I think complaining about flying has become a national past time.
You can fly cost to coast for under $400, imaging what a 6 hour cab ride would cost. That only involves a beat up car and a guy with minimal training.
An airplane costs about $80M for a 737, and you are renting your seat. You are traveling through an environment Where you could only survive for about 30 seconds. So most of the things people complain about were brought about by ..... the customers.
If you want more space then don’t select flights for lowest price, select them for most room. You can find this on Seat Guru. A few years back when there was excess capacity in the industry AA removed a couple of rows of seats and added leg room. Did you guys go out an buy tickets on AA. Apparently not because they added them back.
On UA you can pay a few more dollars for economy plus. If you aren’t willing to pay $40 for it then you have put an exact price on what it is worth to you.
Same thing with food, baggage etc.
Well said!
Reminds me of two comedians talking about people complaining about airlines.
One said something like, “Delta’s motto should be, ‘We can fly!’ and that should be enough.”
Another said, “Oh you were stuck on the runway for 40 minutes? That’s you’re whole story? Then what happened? Because if afterwards you sailed through the air like a bird, that would have been amazing!”
He also said “Today I can leave New York, watch a movie and take a dump, and then I’m in LA. A hundred years ago it would take a month and grandma would die along the way.”
I flew first class several times on long trips, but for the most part, first class isn't what it used to be. The seats might be better padded and a bit wider, but they aren't really all that comfortable. The best first class seats I ever had were on British Airways back in the 1990s. Like being in a chaise lounge out in the backyard. Haven't found that on US carriers.
As for AA and UA, they aren't major carriers around here, at least not for the destinations I want to visit. For many years US Airways had a monopoly on air travel from Pittsburgh. They don't anymore, but there are still some routes only US Airways serves.
Trouble is, US Airways still thinks it's a monopoly and behaves like it. Never on time and some of the surliest employees I've ever encountered. Regardless of whether I'm paying $400 or $200, I believe I'm still entitled to some basic service as a customer. I deserve some respect. I don't like to be squeezed into a pen like cattle.
Well, it doesn't matter now. Health and money issues prevent me from traveling like I used to. But when I do, I find myself looking for alternatives to air travel — going by car, train or bus. For me, any of those modes of travel have become preferable to air travel.