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Author Topic: Flying is overrated (AKA: Northwest Airlines YOU SUCK!) Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 07-13-2007 12:09 PM                     Everybody thinks the movie industry needs to get their shit together, well I think the airlines have us beat. It seems every time I fly there are problems. Today is no exception. This morning I check with Expedia who I booked today's flight through to find that my departing flight had disappeared. Turns out Northwest decided to cancel the flight and book me on a flight that departed SIX HOURS EARLIER. Well that's just dandy. Not only did I have to cancel a service call this afternoon that I was going to do on the way to the airport, but they didn't even give me the courtesy of notifying me! So I of course call Expedia, who claim that this is something that is very rare and I need to take it up with Northwest for not notifying me. (This took half an hour of waiting on the phone.) Then when I call Northwest, I spend another 45 minutes talking to that voice recognition machine which keeps taking me into circles, hanging up on me and then delivering a message "our call volume is too high - call later" complete with a hangup. Nice guys, that's real professional. So after racing across town to get to the airport, the Northwest check-in lady tells me "oh this happens ALL THE TIME. Expedia should have notified you." My response is "all the time? I've never heard of pushing a flight forward, only delaying it." With even more confidence she replies "oh no, ALL AIRLINES do this ALL THE TIME. It is EXTREMELY COMMON and everybody knows this." Skipping past the false sense of security that is TSA, then I am told that the flight is delayed and they have no idea where the plane is that should've been here by now. (Translation, I will miss my connecting flight.) Add to that the most pissed off baby in history that is deafening everyone in the waiting area, and this should be a lovely flight. Why do I have this feeling I will be sitting in between two 400+ pound people? Flying sucks.  |  IP: Logged Jonathan M. Crist Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 531 From: Hershey, PA, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 07-13-2007 12:23 PM                     And you expected anything else on Friday the 13th?  |  IP: Logged Chad M Calpito Master Film Handler Posts: 435 From: San Diego, CA Registered: Apr 2006 posted 07-13-2007 12:49 PM                        On a trip to Honolulu, I had my flight's booked and ready. Then, on the morning of my departure at the airport, I was told that the Commuter Company that was a subsidiary of US Air went bankrupt and all flights were cancelled. So, I bought a one-way ticket to LAX via Alaska Airlines and a return ticket on United Airlines from LAX dated two weeks later. Once I arrived at LAX, I had gotten there in time, but, was angred by the fact that my flight was overbooked, though I had confirmed Business Class Tickets on a Continental Airlines Boeing 747-400 and was bumped to the next morning. So, after arrived at the airport the next morning, waiting for my flight, the airplane was late from the Hanger due to the Maintenance Safety Check. Of course, the Customer Service Agents with Continental Airlines had bad customer service. But, despite this, I still love to fly 100%. I prefer it over any other kind of travel when I go on a vacation or business trip.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-13-2007 01:25 PM                        Flying is only good in that it allows you to get there faster. Everything leading up to and including the flight itself sucks, and once you get there, you have a half-hour wait for a suitcase, then a trek to a rental car somewhere.....I hate it. Once I got stuck in the evil circle of snow removal. First they had to plow the runway...then our wings had to be de-iced. By the time the de-icing was done, the runway had to be plowed again. Then the wings iced up again. We sat there on the ground waiting for them to get their shit together for at least an hour, and we missed our connection in Minneapolis and had to spend the night there.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 07-13-2007 01:39 PM                        I enjoy the act of flying itself... that is being on the plane, taking off and flying. But everything else is about as pleasant as giving yourself liposuction with an exacto knife and a vacuum cleaner! You are definitely right that the airline industry is a complete mess. It's more of a pain in the ass nowadays than it ever was. And with the new anti-terrorism nonsense they do, it only makes things more unpleasant. And I refuse to deal with anything that has connecting flights. I haven't flown in about 4 years, and it was already starting to get really bad back then. Convenient it is not. I want to own my own private plane (and airport). Also, I HATE those impersonal call menus, especially the ones you have to speak to. I can't remember who it was that I was calling, but the phone computer kept asking me all of these questions in order to "best route my call". I shouted "I want to speak to a real person!!" into the phone, and then the voice said something like "I will now connect you to a representative" and lo and behold, I was speaking to a real person. I had to call back for some reason, and I remember shouting the same line into the phone right when the computer answered. It responded with "I did not understand that, would you please repeat?". I shouted it again. Next thing I know I am talking to a real person. I'd rather press buttons than speak to a recording. I know Comcast does the "Our call volume is too high. Please call back later" line and then hangs up on you. Things like this encourage terrorism!  |  IP: Logged Chris Hipp Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1462 From: Mesquite, Tx (east of Dallas) Registered: Jul 2003 posted 07-13-2007 01:54 PM                     The last time I was at DFW, there was some TSA guy harassing a girl about her half empty bottle of water. Telling her that she is a security risk. She finally gave up and said "If I drink it can I take it in that way?" Seems like the job of the TSA is to remain one step behind the terrorists. I have only flown three times, but I have never had my carry-on bags checked while heading back to the US. The solution to the threat of someone using a plane as a weapon is quite simple. If someone tries to hijack the plane, everyone else on the plane stands up and kills said person.  |  IP: Logged Scott D. Neff Theatre Dork Posts: 919 From: San Francisco, CA Registered: Oct 1999 posted 07-13-2007 02:06 PM                        I make it a point not to fly anybody other than Southwest. All the other airlines still try to have their noses stuck in the air and maintain some sense of decorum that they always end up failing to do in the end. Southwest Airlines... a bus with wings. When you fly it, you don't expect anything. Just get on, sit down and have a half can of Ginger Ale. I've had nothing but bad experiences with American, United and all those other members of the Star Alliance. Though I've never flown Northwest before.  |  IP: Logged Mike Heenan Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1896 From: Scottsdale, AZ, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 07-13-2007 02:09 PM                     I have had no major problems flying in recent times that I can remember. We never check luggage anymore as that's too much of a hassle, we always make sure that we can fit our clothes into one carry one bag per person. We always fly Southwest too, and while you dont get assigned seating, supposedly they're better for on time departures than most other airlines. They allow you to check in 24hours early online so you can print your boarding pass and get in the early group to board the plane. Being in AZ, I've never had the experience of a snow delay like Blakesley, phew. But that itself can't seem to be blamed on the airlines.  |  IP: Logged Chad M Calpito Master Film Handler Posts: 435 From: San Diego, CA Registered: Apr 2006 posted 07-13-2007 02:34 PM                        The only airlines I've had good service with are Hawaiian Air, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta Airlines, America West Airlines & Northwest Airlines. Continental Airlines is the one I can't stand & will never fly again. I have yet to try those international carriers.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-13-2007 02:37 PM                     I fly westjet and find them very reliable  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 07-13-2007 03:20 PM                     Course,with the price of gas and people driving gas guzzlers, makes you wonder if flying is the cheaper way to go against the price of a plane ticket to the price of fuel for vehicles. My father still has his airplane (1946 Aircoupe), but with "Blue 100 low lead" hitting close to 4 bucks/gallon, he just 'puddle jumps' around the area not as often as he liked to.. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-13-2007 03:35 PM                        What's strange to me is, while cars and trucks keep getting nicer and nicer -- they are really entertainment centers on wheels anymore -- airlines keep getting more cramped, less convenient, more delayed, and more of a hassle to use. No wonder they are all in trouble. The in-flight movies always look awful too, like they're getting a bad signal from cable or something.  |  IP: Logged Rick Raskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1100 From: Manassas Virginia Registered: Jan 2003 posted 07-13-2007 03:53 PM                     I used to fly quite a bit for business, both international and in the US. My airline of choice was United and I had very few problems with them. My employer had a deal with another airline but would allow us to use a different carrier if the cost savings was 10% or more. I would take connecting flights on United to avoid using their chosen carrier. My trick is book early morning flights. You'll avoid most weather delays and the planes will be less crowded.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 07-13-2007 04:02 PM                        My daughter flies the ERJ-170. It may help you to know that the pilots are only paid when the engines are running so they, too, wish the timetable was kept. There is now a deepening shortage of commercial pilots. This, coupled with too tight scheduling and spring/summer storms will guarantee cancellations & delays for the next several yeats. My rule is that if I can drive in in 10 hours, I drive; then I don't require a rental car. A small plane can be an answer, but weather & car rentals hurt that option too. Louis  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-13-2007 04:27 PM                     I have gotten my self out of the work related situation in that I needed to fly frequently.... I only fly on rare occasions any more or if taking a vacation someplace that I can't or don't want to drive to. I find the secret to flying with the LEAST hassle is to find out WHO the airport you are flying from is a major hub for. In Salt Lake City for instance its Delta, Skywest, and Southwest. When I do fly neither of these major hub users has been any hassle at all. Sometimes there's the layover to get a different flight and that sort of thing but never canceled and always leaves on time. In all my flying days I've found Southwest to be the absolute best airline in existance. There is also a safety thing going on in your favor there since they only fly and maintain the one type of plane. No one knows more about 737's than Southwest... Not even Boeing! Re: The screaming Baby thing.... I expereinced that really bad on a flight form Seattle to Chicago once.... many hours of constant noise in the seat right behind me and not a thing you can do about it . Mark  |  IP: Logged

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