Comments on: Love the Plane, Hate the Airline

By: John Van Haaren

John Van Haaren — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:47:12 +0000

Let all the airlines (and of course airline executives)go to the hot place. Seat sizes are based on some out of date statistic that doesn’t come close to actual size. I hate to fly simply because the seats are way to small. I’m a healthy 50 yr. old male who has to fly for business purposes. I’m not at all overweight, but at 6′3″ it’s downright humiliating to try and squeeze into a standard airline seat. I hope to see a fifty fold increase in DVT lawsuits to force airlines to increase seat size. That might take care of inadequate leg room then we need another health issue to force wider seats. Go ADA lawsuits!

By: ken

ken — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:31:32 +0000

to the one whos thinks that airlines employees are rude, not at true jump across to their side, you wnat to see rude and hateful people, the pax are the rude ones out of control, just because you flight is late, or clxd, and they yell that the person whos is trying to help them. People wake up, you come into an airport with a clip on or shoudler you get what you get. Maybe you need to be nice Scott i bet you are the one in line yelling and this is it right its all your fault I want this and this. And get the entire group upset. Take a chill pill, be nice it goes a long ways. I have done this for over 10 years, a nice person get more than a pax you yells and thinks you did it, and wants the airlines to give you anything you want. Take the train, you be one less person we have tp deal with and we save fuel.

By: John

John — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:14:39 +0000

Cheryl,

I’m a private pilot and own my own airplane. I haven’t flown on an airline in several years. To anyone who has the means, this is certainly the best way to travel. My airplane flies about half the speed of an airline, yet to most destinations within 800 miles, I can beat the airlines in total time spent traveling. And, what’s more, I don’t have to check bags or take off my shoes.

It’s a shame most people think these “little airplanes” are dangerous. With modern-day sophistication, they are often times more technologically advanced than the airline aircraft. The way people complain about airline travel, I just can’t understand why more people don’t fly themselves.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 27 May 2008 20:41:53 +0000

Everyone shares the blame here without exception: Unions, Management, the FAA, airports (i.e. PHL), and the few passengers who can’t or won’t act like human beings on a flight. Look for fewer people flying airlines and look for fixed base operators that operate VLJs (very light jets) and other smaller aircraft that burn less fuel at smaller, less-congested airports in the future. I spent 10+ years in the industry at four different airlines before getting out and concluding that it is very much like a condemned building: it simply has to be torn down and rebuilt anew if it has any chance at all…
(One bright note: at least President Bush signed a bill into law extending the mandatory retirement age for commercial pilots from 60 to 65.)

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:33:29 +0000

Bullet Trains! (Mag Lev)

Where are they?

Why is it that the American flaged carrier employees are the rudest, most un accomodating in the world? When I fly to the Orient I make it a point to fly non American carrier. Service is always top notch. Not some old bitty hell bent on putting us lousy passengers in our place. Other countries allow their airlines to actually FIRE employees for poor attitudes.

By: Sean

Sean — Tue, 27 May 2008 01:48:33 +0000

The airlines are not the enemy. Gov’t involvement isn’t the answer either. American consumers need to heed this wakeup call that we’re no longer the dominant player in the oil market. China’s growth, fueled by our desire for cheap merchandise on Wal-Mart shelves, has caused demand for oil to increase dramatically, causing prices to jump to record levels. Consumers are the best source to gauge markets. As long as consumers continue to drive gas guzzling SUVs and buy tickets on airlines that can’t control costs, you can expect oil prices to keep moving higher. Inflationary price pressure is already materializing in these “add on” fees which are clearly early warning signs that businesses cannot sustain their current pricing models. Oil remains the life blood for our (and the world’s) economy. Ultimately, any changes made by an airline or any other business are prompted by consumer spending behavior. So, consumer, what message are you planning to communicate?

By: Neal

Neal — Mon, 26 May 2008 16:50:28 +0000

Wade says “The delays out of the northeast are horrible due to an antique air traffic control system.”
The airlines created their own mess in the northeast along with the absolute resistance to any and all airport expansion. The airlines have increased their daily flights by 75% over the last 5 years using small RJs. They also depart 75-80 flights per hour when the capacity of the airport is only 56 per hour. It is no wonder there are delays. When more than one plane tries to occupy a runway, bad things happen.
And the Bush administration wants to turn the FAA over the airlines with a huge new bureaucracy and hide the taxes passengers pay while eliminating the fuel tax on airlines. Sounds like a great idea right?

By: Tom

Tom — Sun, 25 May 2008 14:30:03 +0000

What needs to take place in this industry is for the pricing policy to step back forty years and charge the true cost of the travel demand. This may also relieve the high demand on the TSA and less stress on the Airline employees. The riff-raff can go back to traveling by Greyhound or car and the traveling public can enjoy aviation as the luxury travel it used to be. Imagine traveling in coach with an open seat next to you and the other travelers dressed in business attire rather then some pissed off stinking drunk, $49 fare, where’s my drink, A-hole. At least double the fares for now. Some degree of collusion needs to take place between these airlines in order to create an agreed upon pricing initiative. Let’s see, shorter airport lines, happy employees, profits for the airlines, less capacity, lower load factors, more leg room and amenities. Let’s pay for our travel needs and take this greyhound in the sky back to the “good ole days”.Now if we can only get the FAA up to date.

By: ken

ken — Sat, 24 May 2008 15:10:28 +0000

Sense I work for an airline, I can speak for it. Yes, the airlines are in touble, why cheap fares, high fuel prices, and money hungry top excs how get out and take millions of dollars in retirement. Employees who work long hours, because of cut backs and under payed. The airlines are here to make money some how, so the old days of freebes are gone for ever. Prices will go up, excess changes are going up. So paxs get ready, for no free bags, overbags wgt and over sizes bags if they are over 50lbs you are going to pay big time, if its over 70lbs for get it, you cant take it, oversized bags we get changes remember 62in is the max, before its a 100 change. So one bag can cost, 15 for the 1st bag 50 if its over 50 lbs and 100 if its over 62in. So thats $165 before you even get you broading pass. All of this cheap webs site SEE YOU IN THE FUNNY PAPERS you are gone. Warning, if anybody buys a ticket on this sites and miss or want to change it (for get airlines are getting in a mode you bought it on them, use it or lose let them change it. because we cant if we do you going to pay the price. And that can be very high. In closeing people need to understand the airlines are here to make money, so stop crying if you change you ticket it cost you more money, and stop taking too money bags for a 3day trip and they weigh 90 lbs.
People the airlines will get higher just like gas and bag of chips we used to get for 50cents. Its just the way it is now

By: CHIZ EWING

CHIZ EWING — Sat, 24 May 2008 01:02:46 +0000

whats with you people i got no response from you if you want to hear my take on the airlines go to treasurecoasttravelers.com and listen to frequent flyer blues.let me know what you think…