Wooo Hooo — The Joys of Flying
BY DANA NELSEN
Anyone who has recently experienced the joy of airline travel can attest to the fact that it is not what it used to be. A recent Associated Press story says that consumer complaints are up 60 percent this year. To say airline customers are unsatisfied is an understatement.
When I tell people I travel extensively for my job, most people respond with “Oh, that must be wonderful to go to so many places.” Well, traveling for business is much different than traveling for vacation—or is it?
If nearly stripping down to your boxer shorts to go through security were the only travesty, airline travel would be a joy. I think most people are more than willing to endure a little inconvenience for safety’s sake. But even so, I think I would dread herding the family through airline security even for a vacation.
Once through security, there is no guarantee travelers are going anywhere. In fact, odds of beating the house at blackjack in Vegas are almost better. In the story mentioned above, late flights are at an all time high with 25 percent of all flights being late. Atlantic Southeast Airlines reportedly has the worst record of all with 33 percent of its flights being late. But the airline is not alone. Universally, late flights have increased for the fifth year in a row. This is not just an airline fad but an ongoing and unending travel trend.
Even if the plane is on time, overbooking passengers has become the rule of thumb, so getting bumped off a flight is a real possibility on every trip. On my most recent flight to Oregon, a family of four heading to Seattle for vacation had no designated seats on the plane. They were allowed to board anyway. A business traveler ended up relinquishing his seat to enjoy one of the flight attendant’s “flip down” seats, just so the little girl in the family would have a “real seat” during take-off and landing.
Factor in how people with “real seats” are mashed in so close together, the proximity borders on indecency. And customer service … it’s non-existent. It won’t be long before airlines merely hand you an advertisement for a bag of pretzels rather than any actual food. If travelers politely ask for an entire can of Coke, rather than the tiny glass offered, the pilot may just land the plane because passengers are being out of hand and obnoxious.
When it comes to luggage, I personally have had my luggage lost so many times that I now refuse to check my bags. In fact, I’ve never had my luggage arrive with me when checking them. No, not even once have been at baggage claim when I disembark from the plane. I would rather travel with nothing more than aforementioned boxers and just buy clothing upon landing than go through the nightmare of lost luggage again. Out of necessity, I’ve become very adept at traveling with just a carry-on bag.
The GO RVing campaign might consider doing a TV commercial on just how dreadful going on vacation can be when flying as compared to traveling in an RV. I know I’d rather head to my next business appointment in a nice Class A. Heck, with the inflated price of airline tickets of late, it would probably cost far less.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
it seems as though the U.S. goverment should be talking and making an oil deal with Canada, there is now a few big oil companys in canada who have hit the mother load in the oil industry. in Alberta Canada they have found a large area of oil in sand, they are producing around 400,000 barrels of oil a day, and that is increasing on a daily basis. they are extracting oil from sand using steam. and they say there is enough oil in this sand to last for over 4000 years. now they have been running tests on another field in Saskatchewan Province that is going to be bigger then the Alberta field. the U.S. goverment is allowing our oil industry to gouge the American public, making billions of dollars in profits each quarter, and telling the public that their costs have sky rocketed out of site. you never hear our President going to bat against the oil producers charging prices that is putting our Trucking Industry out of business, it is high time that we have goverment officials in washington who have the GUTS to stand up for the people in this country. We don’t need the foreign oil in this country, not one drop of the Alaskan pipeline oil has ever hit the U.S. it is all being sold to Japan, and other countrys. we are smart as hell in this country, why can’t we remove the high Sulphur content in the oil coming thru the Alaskan pipeline. we can send man to the moon, oil can’t be that hard to be made safe for the enviroment.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
In response to Keith, flying only gets you from point A to point B. You mention that $3.50 fuel is too costly, even $4 diesel makes it still less expensive to travel in a motorhome than to drive. Fuel would have to be $10 a gallon to make an RV trip more costly a vacation, calculating motel, eating out, plus some fuel. Getting there is half of the fun. Do the math, coast to coast and back for 60 to 90 days would cost a lot more to fly or drive a car. When our kids were young we traveled 3 months each summer in a motorhome. It was the cheapest way to vacation. I don’t have anything against flying as right now I’m
in Singapore with no problems with the airlines, all of our flights were on time or ahead of time and customs not bad. Can’t wait to get back home in May so we can hit the road again in our motorhome!
April 8th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
AMEN! There are too many airlines; and, the sooner they shake out, the better…All their overpaid, no work ethic, union employees should book a one-way flight to B_F_ Ejypt! We have enough flyer miles to circle the globe; but, will likely allow them to expire…
April 8th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Maybe your unlucky,
We use Expedia and have always had wonderful results. The family vacations to Arizona, California,
every year and have yet to ever be delayed or have lost luggage? Trips take us thru , Vegas, Dallas, Chicago, Denver, Atlanta, Minnesota, and different airlines each time. My Wife and children would not have it any other way. Leave Indy @7:00 am and land in Ontario CA @ 10:00 am and have the whole day to Party. Are you kidding me!! You want us to drive, with gas prices at $3.50 average. That’s about $375 (2200 MILES)to drive to California + Hotel + Food & Snacks + ARE WE THERE YET. Dude how many kids do you have? Flying is the only way to go. I was also fortunate enough to fly to Germany last year and again a joyess trip with no problems. Now you want to talk customs in a foregin land that’s a different Topic.
April 8th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
I haven’t flown commercially since December 2000 and don’t have any plans to. Sure, it’s faster to get there that way, and yeah, it’d probably make my family a little happier to spend less time “getting there” and more time vacationing, but I simply refuse to pay hard earned dollars to be abused!