American Airlines sucks!

[nva79]

the chains at airports usually knock up their price by a dollar or two at most. often times not at all. it is much cheaper than the knock ups at a stadium.

[rachiepants]

Yeah, the $15 per bag thing is really ridiculous. All it does is encourage people to try to cram as much as they can in a carry-on. People lately have been trying to stuff some fairly large items in the overhead bin...I'm surprised these passengers don't get their bulky bags taken while boarding and put underneath with the rest of the bags. Which, btw, if that does happen...how do they get charged the $15?
Secondly, the added number of carry-ons just means that it will add even more time to the already super-slow de-planing that goes on as everybody tries to dislodge all the crap they stuffed in the bins.

[texdav]

All airlines suck these days. That is what comes with cheap travel I am afraid. When they started jamming people together is when airline travel started going to pot. I can rememebr in the early 70's when they served steak and strawberry short cake at supper and you actually had breathing room.

[captainchas]

Not all airlines suck. I hope you try Virgin America - ya, I know, we still charge $15, but the ala-carte model prevents savvy travellers subsidizing others.

You will find it the difference between VA and others like night and day. As a Captain for VA, yes, I am biased. However, I've flown for other legacy carriers and VA is beyond expectations. My email is charles.melichar@virginamerica.com. Yes, I'm a pilot, but any concerns you email to me, I will make sure to get to the right people, and follow up on it as best I can. Perhaps it's a little thing, but if you blog.. Well, so do I. And I like having happy people on my airplane (it's much more fun - and yes, I am human, beyond being a pilot). So let me know your thoughts.

[pigeonhole]

Having flied Ryanair, when I flew AA I thought I was in heaven...and yes, we had a free meal, but it was a transatlantic flight.

[annerk]

Originally Posted by South Range Family

Pittsburgh Airport requires street prices from all vendors. You won't find any gouging there.

Same with Philly. Last time I had McDonalds in Philly it came to within $1 or so of what I pay anywhere outside the airport.

Starbucks prices in airports are the same as their local area--although I have noticed that they are universally higher in higher COL parts of the country. Starbucks in SFO is more expensive than Starbucks at ALB, but the cost of living has to be at least double.

[annerk]

Originally Posted by rachiepants

Yeah, the $15 per bag thing is really ridiculous. All it does is encourage people to try to cram as much as they can in a carry-on. People lately have been trying to stuff some fairly large items in the overhead bin...I'm surprised these passengers don't get their bulky bags taken while boarding and put underneath with the rest of the bags. Which, btw, if that does happen...how do they get charged the $15?
Secondly, the added number of carry-ons just means that it will add even more time to the already super-slow de-planing that goes on as everybody tries to dislodge all the crap they stuffed in the bins.

I have to disagree. People need to stop packing so much crap to begin with! Who really needs 12 pairs of shoes for a four day trip???

My husband and I are frequent flyers, and haven't checked a bag in three years. We can go for a week with activities ranging from casual to dressy (not formal) in our roll ons--mine is 18", his is 19", ie small roll ons, not the oversized ones. Both fit "wheels in" in any overhead. We each also carry a small personal item which easily fits under the seat in front of us.

If there isn't room for your one carry on item in the overhead, you are not charged to check it.

[annerk]

Originally Posted by texdav

All airlines suck these days. That is what comes with cheap travel I am afraid. When they started jamming people together is when airline travel started going to pot. I can rememebr in the early 70's when they served steak and strawberry short cake at supper and you actually had breathing room.

Things changed after deregulation. It also made flying affordable for most.

[captainchas]

For those who complain about the current state of service in the airline industry, remember: You got what you wanted to pay for.

An airline ticket today, since deregulation, adjusted for inflation, is $0. THat's right, free - compared to what you had to pay before deregulation.

You want to pay $10 for a ticket and expect to be treated like kings? Yes, a few airlines (besides mine) will give you that - but you must be realistic in your expectations.

If you want airline miles - then be willing to sacrifice service to get it. Don't live somewhere jetBlue, Virgin America, or Airtran flies? Then... well, vote with dollars to get them there. Or adjust to the fact that you want to fly free somewhere in the world, and that means having bitchy FA's, poor service, baggage charges, and no communication. Your choice.

That's the legacy way. Government intervention has prevented poorly run, poor customer service airlines to survive when they never should have, dont deserve to survive, and should have been extinct years ago. Hey, it's our government! We CHOOSE poor customer service! Thank goodness for bailouts, poor employee-management relationships, bad customer service, and USA employment at the expense of a better product! SO quite complaining! Legacy management LIKES having employees hating each other, because that keeps them divided at the negotiating table, and allows them to sell cheaper tickets.

Networks over customer service - you can't have both, apparently - unless, of course, you fly the Virgin Group, but YES, that is an entirely biased, self-centered view. I make no apologies for that.

Do you want better service? Better treatment? Then VOTE with your dollars! Do NOT take the cheapest ticket - pay for quality. If that includes Virgin, then wonderful. If it doesn't - tell us why you didn't spend that money on us.

Airlines have only delivered what YOU, the customer, wanted. VOTE with your dollars, with your tickets, and when you are treated badly - remember you get what you paid for... Stop flying American, Delta, Northwest, Continental if they don't deliver what you expect, even IF they have the cheapest ticket! Be savvy travelers and join the airborne revolution!~

Until Virgin America had WIFI, that was never even on the horizon for any airline. But once other competitors saw how customers were voting with their dollars, they all of a sudden started adding it to their fleets. If it wasn't for VA, the state of the airline industry in America, as quoted by Richard Branson, would continue to be abysmal, but since inception all the legacies are desperately trying to match the quality product that CAN be offered.

Only YOU, the consumer, can choose who survives and who dies. So vote with your dollars. In this economy, vote for quality, or stop complaining. If you are REALLY upset - then don't buy the ticket on that airline! Drive, walk, ride, or do something else green or ergonomically correct... Or fly VA, the most Green Airline in America.

Your choice.

I am an unabashed fan of VA, and they do employee me, a former TWA pilot, so these opinions are strictly my own. Take these opinions with this known bias into your own deliberations and this is neither known by, solicited by, or approved by my employer. They are harmless and unaware of what I am writing. I am, however, willing to address any issues you might have personally. Feel free to write to me, and even if I don't have the solution, I will pass it on and make sure it gets resolved in some way.