Air travel sucks balls

Tim

Tim

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My week started by getting to the airport for a 6:30am flight out of Asheville.

Cancelled. Not able to rebook, so they got me on a 0520 flight the next day.

My client is pissed…they have crews that can’t work until we get our stuff done and we’ve lost a full day. Probably cost m client $25K. They aren’t mad at me, they’re very chill, but still.

Fast forward to today…get to airport for a 0900 flight….cancelled. Rebooked for 1400. Getting home to A’ville after 10pm instead of 1700 like I planned.

I am now sitting on that plane, taxiing BACK to the gate for another maintenance issue.

My entire trip is 4 flight segments. I’ve had 3 cancellations before I even take off on segment 3. American Airlines can suck my balls.

And worst of all, the Old Fort 3 Gun that I direct is tomorrow morning. So, who knows if I’ll make it. Thankfully @VOD Tactical has it covered, stages are laid out and everyone will have a great time!
 
I remember when air travel was fun. You get dressed up. Pack your bags and when you arrive someone meets ya at the curb and takes your bags. You can easily buy a last min ticket. In fact the later you wait the less expensive the tickets cost. You take a short walk and arrive at the skyway bar. Have a few drinks and chat up some flight crew. You hear a muffled announcement and ignore it. Soon a flight attended comes to the bar and ask if you are mr. .... You say yes and she tells you to come with her as we have been waiting on you and we are ready to leave. You board the plane and pick any seat ya want as it is less than half full.. Soon someone comes around and brings you a drink and some peanuts. If it Southern airways you are likely to get Lance crackers ,Pepsi and a moon pie. Then a meal is served. Not much but a real cooked meal and its only a 2 hour flight. You land, go straight to baggage and someone takes your bags to the curb. At the curb is a guy with your name on a placard with your rental car. He hands you the paperwork you sign give him a check and off ya go. Different time.
\
In the 1970s if they over book they would give you a ticket to anywhere they fly. A few times I made a reservation 75.00 on the last flight out of Panama city Fl. I got bumped each time and used the free tickets to fly across the country. Seattle, Las Vegas and San Francisco. That was fun. .
 
The horror of the last two flights and wife’s last episode is one reason why I am in a car in Kansas. The other is I got discountedhotel stays at $45 plus tax on a $120 rooms. Last flight back from Kansas had three delays for Dallas/Ft Worth which had no pilot while I sat in a plane for 1.5 hours after a shift change 30 minute taxi delay. American Airlines is always a problem.
 
Lafayette Gregory said:
You get dressed up.
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I could do without everything else you mention, if we could just go back to this.

And by “dressed up” I’d be ok if it was simply no flip flops or tank tops. 🤣
 
I was just thinking about being a "road" warrior the other day. I used to travel some for a living. My wife used to travel every week. Glad I am retired and so is my wife. Done with that crap. Havent been everywhere I want to go but other than Africa, I can drive to wherever I want to be. And I 'm probably too old for Africa now.
 
My current opinion of flying...
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Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk
 
frakncylons said:
Ok, I’ll be the guy. I generally enjoy air travel, though I do it infrequently.

Also, I spend a significant amount of time as a contractor at CLT and it has been the highlight of my career.
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... as did I, before 9/11. After that, it was meh. Now, since covid, I refuse to fly. If a customer needs me, I am capable of driving to their site almost as quickly as I could fly anyway.

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Goofyfoot2001 said:
Month after 9/11 I got on a cruise ship. They took a pair of hair scissors out of my bag and left a note that I could pick them up after the cruise. That night at dinner they gave everyone steak knives....

We could have taken that ship.
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I never have flown much, used to one or twice a year. Went to a trade show in Indy every year. For the return flight we would usually get to the airport early enough to eat a meal before we boarded.

So the way it worked was, we would go through security, then stop at the restaurant on the way to our gate. At the restaurant ( and after we had passed through security ) we were given real metal silverware to eat with, knife, fork and a spoon. No plastic, it was the stuff that would have been taken from us 50 yards back up the concourse. Didn't make sense to me.

.
 
I was expecting a cancellation or major delay when I flew to CT a few weeks ago but I guess we got lucky.
I imagine flying out of smaller airports like Asheville doesn’t help, consider the lack of options.
 
Gator said:
So the way it worked was, we would go through security, then stop at the restaurant on the way to our gate. At the restaurant ( and after we had passed through security ) we were given real metal silverware to eat with, knife, fork and a spoon. No plastic, it was the stuff that would have been taken from us 50 yards back up the concourse. Didn't make sense to me.
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I flew slot circa 2002-2003. I noticed it too, airport restaurants not giving out metal knives. Noticed it at a layover in Pittsburgh. All female staff, plastic knife, metal fork, metal spoon.
 
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I commuted to New York City 2006-2011, usually three weeks out of four. Service was marginal and the flights were rarely enjoyable. The airlines stretched their equipment and personnel too thin and lost the factor of air travel being fast and reliable.
 
I hate flying. HATE FLYING. I feel like I can do a "I've been everywhere" rendition with all of the bad experiences.

But there was some good ones.
(1) Company Jet.... Even had the "Gentleman's seat" when my favorite pilot flew. She wanted me to relax.
(2) Called out 4 days early to a show in Vegas just to hang a banner... The rest of time was mine. Stewardess said, well that deserves a drink and poured me a double.
(3) Every Airport in the world sucks... Except Harrisburg PA.... great people.
 
I used to love flying, being in airports. Had a great time while with Oracle flying to DFW from Houston where I learned to book the 5pm flight out of DFW. Almost always was a overbooked flight. Traded many tickets to the 7pm flight and a ticket anywhere. My wife flew to see here mom and dad on those.

Now, I'm over it, no enjoyment the last few times BC. I drive to ATL instead of flying. Heck, I've even drove to Orlando. Nice leisurely drive in a rental.
 
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It must be contagious. Woke up this morning to an email from AA telling me my last leg to Phoenix this afternoon was cancelled. Had to rebook for early tomorrow. Now I'm back to leaving around 1pm and getting to Phoenix two hours earlier than I was supposed to. Lets hope this all comes together. I've got 10 days of desert mountain biking to attend to.
 
VA_GENTLEMAN said:
(3) Every Airport in the world sucks... Except Harrisburg PA.... great people.
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Fayetteville isn't so bad. It's small enough that if you travel frequently they know you, and has most of the staff understand that they're stuck following stupid rules that they can't do anything about them, so they take a lot of it in stride.
 
DrScaryGuy said:
Fayetteville isn't so bad. It's small enough that if you travel frequently they know you, and has most of the staff understand that they're stuck following stupid rules that they can't do anything about them, so they take a lot of it in stride.
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Reminds me of the first few years after moving to NC, between work and family we flew back and from NE OH a lot. We quickly learned that using the regional airport in Akron was MUCH better than going through Cleveland for much of what you mentioned.

Though the time we dropped off a rental car and the attendant was quick on the job as my wife opened the trunk and he saw her handgun in there and about blorted his pants was priceless.
 
RetiredUSNChief said:
My favorite flights are COD flights on and off carriers during engineering inspections.

Way cool being launched off a carrier with catapults!
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IMHO COD drivers have more brass than any other pilots - and I have shared that opinion with several naval aviators without any disagreement.
 
Sorry to hear of your crap experiences. Hopefully things will improve.

I was 100% travel for just over 18 months in 2011 to early 2013. Living out of a suitcase and dealing with airports (people) sucks.

Thankfully back then there wasnt covid and all that bullsh1t, just a-holes. Lol. People trying to steal your seat, lack of manners, self absorbed DBs...etc. so glad I dont have to travel...yet...my work is still all remote thankfully.

Good luck and safe travels dude.
 
I despise air travel. Flown to Europe 9 times, Africa 5 times & routed to/from/through 23 domestic airports & 18 international. With the exception of getting on a plane for the express purpose of exiting it while in flight, I have done all the flying I intend to.
 
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Lafayette Gregory said:
I remember when air travel was fun. You get dressed up. Pack your bags and when you arrive someone meets ya at the curb and takes your bags. You can easily buy a last min ticket. In fact the later you wait the less expensive the tickets cost. You take a short walk and arrive at the skyway bar. Have a few drinks and chat up some flight crew. You hear a muffled announcement and ignore it. Soon a flight attended comes to the bar and ask if you are mr. .... You say yes and she tells you to come with her as we have been waiting on you and we are ready to leave. You board the plane and pick any seat ya want as it is less than half full.. Soon someone comes around and brings you a drink and some peanuts. If it Southern airways you are likely to get Lance crackers ,Pepsi and a moon pie. Then a meal is served. Not much but a real cooked meal and its only a 2 hour flight. You land, go straight to baggage and someone takes your bags to the curb. At the curb is a guy with your name on a placard with your rental car. He hands you the paperwork you sign give him a check and off ya go. Different time.
\
In the 1970s if they over book they would give you a ticket to anywhere they fly. A few times I made a reservation 75.00 on the last flight out of Panama city Fl. I got bumped each time and used the free tickets to fly across the country. Seattle, Las Vegas and San Francisco. That was fun. .
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I was given $200 cash and a free ticket anywhere in the U.S. more thas once back in the 80s when I volunteered to take a later flight due to being overbooked.
 
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