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They discontinued the smoking area on planes (that was bad enuff - no way they couldn't isolate that seating, and nobody was falling dead in the aisles all those years anyway). That was bad enuff. BUT now you can't smoke in a terminal either? Forget them. They'll never sell me another ticket.
I won't get into the cockamamie myth of this 2nd hand smoke baloney...NO, it's the principle. I'm not gonna let some kiddie I never met tell me what personal habit I'm going to have to give up. I'm from back in the so-called "jet set" days. We had good meals, friendly stewardesses, a smoking section (that was always booked 100% even on a flight only 40% booked). And nobody complaining. The cocktail lounges (where you could light up) were a great place to meet people and actually enjoy a layover.
And, of course, I haven't even mentioned the bossy goons and crappy staff you have to put up with. I'm sure others will cover that. Airline flights have become a Greyhound Bus experience - that's on a good day.
Today - if I can't drive there, I don't go.
Second hand smoke isn't exactly harmless. That said, I'm willing to say it isn't exactly as scientific as the effects of long-term smoking are. One study showed that smoking bands cause less heart attacks and when the ban was lifted, the heat attack taste returned to pre-ban levels. Everyone tried copying the findings with an experienced in a different city, different country or entire countries. That said those ones found that often there was no link between a smoking ban in it if itself and heat attack rates largely because areas didn't report the previous trends of heat attack rates in the study.
I know with me, second hand smoke will get me sick. If airlines reinstituted smoking it allowed vaping, I would be out or hoping to find a carrier that is still banning smoking and vaping on board.
Doubtful. It's just that (like most smokers, then and now) no one was listening to the complaints.
The research on 2nd smoke is - dubious - so I won't bank on that. But the research on "my clothes smell like garbage because I am sitting near you while you smoke" is 100% proven by millions of people every - single - day.
You - yourself - smell(ed) like garbage at the time, and didn't know it.
The main reason smoking bothers OTHER people is not health - but because it - literally - smells bad. Better for most if you just brought a doggy poop bag along and a pet skunk and called it a day.
If you deny it stinks - you will just confirm what all non- and former-smokers already know: You are noseblind to smoke. And if you deny THAT - you will confirm a 2nd truth - addictions are powerful things.
When my in-laws migrated to Australia after WW2, almost everyone travelled by ship and most never expected to return to Europe again. One day in my mother-in-law’s retirement village a singer sang a song about mothers which had all the very old ladies in tears. Apparently because when they left Italy they never expected to see their mothers again. My MIL travelled back three times, my FIL only once. None of their parents ever came here. Cousins, who these days are very well off, came once and said never again because of the length of the flight.
However if we wish to experience the world we have to deal with the flights. When we head off for our 6am flight at least the trip to the airport will only take twenty minutes. Premium economy is available on several international airlines but we are dubious about spending thousands on it. We are not concerned about food, they seem to share the economy restrooms and it is only a few inches more space.
Yeah I imagine the further back in time you go the more common it was for people to emigrate and never to return home again at all. But even today I believe the resources required make it a challenge and if people aren't economically successful or they find themselves in a dire situation even, making their way back home could be very tricky indeed. But even if you can afford it, it is a very long and not especially comfortable journey as you allude to.
With regard to premium economy, I think it all depends on how much it costs and what your situation is. A few inches of legroom can be the difference between comfort and pain for those who're used to having their knees hit the back of the seat in front of them in regular economy seats. It also typically means earlier boarding and thus a better carry-on situation. Food-wise it depends on the airline what the benefits are, but you're right that on its own it's probably not that significant an improvement.
They discontinued the smoking area on planes (that was bad enuff - no way they couldn't isolate that seating, and nobody was falling dead in the aisles all those years anyway). That was bad enuff. BUT now you can't smoke in a terminal either? Forget them. They'll never sell me another ticket.
Airline smoking bans came about because of the Flight Attendant unions-otherwise healthy 25 year old women were getting lung diseases that no healthy 25 year old woman should get.
And no, they can’t create an isolated smoking area on a plane. I flew back before the smoking bans and you really didn’t want to be within a few rows of the smoking system because the smoke and stench was not neatly contained in that area.
Yeah I imagine the further back in time you go the more common it was for people to emigrate and never to return home again at all. But even today I believe the resources required make it a challenge and if people aren't economically successful or they find themselves in a dire situation even, making their way back home could be very tricky indeed. But even if you can afford it, it is a very long and not especially comfortable journey as you allude to.
With regard to premium economy, I think it all depends on how much it costs and what your situation is. A few inches of legroom can be the difference between comfort and pain for those who're used to having their knees hit the back of the seat in front of them in regular economy seats. It also typically means earlier boarding and thus a better carry-on situation. Food-wise it depends on the airline what the benefits are, but you're right that on its own it's probably not that significant an improvement.
There is only one passenger ship still operating on a regular schedule between Europe and the US, and it is a luxury ship (Queen Mary II, sailing between Portsmouth, UK and Brooklyn). It is far more expensive than flying, and it takes a week each way, but I am surprised that there aren't more shipping compaines doing the transAtlantic crossing, because I think there would be a lot of interest for that method of traveling again.
They discontinued the smoking area on planes (that was bad enuff - no way they couldn't isolate that seating, and nobody was falling dead in the aisles all those years anyway). That was bad enuff. BUT now you can't smoke in a terminal either? Forget them. They'll never sell me another ticket.
I won't get into the cockamamie myth of this 2nd hand smoke baloney...NO, it's the principle. I'm not gonna let some kiddie I never met tell me what personal habit I'm going to have to give up. I'm from back in the so-called "jet set" days. We had good meals, friendly stewardesses, a smoking section (that was always booked 100% even on a flight only 40% booked). And nobody complaining. The cocktail lounges (where you could light up) were a great place to meet people and actually enjoy a layover.
When my in-laws migrated to Australia after WW2, almost everyone travelled by ship and most never expected to return to Europe again. One day in my mother-in-law’s retirement village a singer sang a song about mothers which had all the very old ladies in tears. Apparently because when they left Italy they never expected to see their mothers again. My MIL travelled back three times, my FIL only once. None of their parents ever came here. Cousins, who these days are very well off, came once and said never again because of the length of the flight.
However if we wish to experience the world we have to deal with the flights. When we head off for our 6am flight at least the trip to the airport will only take twenty minutes. Premium economy is available on several international airlines but we are dubious about spending thousands on it. We are not concerned about food, they seem to share the economy restrooms and it is only a few inches more space.
This us very true, I remember my Dad ( who grew up in rural Ireland) telling me that when a local person was leaving to go to America, they would have a wake for the family, because they knew they probably would never see them again.
We are lucky to live in an age where long distance travel is easily accessible & mostly affordable.
Yeah I imagine the further back in time you go the more common it was for people to emigrate and never to return home again at all. But even today I believe the resources required make it a challenge and if people aren't economically successful or they find themselves in a dire situation even, making their way back home could be very tricky indeed. But even if you can afford it, it is a very long and not especially comfortable journey as you allude to.
With regard to premium economy, I think it all depends on how much it costs and what your situation is. A few inches of legroom can be the difference between comfort and pain for those who're used to having their knees hit the back of the seat in front of them in regular economy seats. It also typically means earlier boarding and thus a better carry-on situation. Food-wise it depends on the airline what the benefits are, but you're right that on its own it's probably not that significant an improvement.
Agree re premium economy, we are not very tall and my husband just watches stuff or sleeps. But one friend who is 6’4” now pays for business class. My friends who are 88 and 91 headed off to Europe a few months ago and their families told them they are simply too old to fly economy. I think they helped out with the cost and with points.
The carry-on situation is not as big an issue here. I was dumbfounded when we last got an internal flight in the US when I saw what people were lugging on board. Our second airline, Virgin Australia, does not charge for luggage check-in and I suppose another factor is that our winter is short and mostly mild, so we do not need to take a lot of heavy clothes with us.
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