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Old 12-30-2022, 09:02 AM
 
37,422 posts, read 45,602,632 times
Reputation: 56700

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Bailey View Post
I love flying in an aircraft. Nothing relaxes me in quite the same way, BUT I refuse to fly anywhere with any commercial airlines PERIOD. The completely abusive manner in which we as passengers are treated at the airport before during and after boarding angers me. I will now only ride the train service (or drive) which offers a 100% better experience than the airline as well as the lovely view from my seat or the observation car(s). Food is better also. So it takes 5-6 hours from SF to LA by train and 3 hours min at the terminal for a 1 hour flight. Far less stress (IMO anyway.)
I wish more people felt this way as it would mean less crowds LOL.

Seriously, I have never felt abused or mistreated in any way when traveling by air. Not once. It's always been rather an enjoyable experience (except for that hellish flight to Hawaii years ago - severe turbulence!).
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Old 12-30-2022, 09:06 AM
 
Location: USA
8,844 posts, read 5,878,334 times
Reputation: 28821
Ah, for the days of yesteryear when flying was a wonderful experience.


Remember the wonderful lounges on the Boeing 747's for coach passengers? Open bars, piano music, swivel chairs?




https://news.google.com/newspapers?n...,2307035&hl=en


Those were the days, my friend. We thought they'd never end. But they did when air travel fares plummeted, and flip flips and Daisy Maes became standard air travel attire. Not to mention the wifebeater t-shirts on men.

All the airlines made a rush to the bottom to scoop up these additional travelers to fill their jumbo jets.


The masses got the cheap airline fares they wanted. While airline fares have generally increased slightly more than general inflation, people have many more options than they did.
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Old 12-30-2022, 09:27 AM
 
Location: Way up high
22,181 posts, read 29,140,378 times
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We park in airport parking covered garage. Do curbside bag drop off. I have clear and tsa precheck. It literally takes me less than 1 minute to get through security. First class so board first/deplane first and get bags off first.
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Old 12-30-2022, 10:06 AM
 
23,177 posts, read 12,044,410 times
Reputation: 29347
Quote:
Originally Posted by Labonte18 View Post
And.. How do you feel about this?


1) Arrive at airport
2) 10-15 minutes to get to the kiosk, which tells you to see agent.
3) Agent informs you flight has been cancelled and that you can go to their website to rebook or visit the customer service desk.
4) 5 minutes to get to service desk.
5) 2.5 hours waiting to get to the desk
6) 15 minutes for the agent to tell you the next available flight is in 3 days.
7) 20 minutes waiting for agent to process a refund of your $300 ticket, which you will receive in 4-6 weeks
8) Walk over to different airline ticket counter, wait in line for 20-30 minutes
9) Find they have a flight in 3 hours for $1000.
10) Cancel your entire trip. Pay for the airport parking you've used and go back home after wasting 5+ hours.
Here's a few thoughts.

- You pays your money, you takes your chances. You need to understand that there is always the chance of a wipe out and if you make enough trips, it's bound to happen.

- If this happens out of the blue on a sunny summer day, that sux. But if it happens during extreme weather or when airline woes are dominating the news, then you should have made contingency plans.

- There are status boards all over the place. No need to have an agent tell you a flight is canceled.

- Travel insurance would likely have covered the other more expensive flight.

- Many of these things could have been done online and concurrently. While waiting for the service desk, why not try to rebook online and/or research options at other airlines?

- I wouldn't wait 20 minutes after all that to have a refund processed. It can be done later online.

- While it wouldn't make me thrilled I'm not letting a trip go over $700.
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Old 12-30-2022, 10:12 AM
 
Location: San Francisco
8,438 posts, read 3,698,199 times
Reputation: 5678
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lillie767 View Post
Ah, for the days of yesteryear when flying was a wonderful experience.

Remember the wonderful lounges on the Boeing 747's for coach passengers? Open bars, piano music, swivel chairs?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lillie767 View Post
The masses got the cheap airline fares they wanted.
The Golden Age of Flying predates me; that said, I think the majority enjoy/appreciate the fact it’s no longer a luxury primarily targeted to the elite. For many, it’s now akin to hopping on a bus i.e. the point is easy access to one’s destination, not the journey in and of itself, although it can be a comfortable experience if you’re still willing to pay for it.

Unavoidable inconveniences (along with inflation and investment in new aircraft, technology, airports and so on) certainly does not equate to ‘abuse’ or ‘mistreatment’, per the OP, by any stretch of the imagination - except, perhaps, relative to hers.
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Old 12-30-2022, 10:24 AM
 
23,177 posts, read 12,044,410 times
Reputation: 29347
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChessieMom View Post
I wish more people felt this way as it would mean less crowds LOL.

Seriously, I have never felt abused or mistreated in any way when traveling by air. Not once. It's always been rather an enjoyable experience (except for that hellish flight to Hawaii years ago - severe turbulence!).
Same here. I think some people are expecting to be treated like an esteemed guest at a 5 star hotel. Look, it might be your fist overseas trip and you're the first person in your family to ever visit Paris but you're not special. You paid for transportation. Get in line, follow the rules, sit down, and fly.

I wonder if some people define "abusive" as not being allowed an exception to the rules. They are in boarding group 3, line up cluelessly in group 1, get to the agent, and get upset when they are not allowed to pass and directed to the back of the long line for group 3. Or maybe they do get short with you because they aren't going to have a 15 minute discussion with you while 100 people are waiting behind you. Nobody cares what you were 'told" or that you didn't know about boarding groups or how long you've stood in the wrong line or who you're going to email about this. That goes for every other part of the process, too. There are up to 200 people on a flight and the staff is busy. There's no time to waste debating with a passenger.
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Old 12-30-2022, 10:35 AM
 
7,980 posts, read 5,328,586 times
Reputation: 35510
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Bailey View Post
I love flying in an aircraft. Nothing relaxes me in quite the same way, BUT I refuse to fly anywhere with any commercial airlines PERIOD. The completely abusive manner in which we as passengers are treated at the airport before during and after boarding angers me. I will now only ride the train service (or drive) which offers a 100% better experience than the airline as well as the lovely view from my seat or the observation car(s). Food is better also. So it takes 5-6 hours from SF to LA by train and 3 hours min at the terminal for a 1 hour flight. Far less stress (IMO anyway.)
I'll keep flying. Every so often there is a snag--sometimes a big snag. Overall, flying has always done me well.

Most people that say they will never fly again are back at it within a year.
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Old 12-30-2022, 10:38 AM
 
7,980 posts, read 5,328,586 times
Reputation: 35510
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lillie767 View Post
Ah, for the days of yesteryear when flying was a wonderful experience.
Oh yes--don't forget smoking sections. If you were real lucky you had the row right behind the smoking section
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Old 12-30-2022, 10:41 AM
 
7,980 posts, read 5,328,586 times
Reputation: 35510
Quote:
Originally Posted by cb2008 View Post
Maybe, just maybe, the airlines just want to squeeze as much profit as possible from the people?
Aircrafts do cost a bit of money. The average 737 is about 106.1 million dollars. If airlines do not make a profit how do they purchase new planes?
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Old 12-30-2022, 10:45 AM
 
1,912 posts, read 1,104,515 times
Reputation: 3192
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Bailey View Post
I love flying in an aircraft. Nothing relaxes me in quite the same way, BUT I refuse to fly anywhere with any commercial airlines PERIOD. The completely abusive manner in which we as passengers are treated at the airport before during and after boarding angers me. I will now only ride the train service (or drive) which offers a 100% better experience than the airline as well as the lovely view from my seat or the observation car(s). Food is better also. So it takes 5-6 hours from SF to LA by train and 3 hours min at the terminal for a 1 hour flight. Far less stress (IMO anyway.)
The Amtrak app shows at least 9 hours 35 minutes between SF and LA. 5-6 hours is not true.

I’m the opposite:

I like trains a lot but the variation in Amtrak’s staff (some are shockingly nasty) makes me never want to take Amtrak again. Amtrak’s just not a good value; I can fly first class for less.

I haven’t found train food to be better; have you had Amtrak’s Flexible Dining?

I fly every week and find Delta and American Airlines staff to be pretty nice, and more consistent than Amtrak.

The railroad that I love is Brightline. Sleek stations, sleek trains, really nice staff, luxurious food and lounges; it’s great! I’d take Brightline anywhere, and it’s better than anything else.

If you want first-class treatment on an airline, pay for it or fly enough to get it for free. Both are feasible; first class these days is not way more than coach (only $129 more for my 600-mile commute).
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