Plane Stupid
Dec. 14th, 2005 12:51 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mrdreamjeansI don’t hate the act of flying. I just dislike how I feel when I’m crammed into a airline seat with virtually no leg room; riding in a plane with poorly filtered, barely circulating air, in a cabin that’s overheated and the guy sitting next to me’s elbow in my side; puddle-jumping on a craft staffed by attendants who ignore rules about carry-on baggage and are cranky and/or under-performing. Welcome to my flight from Phoenix to Austin Monday aboard the America West express affiliate, Mesa Airlines.
The travel agent for my company booked me on this flight. I was told a month ago if I made my own travel plans that my reimbursement would be $99. (That’s what the flight was to cost them). Except for one thing - When I checked online to make certain about my seating assignment, I saw when the agent actually booked it. By the time he got around to it, my company paid $563 for a one-way ticket. It’s sloppy travel agency work. I could have made some serious reimbursement money. No wonder the cost on my copy of the itinerary was blacked out:)
I knew we were in for an inferior experience when the lead attendant had to take the head count three times just because she couldn’t remember it. She was in her 40s, had shaved eyebrows with vivid white eye shadow (Yes, I’m taking off points for poor makeup choices); she was passive-aggressive in all of her responses. She looked like she would be overwhelmed if you decisively wanted a drink with ice. While we were waiting 20th in line for take off, she was sitting in the front jump seat with her head in her lap dozing. The poor woman had obviously been flying for awhile, but any sympathy I might have had went out the window when she read the “Welcome to your destination” speech from a printed and laminated card hanging around her neck ... in an apologetic monotone. Learn your lines, lady!
Another factor in my unease was when two passengers from Rows 1-6 were asked to volunteer to move to the back of the plane to balance the load before we could take off. Luckily, two tourists did volunteer because the business wonks who pre-boarded hunkered down in their seats and refused to make eye contact following the request. I should have taken that as a cue that there would be problems with baggage.
I arrived in Austin at 2:00pm on Monday. My bag arrived two hours ago, after a lovely vacation in Oklahoma City. My suitcase also arrived with my “Evita” National Tour tag intact and all of my correct information, including my cell number on it. Yet, they couldn’t locate it for nearly 24 hours. In addition, I live 100 miles from the Austin airport; Mesa had to pay a delivery service to drive my suitcase to me!
I’ve been flying for 33 years. I’ve always loved moving about the country and the world. I’ve delighted in traveling; but flying’s become a chore, not a privilege, driving a long distance has become too expensive. Maybe it’s time to take trains again. I miss the days of flights that included first-class service, hot meals served on china, with real silverware and glassware on the tray. I miss the hot face towels (though you can still get that kind of perk on International flights). However, I don’t miss smoking on flights or People’s Express:)
With another bad travel experience on the airlines (and no bad weather to blame it on), I decided to make a list of the various airlines and offer my totally subjective ratings of the companies:
Favorite Airlines to Fly:
Southwest, Continental, Jet Blue, Midwest and Alaska
Airlines I Will Fly If I Have To:
American, United, Hawaiian
If There’s No Other Choice:
Northwest, Delta, America West, Frontier
Would Cancel the Trip Before Flying Them:
US Air, Independence Air
Have Never Flown Them and Don’t Plan To:
Air Tran, ATA, Sun Country or Big Sky
Out-of-Business Airlines I Miss:
Braniff, TWA
Flying just isn’t fun any more, that’s “plane” and simple. But, before I go, I have one question to ask ...
When there’s two seats in a row of a plane, who the hell gets the middle arm rest? I should know, but I'm plane stupid:)
The travel agent for my company booked me on this flight. I was told a month ago if I made my own travel plans that my reimbursement would be $99. (That’s what the flight was to cost them). Except for one thing - When I checked online to make certain about my seating assignment, I saw when the agent actually booked it. By the time he got around to it, my company paid $563 for a one-way ticket. It’s sloppy travel agency work. I could have made some serious reimbursement money. No wonder the cost on my copy of the itinerary was blacked out:)
I knew we were in for an inferior experience when the lead attendant had to take the head count three times just because she couldn’t remember it. She was in her 40s, had shaved eyebrows with vivid white eye shadow (Yes, I’m taking off points for poor makeup choices); she was passive-aggressive in all of her responses. She looked like she would be overwhelmed if you decisively wanted a drink with ice. While we were waiting 20th in line for take off, she was sitting in the front jump seat with her head in her lap dozing. The poor woman had obviously been flying for awhile, but any sympathy I might have had went out the window when she read the “Welcome to your destination” speech from a printed and laminated card hanging around her neck ... in an apologetic monotone. Learn your lines, lady!
Another factor in my unease was when two passengers from Rows 1-6 were asked to volunteer to move to the back of the plane to balance the load before we could take off. Luckily, two tourists did volunteer because the business wonks who pre-boarded hunkered down in their seats and refused to make eye contact following the request. I should have taken that as a cue that there would be problems with baggage.
I arrived in Austin at 2:00pm on Monday. My bag arrived two hours ago, after a lovely vacation in Oklahoma City. My suitcase also arrived with my “Evita” National Tour tag intact and all of my correct information, including my cell number on it. Yet, they couldn’t locate it for nearly 24 hours. In addition, I live 100 miles from the Austin airport; Mesa had to pay a delivery service to drive my suitcase to me!
I’ve been flying for 33 years. I’ve always loved moving about the country and the world. I’ve delighted in traveling; but flying’s become a chore, not a privilege, driving a long distance has become too expensive. Maybe it’s time to take trains again. I miss the days of flights that included first-class service, hot meals served on china, with real silverware and glassware on the tray. I miss the hot face towels (though you can still get that kind of perk on International flights). However, I don’t miss smoking on flights or People’s Express:)
With another bad travel experience on the airlines (and no bad weather to blame it on), I decided to make a list of the various airlines and offer my totally subjective ratings of the companies:
Favorite Airlines to Fly:
Southwest, Continental, Jet Blue, Midwest and Alaska
Airlines I Will Fly If I Have To:
American, United, Hawaiian
If There’s No Other Choice:
Northwest, Delta, America West, Frontier
Would Cancel the Trip Before Flying Them:
US Air, Independence Air
Have Never Flown Them and Don’t Plan To:
Air Tran, ATA, Sun Country or Big Sky
Out-of-Business Airlines I Miss:
Braniff, TWA
Flying just isn’t fun any more, that’s “plane” and simple. But, before I go, I have one question to ask ...
When there’s two seats in a row of a plane, who the hell gets the middle arm rest? I should know, but I'm plane stupid:)
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}