Today, I am starting a new category for purely cathartic purposes: Things That Tick Me Off. The category is designed to reduce the chances of my committing battery or defamation out of an unexpressed frustration. By burdening our blogging community with a gripe, I hope to extend my life and my marriage. Today’s submission is airline baggage policy.
I returned from a speech at the ABA Convention in Chicago this weekend on American Airlines. As is my custom, I checked my bags. Even though the overnight bag would fit in the overhead, I prefer not to face the struggle of the now common sherpa scene of dragging my bags through security and fighting for overhead space. As I have mentioned before, air travel has become positively punishing as flights are delayed due to the large rolling bags brought regularly on to planes.
The airlines made the situation worse when they decided to charge to check even one bag. They initially defended this latest charge as necessitated by fuel costs. However, when costs fell, they (as expected) kept the charge. The rationale was never particularly convincing since the bags go on the same aircraft whether it is in the overhead or the cargo bay. The result was obvious. The number of people bringing their own bags on the plane skyrocketed. Security points are slowed by added luggage and flights delayed — as bags are shoved into the overhead in a free-for-all. While there was a time when you could put a jacket in the overhead, any jacket will now be crushed or torn by the added bags.
None of this, however, is the reason for adding this to “things that tick me off.” I have long given up on airlines extending any concern for the comfort of passengers. Indeed, I have never seen an industry that seems so hostile to its own customers. Indeed, in this case, despite paying a full fare for a coach ticket weeks ago, the airline would not allow me to select a seat — or even purchase a seat with a modicum of room (another favorite new charge in coach). On another airline — Air Canada — they charge you roughly $20 a flight to confirm a particular seat — otherwise to take what they give you at the gate. (Air Canada also sells you a diet coke if you want a drink on the flight).
However, none of that prompted me to write today. What ticked me off on Sunday was an announcement on my flight from O’Hare to National Airport. The flight attendants were faced with the now common overflow of rolling bags, so they announced that anyone who put a brief case or small carryon in the overhead would be required to put the cases under the seat in front of them. The result is that, if you agreed to pay the added charge of checking your bag for the comfort, you are now expected to put your briefcase at your feet to make room for people who want to avoid the charge. With one’s knees already touching the seat in front due to the reduction of space, this means that are left with about an inch of movable space. It also means that you are better off with a large rolling bag than confining yourself to a computer bag.
The announcement reaffirmed why air travel has become so unpopular with many of us. That ticks me off . . . and now I feel better.
Kathy W writes: The airlines can’t do much about other passengers being irritating, talking loud, crying & such. I mean- what do you suggest, seriously? I took a bag of lollipops once, for my daughter, and ended up handing them out to other kids in Coach. Kept them happy for a while.
But the carry-on bag thing is insane. I don’t think anyone in authority has given it any thought at all.
me: of course the airlines can do quite a bit about passengers who are disruptive. they sometimes choose not to, is all.
not much they can do about crying infants, you are right about that; but, they can ask adults to be respectful of others.
I fear the day when cell phones are permitted on planes.
that may be the ultimate for me.
The airlines can’t do much about other passengers being irritating, talking loud, crying & such. I mean- what do you suggest, seriously? I took a bag of lollipops once, for my daughter, and ended up handing them out to other kids in Coach. Kept them happy for a while.
But the carry-on bag thing is insane. I don’t think anyone in authority has given it any thought at all.
It seems that these days Corporations are completely lacking in any sort of imagination about dealing with difficulties like these, or even ho-hum every-day problem solving.
I’m told it is a process of Nature for systems to get bigger and bigger, until they are too large to function, at which point they collapse -fall apart, and then begin the process again.
So many of our corporations are humungous, staggering around suffocated by their own weight, and unable to respond to problems, fixing them; they can only ‘react’, and usually make things worse.
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GWLawSchoolMom 1, August 3, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Patty C writes It is against the law and downright ridiculous to be fondled during a routine check.
Next time, know your rights and stand up for them.
–
OH PULEZZE, she wasn’t fondled.
me: Patty C is right. afterall she was there. and even if she wasn’t she knows everything. just ask her.
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GWls
You have managed to confuse my remark with someone elses by mangling it with theirs. Go back and read it again, if you don’t mind.
I know what I said…
And I still don’t believe your version of what supposedly happened… 😉
Tough, ain’t it… :p
Buddha writes: I second your comment on Singapore Air. That’s what flying used to be like/should be.
me: I remember when getting there *was* half the fun and when people actually got dressed up a little and didn’t seem to come dressed in something they probably slept in and spoke with their companions in quiet voices. Turns out that when you are treated like cattle you tend to behave that way.
Buddha:But here we get Southwest. Where you are treated like cattle and your luggage may or may not get to your destination (based on the FIVE times they’ve lost my luggage over the years, including 30K of computer equipment which finally turned up two days too late to be of any use).
me: we’ve had so much baggage lost coming back from trips that our airport knows the way to our house. they deliver it now. I still can’t fly Southwest. it’s the air equivalent of public transportation and I’m too much of a snob.
Buddha: It’s the ridiculous security theater that has accomplished NOTHING that keeps me from traveling as much as I probably would otherwise. The TSA sucks and what they do is largely a waste of time and money. They don’t make anyone safer. Read that again. NO ONE IS SAFER BECAUSE YOU HAD TO TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES WHILE SOME MOUTH BREATHER DIGS THROUGH YOUR BAGS SPILLING HIS CRAPPY AIRPORT COFFEE ON ALL YOUR STUFF. They merely give the appearance that the government is doing something. If you think they do more than provide window dressing, you don’t know how airports operate. The TSA is an expensive and annoying circle jerk. And I know from personal experience, if they damage anything in your bags, good luck getting them to pay for it. When it comes to travel, I have to give the TSA the finger for both utility and service. Tax dollar would be better spent if you burned them to keep the homeless warm rather than paying a single TSA salary.
me: I am so right there with you. I already set off the alarm. in addition to getting frisked like a common criminal they go through my carry on. I’ve learned to insist that they do it in front of me. I’ve had things stolen from their visual inspection of my purse/carry on. In London Heathrow you don’t have to take off your shoes. In India men cut in line and will not be shamed back into it when you call them on their shameful behavior. my breasts were touched by an agent in Frankfurt. I’ve forgotten to transfer my baggie containing my swiss army knife and other small metal implements of destruction to my checked bag more than once and TSA has completely overlooked it only to become fixated on lipgloss.
as for children…. most of them are well-behaved. it’s only the one behind you or in front of you who wants to play endless games of peek-a-boo whose mother downs a tranquilizer with a few cocktails and gives the kid a few cokes. she passes out and the kid decides that you are his/her new best friend or worst enemy. and then there are the loud talking men who can’t believe that nor everyone wants to hear about their latest business deal.
I am well armed though. I have my own little pillow and blanket. I put on my headphones and an eyeshade right away. this discourages even the most determined seat partners from making unwanted conversation.
maybe I ought to call Janet Napolitano’s office.
she seems like a reasonable person. surely she can’t believe that this is the best, safest way for us to fly.
I flew on United from San Diego to Denver last Wed. and returned on Frontier on Sun. Virtually everything JT referred to occurred on these flights as well. This adventure confirmed for me once again why I’m glad that about my only flight each year is my annual trek to see a buddy in Denver.
The most frustrating thing was trying to check in and pre-pay the baggage fees online at the Frontier site. I input all the data and a pop-up appeared that warned me that the authenticty of the website actually being the real Frontier Airline’s site could not be confirmed. It went on to warn that inputting credit card info could result in identity theft. We tried another computer in the house to see if this was an isolated event. The pop-up appeared again. The risks being too high I decided to do it at the airport.
Sure, air travel is expensive, but hey, at least it’s unpleasent.
For those that must fly, things aren’t all that bad when considering that airlines might come up with “entertainment” to placate and lobotomize the unhappy. Perhaps a hoedown, hootenanny, karaoke, or even Amway demonstrations. I can see Sara Palin “workin” your next flight.
Southwest has the advantage of not charging for the first two bags (what a concept!). Their seats are technically “first come first serve” but you can pay extra to be one of the first in line, or you can check in up to 24 hours before your flight leaves through their website and get a better spot in the queue that way. Drinks and snacks are still a complimentary part of the service. And to top it all off, their prices are almost inevitably less expensive than my other options. Which is why I’ll go all the way to Baltimore or Dulles to fly with them instead of traveling on a closer but more cheapskate airline out of Reagan. Now that they service LaGuardia, I don’t see any reason to fly with anyone with a more lunatic baggage policy ever again.
In-flight service: Meals and snacks are served, soft and alcoholic drinks are available for sale.
Just had to google it:
Link http://airlines.afriqonline.com/airlines/568.htm
jimi writes: just the fact that you say air canada charges you for a diet coke if you want to drink on the flight, shows me you have no clue what your talking about.
okay then. book a flight on air canada. report back.
until you do this please do not doubt the veracity of those who have gone before you.
air canada is horrible. their flight attendants the rudest and the people at the ticket counter and gate attendants seem to be competing for who can be the rudest person in the world.
and yes, the charge for soft drinks.
Does anyone remember Peoples Express it is not as bad as AirMex (Mexico). Well at the time, for the standards that the airlines had in the 70’s it was just as bad.
GWLSMom,
I second your comment on Singapore Air. That’s what flying used to be like/should be.
But here we get Southwest. Where you are treated like cattle and your luggage may or may not get to your destination (based on the FIVE times they’ve lost my luggage over the years, including 30K of computer equipment which finally turned up two days too late to be of any use).
And even then it’s not the airlines keeping me from the airport.
It’s the ridiculous security theater that has accomplished NOTHING that keeps me from traveling as much as I probably would otherwise. The TSA sucks and what they do is largely a waste of time and money. They don’t make anyone safer. Read that again. NO ONE IS SAFER BECAUSE YOU HAD TO TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES WHILE SOME MOUTH BREATHER DIGS THROUGH YOUR BAGS SPILLING HIS CRAPPY AIRPORT COFFEE ON ALL YOUR STUFF. They merely give the appearance that the government is doing something. If you think they do more than provide window dressing, you don’t know how airports operate. The TSA is an expensive and annoying circle jerk. And I know from personal experience, if they damage anything in your bags, good luck getting them to pay for it. When it comes to travel, I have to give the TSA the finger for both utility and service. Tax dollar would be better spent if you burned them to keep the homeless warm rather than paying a single TSA salary.
just the fact that you say air canada charges you for a diet coke if you want to drink on the flight, shows me you have no clue what your talking about.
Well ranted sir!
Now, do your best to book all your flights on JetBlue.
I hate air travel these days, but JetBlue always makes it comfortable and they are actually friendly!
;o)
– Lee
“With one’s knees already touching the seat in front due to the reduction of space, this means that (you) are left with about an inch of movable space.”
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Sounds like an enhanced interrogation technique to me!
Here’s my list of things that “tick me off” (while traveling):
1. Crying babies on board.
2. When the cart is out of scotch and bourbon.
3. Watching the luggage handlers toss my bag skyward in the general direction of the cargo hold.
4. The kid behind me who loves to kick the seat ahead of him, while his doltish, unaware Mom blathers on about some airplane disaster she heard about.
5. The guy sitting on some seat outside of mine that has to use the plane bathroom no less than three times during our 120 minute flight.
6. The two guys on board just back from their “golf” outing drinking all the scotch and bourbon on the cart and bragging about who is the drunkest and hence entitled to drive home from the airport.
7. The lady next to me who always strikes up the conversation that goes to something like, “Oh, you’re going to Chicago, let me write down some great places for you to eat ….”
8. The airline official who tells me that I’ve been bumped, the next flight is full, but if I can just wait until tomorrow they have a lovely flight landing near Richmond in Newport News (about 50 miles away), and I can have a joyous night at the nearby Motel 8.
And JT’s worried about a little leg room. Make those ABA types fly you first class! Speaking of that I once had to arrange for an unnamed NFL coach to appear for a speech (really more of a talk), and he required that we charter a private jet for him. Private jet for a football coach? JT ought to get Air Force One by that standard.
Here’s my list of things that “tick me off” (while traveling):
1.
No kidding. Rant deserved. The policy is insane. There should be a limit of 1 bag per person, regardless – purse, backpack, tote, whatever. None of this (1) suitcase; (2) purse; (3) shopping bag; (4) computer bag.
My add’l gripes:
1. Why can’t you listen to an iPod during takeoff/landing? I simply don’t believe there could be anything that interferes with the aircraft or communications.
2. People who have no problem carrying on loud conversations the ENTIRE flight? Are you people lonely or something, because you’re not that interesting.
3. Large people sitting next to you sweating and/or breathing heavily.
4. People putting baggage in your overhead compartment even though they are a couple rows away.
5. Why charge to check a 50 lb bag for a guy who is 200 lbs, while a 250 lb person gets to check a 50 lb bag also for the same price? Or charge double to check two 25 lb bags as compared with one 50 lb bag?
6. Bathrooms, not to mention the seats, on an RJ DO NOT WORK for someone who is 6’4″. If you are 5’3″ life is pretty good when traveling by airplane.
7. Why is it so hard to cash in FF miles? I mean, if I earned them, I should get to use them on any flight I want, within reason (such as a 2-week advance reservation).
8. You have to be careful flying into DCA/Reagan National because sometimes you land in the old terminal which is like landing in a terminal in some 3d world nation.
My 2 cents.
Consider changing airlines; for example, have you considered Southwest?
Patty C writes It is against the law and downright ridiculous to be fondled during a routine check.
Next time, know your rights and stand up for them.
—
OH PULEZZE, she wasn’t fondled.
me: Patty C is right. afterall she was there. and even if she wasn’t she knows everything. just ask her.