What happened? Why did air travel go from a glamorous experience to nearly hellish?
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I hear about several airline crashes several times a year though. Also dealing with an angry chubby stewardess who grumbles under he breath when I ask her to Get me water is more likely t. happen.
I'm no friend of the airlines, but you need to get your facts straight. When I was growing up in the Sixties, domestic airline crashes were almost a monthly event. Nowadays, they're a lot less common (especially when a vastly greater number of passenger-miles are factored in). Still, I've never reconciled myself to the sense of powerlessness, and while the carriers have made a great effort to reduce the incidence of air disasters, they've done very little to reduce the totality. (Too expensive, and the false security of an airliner run like a cocktail lounge is a better selling point).
As for the stewardess (flight attendant in P/C=speak), you get what you pay for. If the Great Unwashed stopped behaving like spoiled children, they might get more respect.
In the 1930s-1970s air travel was a glamorous experience. You had plenty of leg room, free alcoholic drinks, attractive stewardesses in pleasing uniforms, hassle free boarding experiences, deluxe luxurious accommodations, steak and lobster meals, and comfortable seating.
Since the 80s the industry has consisted of sardine can-like seating, hellish boarding procedures with cavity searches, free peanuts if you're lucky, and frumpy airline staff who look and act like they escaped from a prison chain gang.
It makes me sick.
Things really went in the toilet after 9-11.
The European airlines such as KLM still feed you and give free booze on trans-Atlantic flights at least.
I flew almost 800K miles before 9-11, so am good and spoiled. Even in the deregulated 90's, if you flew enough to get some sort of frequent flyer status, you could usually get an upgrade to First. Even when I didn't get the upgrade, coach was not so bad, you got a meal on flights lasting long enough to make serving it practical.
I only fly anymore when I can't avoid it. Still a relatively safe and cost-effective way to travel say 1000 or more miles, particularly if traveling alone. If DW wants to come, or distances are shorter, car makes more sense.
Unfortunately, unlike Europe, American passenger rail is a bad joke, and of course you still have Greyhound bus - cheap but slow. So you fly or you drive in your own or a rented car, unless you want to walk!
Location: Mableton, GA USA (NW Atlanta suburb, 4 miles OTP)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OpanaPointer
Yes, there is. Corporations jam people into airplanes because they make more money that way. This isn't hard.
That is part of the issue. Prior to 1978, airlines in the US were simply not allowed to do a lot of things. Now they are, at least in terms of routes, pricing, etc.
I can deal with the 2 hour early airport arrival times. I can deal with the intrusive security personnel barking orders like a drill sergeant. I can deal with the gays-grannies-grandes flight attendants. What I struggle with are the unwashed masses (literally) showing up in clothes I wouldn't wear to bed, dragging oversized suitcases on the plane, muscling their baggage in the overhead while knocking me senseless, hauling more food on a board to snack only until the plane is on descent leaving you to smell it the entire trip.
In the 1930s-1970s air travel was a glamorous experience. You had plenty of leg room, free alcoholic drinks, attractive stewardesses in pleasing uniforms, hassle free boarding experiences, deluxe luxurious accommodations, steak and lobster meals, and comfortable seating.
Since the 80s the industry has consisted of sardine can-like seating, hellish boarding procedures with cavity searches, free peanuts if you're lucky, and frumpy airline staff who look and act like they escaped from a prison chain gang.
It makes me sick.
this pretty much up sums up the state of society also. remember in the 70s and 80s when you would go to sleep and not worry if you locked your doors.
just too many people, society and media glamourizes being a parent so people are popping out kids left and right, the more people, the more cramped things will be, the more stress you will have, etc.
i fear for our future generations, we hit the golden age in the 70s and 80s because we weren't 1910 where there was bad or no technology, but there wasnt a tech boom yet, so we still had comforts of things, now its a world that's just getting more populated and there's less need for unskilled or skilled labor...something has to give, i'm just not sure what or when.
Location: Was Midvalley Oregon; Now Eastside Seattle area
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When prices became within the reach of the Lower Mid-economic class, The airlines discovered that this client class cared more about price than comfort. If you want a better service and legroom, you can pay for it. Airlines would love for you to do so too.
Some airlines will recognize you as paying cattle. Some airlines pretend that you are human and will treat you so.
YMMF.
I hear about several airline crashes several times a year though. Also dealing with an angry chubby stewardess who grumbles under he breath when I ask her to
Get me water is more likely to
Happen.
Location: Mableton, GA USA (NW Atlanta suburb, 4 miles OTP)
11,334 posts, read 26,079,724 times
Reputation: 3995
Quote:
Originally Posted by OpanaPointer
And you're post makes me think you're paid by the Airline Protective League.
Airline behavior is completely rational given the existing profit motive and the massive regulatory changes in the US airline industry over the past 40 years. They aren't a charity, and they aren't a public utility or service.
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