move so I feel claustrophobic. I can't stand when the seat belt light goes off when you park at the gate, and everyone stands up and races to the front when it will be 5 minutes minimum until people actually start exiting the plane.
It's hilarious to me that the title of this thread is literally "Tell me why you HATE flying"; I give my reasons, and it's all being picked apart.
To everyone who likes flying, more power to you.
My in-laws live in Rochester NY and I'm in Knoxville. It's about an 11 hour drive. No direct flights, but when you factor in (assuming there are no delays which happen about half the time or more) the total travel time including getting to airport early, layover, etc. it's only about a 1-3 hour difference. I'd MUCH RATHER get into my very, very comfortable car and just drive it. When I fly that route, even with no delays, I am a billion times more exhausted after it's over as opposed to the drive.
On my last flight, US customs was the only thing that made my flight unenjoyable. As soon as we pulled up to the gate, a customs agent boardered the plane and proceeded to yell at us over the intercom "WELCOME. TO. THE. US. EVERYONE, PUT YOUR ELECTRONICS AWAY RIGHT NOW. NO CELL PHONES. NO LAPTOPS. TURN THEM OFF. EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE PUT AWAY. IF I SEE ANY ELECTRONICS, THEY WILL BE CONFISCATED. YOU WILL NOT GET THEM BACK. THEY WILL BECOME PROPERTY OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT. DO NOT GET OFF THE PLANE WITH YOUR ELECTRONICS VISABLE. [Long pause] OH, AND THANK YOU FOR FLYING WOW AIR."
Unless they had been warned of a possible attack, that is inexcusable. And nothing like that has ever happened to me on landing in the U.S. I'm guessing there were special circumstances that they didn't tell you about.
I don't need to be treated like a queen. I would just like comfortable, relatively roomy seats and working, nice, newish amenities. Maybe bigger bathrooms because they are TINY. I don't even need great, impressive meals. I'm cool with the snacks.
I flew Alitalia, coach, from Newark to Italy and back. 8/9 hours. The flight there was just okay. Plane was old, wasn't that clean. Seats kind of skeeved me out. Seat barely reclined. I didn't sleep a wink on this transatlantic overnight flight. I did have my own TV though. Food was... pretty bad. Flight back was worse. There were no personal TVs, only ones up in the ceiling every few rows. But my headphone jack was broken. Couldn't hear a thing. And all the movies were in Italian anyway, turns out. So I read for 9 hours basically. I like reading, but I'd rather not do it for 9 hours.
I just want... not that. I want better than that. Coach, especially on a transatlantic flight, should be better than that. It's honestly disgraceful.
And knowing what business or first class can get on some of these long-haul flights and some of the amenities that are available to those who can pay exorbitant amounts makes it suck even worse. There is such a class divide when it comes to flying, such a difference in some cases. Watch travel vlogs on YT and people who are lucky enough to be sponsored by an airline who get access to these amenities, you'll see. Airlines are capable of being better for the majority, they just won't be. They know they don't have to be - because people need to fly to get certain places. They really have no other choice. So airlines won't cater to the masses, the regular people who go on vacation or business trips a few times a year.
If you fly Alitalia you can expect the worst!! Unbelievably the worst coffee I have ever had anywhere on a domestic in Italy.
Yes we flew home Qantas business from SF to Sydney, using points. Flat seat, it was lovely. Many people we know go business. But because they work for an airline, or used to work for an airline, or work pays for them. I checked the price when I got home, Syd to SFO in October was $6000 on business and on special in economy for about $450.
But, sorry, US airports are among the worst! Perhaps other than Naples and Palermo. We breezed into Rome and they still were stamping passports, about three years ago. Did not look at us, just stamped. The girl,who was supposed to check luggage,was on Facebook. But Italian airports are just chaotic. I find American ones to be scary.
I'm afraid of heights. I normally fly on relatively lengthy flights (6 hr flights at a minimum, and usually closer to 11 hr flights), which is a big pain in the butt. All in all, though, I'm very grateful for air travel, even if I'm not a big fan of it.
On my last flight, US customs was the only thing that made my flight unenjoyable. As soon as we pulled up to the gate, a customs agent boardered the plane and proceeded to yell at us over the intercom "WELCOME. TO. THE. US. EVERYONE, PUT YOUR ELECTRONICS AWAY RIGHT NOW. NO CELL PHONES. NO LAPTOPS. TURN THEM OFF. EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE PUT AWAY. IF I SEE ANY ELECTRONICS, THEY WILL BE CONFISCATED. YOU WILL NOT GET THEM BACK. THEY WILL BECOME PROPERTY OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT. DO NOT GET OFF THE PLANE WITH YOUR ELECTRONICS VISABLE. [Long pause] OH, AND THANK YOU FOR FLYING WOW AIR."
As we exited the plane, we were ushered down a flight of stairs into a dimly lit basement room of the airport where we waited for 45 minutes for our luggage. Then going through customs, being asked a hundred questions... Where did you go, are you sure you didn't go anywhere else... Why were you there... How long... ? The girl in front of me was being asked her age, birthdate, where her parents are from, what high school she goes to...
Then we exit customs outside into the rain. No signs showing where we are or how to get anywhere. I called my ride to say I didn't know where we were, but that we were going to start walking left and I'd call them back when I figured out where we were. And this is my home airport, that I had flown in and out of hundreds of times.
But yeah, completely different from when we had landed in Iceland. Never saw anyone from customs, never was questioned about anything. Walked through the airport and to baggage claim just as I would for any domestic flight in the US (plus having my passport stamped).
I hate to admit it but going through immigration and customs in a US airport after an extended time abroad is one of my least favorite experiences. Nothing I have experienced in the numerous "oppressive" and "authoritarian" states I've been in and out of has approached the invasiveness and shear dehumanization of clearing immigration and customs.
From following some silly, overly complex, nonsensical check-in procedure to hearing orders practically barked at people, to dealing with surly HSA agents to being greeted by some kitted-out dude with an assault rifle...it feels Orwellian in a sense.
I hate to admit it but going through immigration and customs in a US airport after an extended time abroad is one of my least favorite experiences. Nothing I have experienced in the numerous "oppressive" and "authoritarian" states I've been in and out of has approached the invasiveness and shear dehumanization of clearing immigration and customs.
Wow, what happened that was so dehumanizing? We often return from extended time abroad, the thing that sucked most about it for us was the long wait in line but now with the kiosks even that isn't so bad. Walk to immigration, follow signs that say "US citizens", then process through.
Used to be for processing you went to the booth, officer asked a few questions "where did you travel" etc. does whatever on computer and usually used to get the "welcome home" greeting from them. Took two minutes. Now we don't even do that... we go to a kiosk, scan our passport, take picture, and push buttons on the screen affirming that we don't have plants etc. then hand the printout to the person at the exit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DTL3000
From following some silly, overly complex, nonsensical check-in procedure
Overly complex = follow signs and answer questions like do you have animals stashed in your luggage or more than 10k in cash?
It used to be fun!! Believe it or not...meals were quite good. Lots of good snacks. People behaved then. Rarely was there a disturbance. No one complained about anyone else.
Of course you could take whatever you chose on board with you then. No taking off of shoes. No feeling up and down the body by strangers who act like you are the next terrorist. Long lines were rare.
Now it's a travesty. It gives you a headache. I have chosen not to fly on recent years.
Oh Christ, those were the days, I can recall the late 70s, mid 80s, when I was driving a London taxi, if the mood took me, I’d work a long Friday, from around 4.00 p.m. until 4.00 a.m., do the same on Saturday, and Sunday, then on Monday, I’d drive to Gatwick Airport, and grab a late morning or midday departure to JFK.
No lines, no security checks, keep your shoes and belt on, I’d tell the F/A not to wake me for lunch, knock back a couple of freebie double vodkas, and go out like a light, waking up as we were cruising down the East Coast, over Maine or New Hampshire.
Having already called to say I was coming, I’d grab a cab to a girlfriend’s place in Canarsie, Brooklyn, take her out for dinner, then have 3 or 4 days in one of the most exciting cities in the world, spending like a drunken sailor.
Now, if my wife wants a week or ten days in Atlanta GA, it feels like we have, “I am a terrorist” stamped on our foreheads when we get in line at the Delta desk.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
