These Are The Unbreakable Rules Of Air Travel

Jalopnik ^ | 9/1 | Erin Marquis

[nickcarraway]

The dos and do not dos of flying this Labor Day Weekend (or any day really)

Flying suck now. It’s a nightmare, and it’s only gotten worse since the plague times. It seems some of us have forgotten what it means to be or behave like a person — a normal, decent person. Or maybe the monster was always lurking there, just under the surface. Who knew one delayed flight was all it took to make someone snap?

Some of us have forgotten basic flying decency. Ahead of yet another chaotic travel event, with 14 million passengers taking to the skies for this glorious three day weekend brought to you by unions (you’re welcome), we are here to help. Much of this won’t apply for business or first class passengers, but that’s OK. Folks used to traveling like that are already used to following a completely different set of rules than the rest of us.

[Responsibility2nd]

We can thank George W. Bush and the Patriot Act for all this nonsense.

[Bounced2X]

A) I’m not convinced that she is wrong/crazy and Even if she were- those boobs! I’m all aboard the crazy train in that case.

She's ad exec. And it wouldn't take a PowerPoint presentation to sell me. :O)

[mabarker1]

Back in the day: I logged thousands of hours/miles as a kid since Dad worked for AA. When We flew it was required that Males wore a Suit and Tie, Females wore a Dress or Pant Suit no exceptions We always had to be in Coach unless on the rare occasion there was room in 1st Class and no revenue passengers wanted to upgrade to it for free. We were under strict Family rules that We ID’d ourselves to the Flight Attendants, when asked what We wanted for a meal the answer was to be “whatever you have the most of, serve everyone else first”, the meals were good (except for personal preference of the food type which to Me was fish) NEVER PRESS THE CALL BUTTON UNLESS IT WAS A TRUE EMERGENCY, don’t bother the people around You unless they started the conversation. Always pay real attention to the Flight Attendants during the Safety Briefing even if We had been on that type of Aircraft a hundred times before, try to sit in a Wing Window Exit row to assist in opening it if necessary (plus the extra legroom bonus), always leave the Lavatory cleaner than when you entered it including wiping down the water drops in/on the basin and counter top, stay in your seat with the seatbelt fastened unless you needed to go to the Lavatory and BE RESPECTFUL TO EVERYONE.

These terms were not negotiable by Dad’s Rules.

Of course this was back in the days of kids got real metal Wing Pins and many times a tour of the Cockpit, Flight Attendants were still called Stewardesses and were nice. Even got to ride on a 747 when they first came out just to check it out (ORD-LAX-IAH) when I was 10 or so.

I also remember several times when the Aircraft was almost at the runway for takeoff and went back to the Gate and had to deplane to allow revenue Pax on in place of us. More than one night sleeping in chairs at the Gate waiting for the next day’s flight because of it.

I refuse to fly anymore because of what happened to the industry/”security”.

[MinorityRepublican]

I refuse to fly anymore because of what happened to the industry/”security”.

One good thing now is that air travel is accessible to everybody.

[mabarker1]

AWESOME !!! I wonder if that Boy will look You up later in his life to say Thank You, I remember what You did for me.

[Carriage Hill]

Now 73, I fondly remember those days, too.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Remember that the aircrew thinks they are above God even He may only speak up with permission which will never be given.

They want you to sit in someone else vomit? Do not object or the Commissars of the Sky will put you on the "no Fly list" which will do far more then just deny you getting in their tin cans with wings.

They want you to give up your seat in first class and sit in coach? Do it or they will arrest you.

They want you to give up your seat, after sitting at the gate for two hours, so they can stick some of their fellow union members on the plane? They will have you beaten and arrested.

Bow you peasants BOW! Sure you have paid money to be in their power which means you are not very smart but I see no reason why some fellow citizen in a stupid looking uniform can abuse you just because they are serving watered down drinks in the sky rather then on the ground.

[hoagy62]

Greyhound???
Nowadays, it’s full of druggies, mentally ill, and illegal aliens. No possible way.

[libstripper]

Don’t even tempt me. I have a wonderful, totally disgusting, story about that from fraternity rush week in 1962.

[libstripper]

First class via 2018 Lincoln Navigator all the way.

[whitney69]

It’s just people. They wouldn’t have a rule specifically not to board with a leaf blower unless someone tried it.

wy69

[KingLudd]

SkyDancer, you’re one cool dude.

[Regulator]

I remember going to the gate with parents / siblings to say bye - back then, you could even go outside and sometimes on board before the Stews shoo'd everyone out and closed the door. Just like ships departing from a dock.

But now, since we don't control our borders, we have to have internal borders called "TSA checkpoints" where all the intended victims undergo anal inspections by the relatives of the likely victimizers.

We wouldn't need any of that if we actually kept the real problem people out.

[yldstrk]

Drive if you can. There is a lot of scenery and items of interest you literally fly over.
******
My husband wanted me to fly from Raleigh to Atlanta to see my daughter’s new baby. I wanted to drive because after all the hassle of arriving two hours early for the flight, parking, getting through security, flying, waiting at baggage claim, renting a car, I could drive and have my own space on the way and my own car when I arrived. I ultimately decided to drive even though the South Carolina highways are brutal.

[SkyDancer]

Other pilots I know have done similar things.

[gitmo]

I used to fly very often. I’ve flown twice since 9/11. It is crazy now.

[SkyDancer]

I no longer fly for Frontier, I fly bizjets now and the rules are a lot more relaxed which is why folks get together and fly with us.

[SkyDancer]

With you on that. I seldom have run across people who’ve flown with me before but once in a while I’d get a shout from someone on the concourse.

[SkyDancer]

Not really. Mussies on 9/11 created it all.