Air travel sux

[airdvr 210]

Why can't they just do 2 things..enforce the carryon baggage rules and learn how to load the fucking plane?

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[billvon 3,120]

>enforce the carryon baggage rules

Cuz they're charging for luggage now, so people have a financial incentive to beat the carryon rules. And the airline that spends the money to enforce them:

a) has to charge more for tickets, thus selling fewer tickets
b) pisses off customers, thus selling fewer tickets
c) slows down boarding, thus reducing the number of flights they can get out of one gate/aircraft/crew.

Often they don't even make any of that back, since they will check bags for free if all the carryons don't fit.

> and learn how to load the fucking plane?

Because everyone has three big carryons!

[NWFlyer 2]

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Cuz they're charging for luggage now, so people have a financial incentive to beat the carryon rules. And the airline that spends the money to enforce them:

a) has to charge more for tickets, thus selling fewer tickets
b) pisses off customers, thus selling fewer tickets
c) slows down boarding, thus reducing the number of flights they can get out of one gate/aircraft/crew.

Or you could: 1) Not charge for checked luggage and 2) Have your flight attendants actively working to help people with carry-on bags so that you can turn planes in under 30 minutes and 3) be consistently profitable.

But, since no one but Southwest has figured out how to do that, I don't see that happening anytime soon.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[shah269 0]

People are bring on bigger and bigger bags. It's getting kind of dangerous if you ask me! I saw this one old lady and her "carry on" was as big as she was. And when I sent to help her put it on the overhead bing....holy mother of god! The thing had to be 60freaking lbs!

Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

[billvon 3,120]

>Or you could: 1) Not charge for checked luggage

Yep. Never understood why an airline company would want to give the kitchen-sink-carry-onners an incentive to carry on even more stuff. Seems like you'd want to go the opposite direction if you really wanted to increase turnaround time. "You pay $20 a pound for your carry-ons - but your checked bags are free."

[ryoder 1,590]

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People are bring on bigger and bigger bags. It's getting kind of dangerous if you ask me! I saw this one old lady and her "carry on" was as big as she was. And when I sent to help her put it on the overhead bing....holy mother of god! The thing had to be 60freaking lbs!

Her daughter was in that bag.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[airdvr 210]

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Or you could: 1) Not charge for checked luggage and 2) Have your flight attendants actively working to help people with carry-on bags so that you can turn planes in under 30 minutes and 3) be consistently profitable.

But, since no one but Southwest has figured out how to do that, I don't see that happening anytime soon.

Exactly! I saw people with your standard wheeled carryon and a second backpack. I saw people with 3 carry ons...one guy blatantly had 4.

Combine this with the 'free for all' boarding system and it takes forever to get from the tunnel into the plane if you're in the last 3rd of the plane. Not to mention that by then, all of the OH storage is gone.

I voiced my displeasure to a flight attendant and she quickly pulled the ' you do want to go to Pittsburgh don't you?' card on me so I shut up as best I could. I don't care for Philly all that much.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[Amazon 7]

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Or you could: 1) Not charge for checked luggage and 2) Have your flight attendants actively working to help people with carry-on bags so that you can turn planes in under 30 minutes and 3) be consistently profitable.

But, since no one but Southwest has figured out how to do that, I don't see that happening anytime soon.

Exactly! I saw people with your standard wheeled carryon and a second backpack. I saw people with 3 carry ons...one guy blatantly had 4.

Combine this with the 'free for all' boarding system and it takes forever to get from the tunnel into the plane if you're in the last 3rd of the plane. Not to mention that by then, all of the OH storage is gone.

I voiced my displeasure to a flight attendant and she quickly pulled the ' you do want to go to Pittsburgh don't you?' card on me so I shut up as best I could. I don't care for Philly all that much.

I never could understand why the airlines.. let the important people in first class in first to slow the whole fucking loading procedure down. I fly 1st class about half the time and it pisses me off that some numbnut who will be sitting across from me.. is taking his sweet time getting his crap into the overhead and out of the friggin aisle.

Christ people all you have to do is line everyone up by seat assignment starting at the back of the plane... and LOAD them that way. If you are in row 50.... you get to go first and all the way back instead of having to wait for the asshole in the 3rd row to put all his shit away while everyone is standing there.

I guess that is too fucking logical..

Ok rant over.

[airtwardo 7]

I never could understand why the airlines.. let the important people in first class in first to slow the whole fucking loading procedure do.

So they can start drinking EARLY!


~Speaking of luggage, I was going to LA last week and left the car in long term parking...one guy (whom I had to help) was loading 3 gigantic suitcases on ther bus in, each over 90 pounds. He said he was checking two on 'em. I would have loved to see him wrestling that third on the plane!

I'm headed back to Greece for a week leaving tomorrow...packing one backpack of about 30 pounds.

Why do people think they need to take everything they own when they travel?

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[skyrider 0]

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I never could understand why the airlines.. let the important people in first class in first to slow the whole fucking loading procedure do.

So they can start drinking EARLY!


~Speaking of luggage, I was going to LA last week and left the car in long term parking...one guy (whom I had to help) was loading 3 gigantic suitcases on ther bus in, each over 90 pounds. He said he was checking two on 'em. I would have loved to see him wrestling that third on the plane!

I'm headed back to Greece for a week leaving tomorrow...packing one backpack of about 30 pounds.

Why do people think they need to take everything they own when they travel?


Depends??








Running to the next band meeting before he gets there>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[airtwardo 7]

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I never could understand why the airlines.. let the important people in first class in first to slow the whole fucking loading procedure do.

So they can start drinking EARLY!


~Speaking of luggage, I was going to LA last week and left the car in long term parking...one guy (whom I had to help) was loading 3 gigantic suitcases on ther bus in, each over 90 pounds. He said he was checking two on 'em. I would have loved to see him wrestling that third on the plane!

I'm headed back to Greece for a week leaving tomorrow...packing one backpack of about 30 pounds.

Why do people think they need to take everything they own when they travel?

Depends??








Running to the next band meeting before he gets there>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

No, a cork.





~And another thing fellow travelers, the moving walk way is a WALK WAY!

Don't stand there on it with yer freakin' mouth hangin' open like a drooling idiot on a Disneyland ride...move your ass!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[NWFlyer 2]

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Why do people think they need to take everything they own when they travel?

Well, in his defense, maybe he was actually *moving* somewhere. That's the only reason I can come up with for *that* much luggage.

I'm a firm believer that (disabilities aside) if you can't handle all the luggage you're bringing by yourself, you're probably bringing too much. Also (again, disabilities or extreme shortness aside) if you can't lift your own carry-on into the overhead bin, you probably ought to be checking it.

There are probably a few exceptions to these rules, but otherwise it's just people who don't know how to pack light.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[airtwardo 7]

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Why do people think they need to take everything they own when they travel?

Well, in his defense, maybe he was actually *moving* somewhere. That's the only reason I can come up with for *that* much luggage.

I'm a firm believer that (disabilities aside) if you can't handle all the luggage you're bringing by yourself, you're probably bringing too much. Also (again, disabilities or extreme shortness aside) if you can't lift your own carry-on into the overhead bin, you probably ought to be checking it.

There are probably a few exceptions to these rules, but otherwise it's just people who don't know how to pack light.

Then ship it!

Let's face it, air travel these days is nothing more than a fast bus ride...if you are bringing more than you can carry, you've maybe chosen the wrong mode of travel.


ETA: some airlines charge per bag checked and then up to 2.00 a pound for each pound over 50.

The guy I mentioned probably couldn't 'carry on' the trunk he was planning to so there is a third bag checked....I bet he had close to 500.00 in travel charges for his LUGGAGE!

Somebody should publish a 'Travel 101' booklet, I can empathise with people that don't travel often being a bit slow on the uptake regarding newer procedures, but a lotta this is just common sense.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Unstable 9]

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I never could understand why the airlines.. let the important people in first class in first to slow the whole fucking loading procedure down. I fly 1st class about half the time and it pisses me off that some numbnut who will be sitting across from me.. is taking his sweet time getting his crap into the overhead and out of the friggin aisle.

Christ people all you have to do is line everyone up by seat assignment starting at the back of the plane... and LOAD them that way. If you are in row 50.... you get to go first and all the way back instead of having to wait for the asshole in the 3rd row to put all his shit away while everyone is standing there.

I guess that is too fucking logical..

Ok rant over.

True Story~ I worked under a professor for Graduate school who did consulting work for the Airlines. So one of the projects was to simulate aircraft loading procedures based on how full the plane was and the type of aircraft ~ They would simulate various solutions ~ front to back, back to front, left side, right side, then middle, et cetera. Basically we showed one customer that back-to-front was the most efficient (15 or 20%, I can't remember off the top of my head) but they still didn't implement the solution because they wanted to keep the perks of flying first class.

=========Shaun ==========

[Unstable 9]

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People are bring on bigger and bigger bags. It's getting kind of dangerous if you ask me! I saw this one old lady and her "carry on" was as big as she was. And when I sent to help her put it on the overhead bing....holy mother of god! The thing had to be 60freaking lbs!

Agreed. I flew this fall and I was just in shock at what morons were trying to carry on. I saw a family with an entire luggage set just walk right on the plane. What is a real bother though, is they load the plane back-to-front, so if you are sitting in the mid to front of the cabin, by the time you get on, all the overhead space is full of crap because everyone has so much crap they can't fit it above their seats, and it all gets pushed forward.

=========Shaun ==========

[billvon 3,120]

>never could understand why the airlines.. let the important people in
>first class in first

So they can charge more for the seats.

[airtwardo 7]

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>never could understand why the airlines.. let the important people in
>first class in first

So they can charge more for the seats.

A little off topic, but I wonder how many people actually PAY the listed price for 1st class...most seem to be travel miles upgrades and the like.

The cost for 1st is not justified IMO by the bigger chair, free drinks and cloth napkins with the gruel.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[airdvr 210]

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>never could understand why the airlines.. let the important people in
>first class in first

So they can charge more for the seats.

A little off topic, but I wonder how many people actually PAY the listed price for 1st class...most seem to be travel miles upgrades and the like.

The cost for 1st is not justified IMO by the bigger chair, free drinks and cloth napkins with the gruel.

On 2 seperate occasions we were offered an upgrade to 1st class. $150/seat which would have put the fare at $575ish. Since it was only a 4 hour flight we declined. But I believe the posted fares for 1st class on those flights was a bit north of $1000.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[Andy9o8 2]

I recently had to grab a flight on short notice, and had to take US Airways because all the affordable flights on Southwest were sold out. Well, after paying an extra $28 for the privilege of checking my suitcase, when I asked the flight attendant whether they had any of those little packets of pretzels or what-not, she handed me a nice, glossy "menu" where I coulda shelled-out $4 for a box of M&Ms. Fuckers.

Nowadays whenever I book a flight online I try to reserve a seat in the rear. It's about the only way to be sure I get a space in the overhead bin. Oh, and now I bring my own granola bars.

[airdvr 210]

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Nowadays whenever I book a flight online I try to reserve a seat in the rear

I agreed with your post except for this. If you want a seat in the rear you'll be at the end of the clusterfuck called embarkation. OH storage all gone

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[Andy9o8 2]

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Nowadays whenever I book a flight online I try to reserve a seat in the rear

I agreed with your post except for this. If you want a seat in the rear you'll be at the end of the clusterfuck called embarkation. OH storage all gone

The past few flights I've been on, the front gets plugged up first, while the back is last to fill up, so I've never had a prob back there.

Oh, plus it's closer to the can.