Take the thread back!
This forum is for fractional pilots. I have never once been in the airline forum because I don't give a damn about it. If there was a thread in the airline forum titled "what I don't like about fractional flying" I'd never see it, because I don't care. Besides, I wouldn't feel at all qualified to comment on their experiences because I can't possibly relate.
I'm sure if we followed Rez and Razor around for a week, we'd catch them "whining and crying" about something they have to deal with in their jobs. As 121 drivers, they can't possibly empathize with any of us about the realities of riding on one of their planes, their world is far disconnected from ours. Jumpseating and non-revving doesn't compare to what most of us have to do 5-8 times a month. We don't choose the flights, they're chosen for us.
Airlining to and from work is a reality of frac flying. Airlining can be pleasant, and just as many times it can be a pain in the ass. Just like any job. For an office worker, driving to work can sometimes be pleasant, sometimes its a pain in the ass. For commuters, rush hour and traffic jams are a pain in the ass. And it is perfectly normal human behavior to not like it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with bitching about it with your buddies.
Not much has changed in airline flying, some say. I disagree. Sure, many of the same problems are there, and its all a matter of perspective, I do agree with that. The one, single yet important factor that has changed for passengers over the last 10 years is customer service, or the lack thereof. Airlines aren't alone in this, just about every service industry in America has moved away from the idea of quality customer service since the beancounters have begun to run these companies. It will reach a point where, like the gentleman suggests, that people will begin to vote with their wallets and the smart companies will return to making customer service a priority. Fractional owners already vote with their wallets, as is seen by the mass exodus of owners from my fractional company, since customer service gets a sideways glance from our execs and 'customer service' is simply a marketing term now. Sorry, but I can't help but mention that our CEO is an ex-airline executive. (now don't get pissed, I'm just making a joke)
The original title to this thread was "I thought riding on airlines could not get any worse..." and it was meant to share war stories about commuting. Plain and simple. It wasn't meant to be an indictment of the airline industry, nor was it meant be an attack on the professionals that drive the heavy iron. Airlining is what it is. If you're an airline guy, don't be so sensitive. Lighten up a little. Don't you have some traveling horror stories? I doubt there are any cruise ship captains reading this board, so we can flame away about that mode of travel without hurting anyone's feelings.
To get back to what the thread is about:
-How come there aren't any clocks in airport terminals?
-What happened to the 2 carry on rule? Clareene and Skeeter get on with their 2 kids with 2-3 suitcases each, backpacks, 2 diaper bags, a bookbag, PSPs, totebags, and a dog. Then act like the cabin is their living room.
-What happened to the overhead bag size rule? Ever seen the size of some of these steamer trunks these people carry on?
-Southwest started it, but now there's a whole lot of Flight Attendants using the word "those" and 'that' to describe everything. "That seatbelt, those tray tables." Gang!
-Is there a FAR about how many cabin announcements have to be made, and can we get them to limit the announcements to the Federal minimum? Just when you're dosing off you get jolted into an adrenaline rush by the VISA application advertisement. Plus, just after the Captain tells us that he's expecting some turbulence so he's turning on the seatbelt sign (ding) and to not get out of our seats, the FA comes on and tells us that the Captain has just turned on the seatbelt sign and for us to stay in our seats.
-God bless the engineers at Bose.
-ever notice that just about the time you realize you're freezing your ass off, they just ran out of blankets?
-how many times have you explained to your seatmate that you don't work for the airline, or have been mistaken for an airline employee? I'll be standing there waiting for pax to deplane so I can get to my bag (thats 12 rows back) and after hearing "thank you" enough times I finally just smile and say "come back to see us!" That's better than the time a guy drove up to the front of the hotel and handed me his keys thinking I was the valet.
[note to crummudgeons: the last point was humor. A joke. I was not complaining about how much I hate my job or dislike my uniform; I'm definitely proud of both.]
To be fair, I'm going to start a thread, maybe even in the Fractional forum, talking about the awesome experiences I've had on airlines. Like the FA that gave me free drinks across the country because she knew I was a pilot who'd had a long week.
