Airline Travel Just Sucks

[Take 'Em]

So I get stuck going standby on a SouthWorst Airlines flight to Chicago and of course there is no room for my Carry on bag in the overhead space and they make me check it.

It of course never got put in the belly of the plane and the Martha Fokkers lost it. Then yesterday some asshole tries to light himself on fire and tries to take out the FAA traffic control center shutting down Chicago for the whole day. Over 1,000 flights cancelled including the one with fucking bag on it!!!!!

Pisses me off!!!!!!!!!!

[cadaverdog]

That sucks but I've had an even worse experience. I was supposed to travel between duty stations in the Navy in uniform but as long as I had it on when I got to the base nobody really cared. I flew from L A to Chicago in jeans and a t shirt in March of 82. It was nice in L A but it was freezing cold in Chicago. They lost my sea bag and everything in it including my orders. If it hadn't showed up by the next morning I would have gotten in trouble but luckily it was there when I woke up. The airline sent it to the base when it showed up on the next flight. The last time I flew somebody stole a sleeping bag I had with my luggage but they paid me more than enough to buy a new one with very little hassle. Ever since I saw that spooky DOA video by Bloodrock Chef Craig posted awhile back I've been afraid to fly. I wasn't exactly comfortable about flying before that. Now I'm scared shitless.

[SunisinuS]

Use less Stuff?

[twonabomber]

I don't like to fly. Add in all the TSA bullshit and the airline fees...yeah, fuck them. I'm okay with an 8 hour drive, beyond that, I ain't goin'.

[DONNIEP]

I hate flying. I love airports but I hate flying. It sucks balls. It's worse than riding a bus. And the damn airplanes? They look like flying hunks of shit, just beat all to hell looking. I'm surprised half of em don't fall out of the sky every day.

And they've crammed as many shitty seats into those Flying Death Tubes as they possibly can. I'm surprised they don't just take em all out and force everybody to stand up the whole time. And God forbid you want a second beer - they act like you're gonna whip out a box cutter and start trying to cut the windows out. And the stewardesses almost always look like they're about to drop dead from exhaustion. That used to be a cool gig, kinda glamorous. Now it's shit.

And the people on the damn plane? Trash. Almost all of em are nothing but trash. And then you got the moms with horrible children that raise hell the whole way. Makes me insane.

The only good thing about flying is getting loaded before the flight, which is easy because they're always delayed, and then getting off and going straight to the hotel for a drink at the bar and then dinner with more drinks. If it wasn't for the booze I'd probably be on a no fly list by now.

[twonabomber]

I haven't flown since probably '97. Work was having a machine built in Chicago, and I flew out a couple times with an engineer to give some input and when it was built, to trial run it. We flew in and out of O'Hare. Holy hell that runway was rough.

The last time we went was Thanksgiving week. We left Monday morning, stayed overnight, and flew back Tuesday afternoon. The plane was PACKED on Tuesday...some woman got bumped and had to get off the plane. Literally two seconds before they shut the door, they made her get off.

I quit that job to go to Progressive. Just after I left they had more machines built...in Australia. I woulda got to go down under. :banghead:

[Nitro Express]

It depends what you fly on. It can be a drink in your hand with a Singapore girl on your lap or a cattle car heading to Auschwitz.



This is how flying should be.

[Nitro Express]

Get rid of the assholes and bring the hot pants back!

[Nickdfresh]

Why fly sober? Takes care of most every problem

cat alcoholic solution.jpg

[DONNIEP]

Get rid of the assholes and bring the hot pants back!

Now, people are gonna scream that's sexist or degrading to women. And I say bullshit. For some reason, here in Bizarro World women aren't supposed to be seen as desirable, that's some kind of weird thing nowadays. Well screw that. I say bring back the hot pants and sexy stewardesses. Hell, even put the gay guys in hot pants - it won't offend me!

[So this is love]

9-11 was the beginning of the end for us ordinary people...airports are a nightmare nowadays.

[ashstralia]

I quit that job to go to Progressive. Just after I left they had more machines built...in Australia. I woulda got to go down under. :banghead:

Where in oz, mate? Most heavy industry centres are... Not that glam. If you tacked on a few layover days either side tho

[Nitro Express]

Now, people are gonna scream that's sexist or degrading to women. And I say bullshit. For some reason, here in Bizarro World women aren't supposed to be seen as desirable, that's some kind of weird thing nowadays. Well screw that. I say bring back the hot pants and sexy stewardesses. Hell, even put the gay guys in hot pants - it won't offend me!

I don't care if my steward is gay. It would be like being in a Foo Fighters video.

[Nitro Express]

We just need to rediscover ourselves. Fuck 9/11 and fuck the middle east. Fuck terrorists. Hello black bunny jet!

[FORD]

And the people on the damn plane? Trash. Almost all of em are nothing but trash. And then you got the moms with horrible children that raise hell the whole way. Makes me insane.

So you fly on Screaming Baby Airlines?

[twonabomber]

Where in oz, mate? Most heavy industry centres are... Not that glam. If you tacked on a few layover days either side tho

AE Bishop made the machine. Near Sydney. They had a deal with Ford for this particular process. We made power steering sleeves and other parts for Ford and GM.

The maintenance guys flew down there for a week. The machine wouldn't run, so the guys stayed an extra week, all expenses paid.

[Take 'Em]

OK, so it has been 4 days now since these Assholes lost my bag. I just talked with the Southwest lost bag department and the clueless chick on the phone told me she thinks it may have gotten into Chicago last night, but could not confirm that for me. So I asked her how in the world she could know that without being able to confirm it and she replied "well I am just guessing"......

Stupid asses!!!!

[ZahZoo]

I've traveled a ton the last 30 years... Overall flying isn't that much more of a hassle today than it was 25 years ago.

Getting into the airport takes a bit more time than pre-9/11... but then check-in and ticketing time is a lot faster with computerization and e-ticketing today. If you don't check bags... you can skip the ticketing counter completely. So the wait just shifts to security.

Security was rough the first year after 9/11 but it's improved significantly. You can breeze right through if you know what's allowed and not allowed. How to pack and dress... Know what has to be removed from your carry on and just follow the damn rules. It's the uninformed, unprepared and idiots that don't know what to expect at security scanning that have issues and cause hold-ups.

A handful of bags out of millions get lost, misrouted, whatever... it's really not that frequent. Happened to me twice out of maybe 400 flights... one case they delivered the bag to my hotel 6 hours after I arrived. Another was next day...

To me... the biggest downside today is the shift to more regional small carriers and smaller planes getting to major hubs. Less leg room, smaller seats and smaller planes make for a little rougher ride than on the big birds...

[Nitro Express]

Most the flying I have done over the last few years has been on a charter air service. It's reasonable if you have five or more people. They can fly you into the smaller airports and pick you up. You don't have to go through any security at the executive terminal.

[Hardrock69]

Yes, if you can afford it, or the company pays. Time-share corporate jets are the way to go. No maintenance or other expenses of ownership.

[twonabomber]

If it floats, flies, or fucks, rent it by the hour.