BS: If You're Flying, A Caution

Subject: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: LadyJean
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 12:33 AM

i was coming home from my sister's in North Carolina on Monday. My flight was booked through Baltimore. Hooray! I thought, not Philadelphia, where flights are always delayed.
Well, my flight was delayed five hours because of storms and two more because they couldn't find a pilot.
It seems the airlines laid off quite a few when the recession hit. The fellow who was supposed to fly us back to Pittsburgh finished his shift and wasn't allowed to work overtime, and we had to wait and wait and wait and wait, until they could find another pilot.
If you're flying, this summer, look out for delays.

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: kendall
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 04:02 AM

What airline was that? I want to avoid it.

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: beeliner
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 04:30 AM

My stepson recently returned from Philadelphia to the regional airport at Bloomington, Illinois, with a change at Detroit, an afternoon schedule.

He had to stay in Detroit overnight because the pilot for the Detroit-Bloomington segment didn't show up.

The airline was Delta.

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: kendall
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 07:37 AM

One of the funniest things I have ever seen is Foster Brooks on the Dean Martin show. He was playing the part of a drunken airline pilot. I have it in my collection but don't know how to transfer it to the forum.

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: bubblyrat
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 08:27 AM

Could have been TWA, maybe ?? ( Tired,Weary Aircrew) !!

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 08:41 AM

Was it this one?

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/285168/yorkshire_airlines/

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: olddude
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 08:55 AM

Delta, Delta, Delta . Northwest use to be fine then Delta bought them.
I swear I always figure I am going to live at the airport for a large number of hours. Just came back on Tuesday from Wisconsin. Like always delayed, delayed, delayed then they put us on the aircraft, roll us out on the runway .. and let us sit for 2 hours before takeoff. So even if you get on the plane don't expect that you are going to takeoff anytime soon ..

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 09:02 AM

I do recall the US Airways crew in Portland, Maine, who were not at all happy to be told that they were expected to turn right around and fly out without any kind of break. They elected to adjourn to the airport restaurant for a leisurely dinner, while the service folks at the desks made disparaging comments about them. I was amazed at the level of unprofessional conduct demonstrated by all parties. We finally departed an hour later. We made out connecting flight in Philadelphia, barely, but our luggage didn't. It took our luggage two days to catch up with us in Australia.

We did have empathy for the flight crew but none for the airline executives who impose such conditions on their work force. It's scary to think that one's flight crew is overworked, stressed, and lacking sleep.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: olddude
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 09:15 AM

Charlie
they have a bill in congress to try and fix that. There was a terrible crash here in buffalo last year that killed 54 people. Pilot error .. they had gone a zillion hours without sleep and on top of that were not properly trained on the aircraft they were flying .. senseless error killed all those people .. The families of the crash put a ton of pressure on a local senator and congressman and they got a bill .. it looks like it will be passed to help prevent another accident like that. The biggest violator is the regional airlines that do the short hauls. They pay their people next to nothing and overwork them. That is what they are trying to fix ... yet something like 60% of all travel is short haul regional airlines affiliated with the big carriers.

Those guys and gals are very overworked and it is scary

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: kendall
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 09:19 AM

I love to go places but I hate to fly, and this sort of thing is one of the reasons. The others are:
Bawling squalling brats that never shut up. Cramped seats that were built for Dwarfs, dirty air that keeps being recycled through filters that have seldom been cleaned, A/C that doesn't work at all, but delayed flights are the worst.
The last time we left London for home some wanker put us on a connecting flight in New York that didn't even exist! I will never fly United again.

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: Rapparee
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 12:44 PM

Kendall, I tried flying united once and the aircrew separated us.

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: GUEST,kendall
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 04:39 AM

That sudden turbulence is a bitch

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: frogprince
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 01:14 PM

I dunno, we tend to get some moments of sudden turbulence when we're "united" at ground level, and they're generally not that unpleasant.

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: artbrooks
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 01:28 PM

Like this?

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: Anne Lister
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 03:34 PM

I gave up on United some years back, after a delayed flight from Orlando arrived in Chicago at the next gate to my London flight, which was still on the ground as we landed (and had a number of connecting flights coming in). In the short time it took me to get off the plane and the few short yards to the gate I was told my flight had left and I would have to wait for the next flight late the following day. I had to wait (literally) hours to get to my contact lens stuff from my checked bags and then make my own way to and from the very down-at-heel hotel they had recommended, which was not in a salubrious part of town.
No food or drink given, no allowances made for the fact that I was at that time quite high on their frequent flyer program, no allowances made for being a lone female, and when I complained (once I'd reached home, having lost out on some paid work into the bargain) I was told it was just one of those things. No apology, no compensation. All because of the weather. And yet, of course, it wasn't. A ten minute extra wait at the gate for the London flight would have enabled most of the connecting passengers to have made the connection.

So for me almost any airline except United from here on in.

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 03:59 PM

My wife will never fly BA (British Airways).
Years ago, coming back from England, there was a horrid stench when it came time to serve the on-flight meal.
Turned out it was mutton (old sheep) on the menu and the odor was sickening in the close confines of the plane. My wife had to barff.
They were wheeling a too wide cart continually up and down the aisle, blocking access to the stinking privies, and she had to use that little bag. That turned my insides upside down.
Truly a devil's flight.

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: kendall
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 04:44 PM

So far the best airline for me is Virgin and Air Canada next.

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: olddude
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 05:09 PM

Kendall's got it right, flew Virgin several time and more than impressed. Never flew air Canada but I hear they are great

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: artbrooks
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 11:07 PM

If you go where they go, I don't think you can beat Southwest.

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: Tangledwood
Date: 19 Jul 10 - 12:07 AM

There's an old adage - Time to spare, go by air.

It's an unavoidable fact of life that flights will be delayed, in the main part by weather which we cannot control. Pilots are limited by law to a maximum duty time, it's not that they're just unwilling to work overtime.

Specific hours vary but say a limit is 8 hours. A crew commences duty, gets the briefing, flies A-B and return 3 hours each way, and everything is good. But if they get to B, a thunderstorm moves in and closes the airport causing a backlog of traffic they get delayed at B for two hours. If they now fly the return leg they will go over the limit. They may get an exemption to do that but then are required to take the next day off.
There may also be other implications such as the crew for the next mornings flight ending up in the wrong city.

Once upon a time airlines had sufficient reserve crews around the place to be able to call someone in. Now with everybody cutting costs in every way they can there is no leeway. It's cheaper to cut a flight and bump the passengers to later flights which weren't full anyway.

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: jacqui.c
Date: 19 Jul 10 - 01:49 AM

Virgin is probably my #1 choice of airline - I use them regularly for transatlantic trips.

Southwest are not too bad, although getting checked in to get in the queue for a good seat can be a pain. We've now used True Blue, who are also quite good.

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: artbrooks
Date: 19 Jul 10 - 11:19 AM

In the never-ending quest to suck all of the available blood from passengers, Southwest will now let you avoid the "check in no more than 24 hours ahead of time" business for an extra $10. They remain a pretty good deal - excellent on-time scores and slightly wider space between seats.

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 19 Jul 10 - 06:02 PM

I swear by Southwest. I just wish they flew internationally as well.
Plus, they let you check 2 bags free, AND I can put my guitar in an overhead bin.

Great frequent-flyer mileage plan as well, and I always get a few new jokes from the flight attendants.

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: LadyJean
Date: 19 Jul 10 - 11:46 PM

Unfortunately, my flight was on Southwest. I am appalled. I love the Airline. I've never had a bad experience with them before. I sent them a strongly worded email telling them to stop behaving like USAirways. Since the thing I love most about the airline is the service I've gotten. Until this flight. When I finally had a bad experience with them, it was a lulu!

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: ranger1
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 12:41 AM

I've flown exclusively with Southwest for the last ten years, never any problems with the airline itself, just issues at the airport with umpteen delayed flights delaying other flights.

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 10:05 PM

Ya can't predict weather/equipment/personnel related delays.

One thing I've found that Southwest does well is keep you updated on he situation. Never had a problem with them communicating.

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: LadyJean
Date: 21 Jul 10 - 12:37 AM

That was probably the difficulty this time. Of course the friend who was supposed to pick me up couldn't find anyone at the Southwest desk to update him on the situation. I tried, but both his phones were out. (Thank you Verizon.) I'll stick with Southwest. One bad experience in five years is a pretty good record.

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 21 Jul 10 - 05:02 PM

We flew Southwest out of LAX to Phoenix - couldn't understand a word that the crew were saying - English gone completely wrong!!!

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 21 Jul 10 - 09:50 PM

I fly a lot. I am a great believer in wearing hearing protection on airplanes. The roar of the engines is incessant. It stresses the body, raises blood pressure, and makes people tired.

I like the Mack brand of hearing protectors, which are soft and mold to fit the ear. I can use them and place earphones over them, so that I listen to the music I like best.

Pick high-pitched things for your music, such as flute, violin or dulcimer. Low-pitched music is simply drowned out.

Subject: RE: BS: If You're Flying, A Caution
From: MikeL2
Date: 22 Jul 10 - 02:49 PM

Hi

Problems travelling by air are not restricted to the USA.

We have them over here in the UK too.

As I have a house in Spain and my wife's sister lives there we have been very regular customers of the airlines.

In all honesty we haven't really had many problems with delayed flights as such. Last year we did have a Monty Pythonesque experience when we were called to the plane and all sat waiting to go and the captain called and appologised for a delay. Apparently " someone had parked a plane at the rear of ours, and he could not back off the stand until it was moved." No problem you would think......but they couldn't find who owned it or had left it there !!!

Our problem with flying is that over the years we have see the flight times reduce from three and 1/2 hours down to just over two, but the time we have to get to the airport before the flight has risen from a half hour to sometimes three hours!!! So we spend more time in the airports waiting to fly than we actually spend flying.

In the drive to reduce fares the services have almost disappeared. As elder statespeople we hate the rush and scramble for seats that occurs on the cheaper airlines. We try to use others but I am afraid that they are all going the same way.

Add to that, dreadful flight times and you get a two hour flight that actually takes about six and we end up all stressed out.

So this year we changed our plans. We went to North Wales which is about an hour and a half down the road.

We avoided all the sqeezing and cramming of filling the suitcases.
We used suit and dress hangers with covers and small bags for toiletries and shoes etc.

Left home at ten and were having a drink in the bar having unpacked and changed by mid-day. Great !!!

Same in reverse coming home. Added to that we had the children and grandchilden come to stay with us for a couple of days in the hotel.

Going again next week. Flying....who needs it??

Cheers

MikeL2