Pet Peeves While Airlining

[Gina]

back on topic

The inability of airline crew to make PAs with out using "at this time" in every sentence.

Pilot's doing the Chuck Yeager/Charlton Heston/Ron Burgundy combo voice when doing PAs.

5 o'clock shadow on the Stews.

 

[NYCPilot]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/31/business/31road.html

January 31, 2006
On the Road
No Room for the Passengers, Never Mind the Carry-Ons

By JOE SHARKEY
WHAT do business travelers say is the most annoying thing about flying? I realize there are hundreds of plausible answers. But the top peeve, according to a survey by Carlson Wagonlit Travel, is a passenger who lumbers on board with a bulky suitcase that you, of course, would have had the courtesy to check.
The annoyance is aggravated when that person decides to stow the bag in an overhead bin well forward of his or her seat to allow for a quick getaway, unmindful that overhead space is supposed to be used by the passengers sitting closest to it.
Now, as far as the loutish behavior goes, this is not up there with, say, blowing cigar smoke in a child's face. But the irritation quotient has been going up sharply over carry-on storage space, partly because, on domestic flights, airlines have increasingly been cramming customers into regional jets — those little planes with storage bins the size of a Volkswagen glove compartment.
Regional jets, which typically have 50 or fewer seats, now carry about 20 percent of all domestic passengers.
"I think the added frustration over baggage is often compounded by the smaller jets," said Jack O'Neill, the chief operating officer of Carlson Wagonlit Travel North America.
Carlson Wagonlit surveyed 2,100 business travelers and 650 corporate travel managers in the United States and abroad. It also found that 60 percent of travel managers expect their budgets to increase this year and that business travelers are overwhelmingly opposed to relaxing bans on the use of cellphones on planes.
But let's get back to meager in-flight storage space and lack of seating comfort, which are the most frustrating aspects of regional jet travel. The airlines know that most of you dislike these planes, by the way.
But domestic airlines generally do not have much money to acquire a new fleet. Meanwhile, they have been shifting larger planes from domestic routes to more lucrative international routes. So, domestic seat capacity has been shrinking.
Domestic fleets have about 1,500 regional jets in the 50-seat or smaller category, but industry analysts say the airlines have soured on the planes, which are not especially fuel-efficient. Michael Boyd, the president of the Boyd Group aviation forecasting company, predicts that domestic airlines will retire about 200 regional jets within 18 months.
But a new breed of regional jet — with far more spacious cabins that hold 70 to 100 passengers — is entering service, in models manufactured by the two major regional jet makers, Embraer and Bombardier.
JetBlue Airways, for example, has ordered 100 of the new 100-seat Embraer E-190 jets. And last Thursday at Westchester County Airport in White Plains, United Airlines, which is scheduled to leave bankruptcy protection tomorrow, showed off one of the new, roomy 70-seat E-170 jets that it has begun using to replace smaller regional jets on its flights from White Plains, a big corporate center, to its hub in Chicago.
The new planes — operated under still another new United brand, Explus — have six first-class seats with 38 inches of legroom, 16 economy plus seats with 34 inches and 48 economy seats with 31 inches. One reason for providing premium-class seating is that many business travelers flying out of White Plains on first-class or business-class tickets, with national or international connections through Chicago, resent having to spend the first leg of the trip in a "one class fits all" regional jet. United's main competitor on the route is the American Eagle, a subsidiary of American Airlines, which flies small regional jets with all-coach seating.
"If we did this with one class, we could have 78 seats on the airplane," said Sean Donohue, vice president for operational services at United Express, the carrier's regional jet unit. "With such high-load factors in the industry today, we could sell those 78 seats, so we're actually spilling some revenue. But we're reinvesting in the business customer."
United does not own the new planes. The E-170's are actually the property of Republic Airways Holdings, which operates more than 800 regional jet flights a day under contract to four major airlines, including United.
Of the 240 regional jets in Republic's fleet, 47 are E-170's and the rest are smaller, traditional regional jets. The only regional jets Republic now has on order are E-170's.
United Airlines, which has been a tough negotiator with its regional jet suppliers in the past, made the decision on how to configure the new E-170's, said Warren R. Wilkinson, a Republic spokesman.
"United told us, 'This is what we want the airplanes to look like,' " Mr. Wilkinson said.

 

[Wyatt]

Idiot gate agents and no set airline policies

One thing that really gets under my skin is that because we fly on short time one way tickets to and from work we are constantly flagged for the security checks. My supposedly TSA approved ID badge has little or no effect in getting it waved. Sometimes you are lucky enough to meet an understanding ticket agent who will help out but nine times outta ten you deal with some IDIOT, strictly by the "rules", (and thats a misnomer because the "rules" are different depending on who you talk to. Even on the same airline and even at the same city of departure) rote speaking, robot.

I once was flagged along with the little old lady ahead of me, while a group comprised of five young arab men were let through without a second glance. I said to the agent " Whats wrong with this picture?" she said "Sir we cant discriminate." I said "You are discriminiating, against ME. Im getting this treatment because my company has me traveling on a short time one way ticket. Dont you think terrorists have enough sense to buy a three week in advance round trip ticket to avoid your security checks?"

Things that make you wanna uke:

 

[leardawg]

One thing that really gets under my skin is that because we fly on short time one way tickets to and from work we are constantly flagged for the security checks. My supposedly TSA approved ID badge has little or no effect in getting it waved. Sometimes you are lucky enough to meet an understanding gate agent who will help out but nine times outta ten you deal with some IDIOT, strictly by the "rules", (and thats a misnomer because the "rules" are different depending on who you talk to. Even on the same airline and even at the same city of departure) rote speaking, robot.

I once was flagged along with the little old lady ahead of me, while a group comprised of five young arab men were let through without a second glance. I said to the agent " Whats wrong with this picture?" she said "Sir we cant discriminate." I said "You are discriminiating, against ME. Im getting this treatment because my company has me traveling on a short time one way ticket. Dont you think terrorists have enough sense to buy a three week in advance round trip ticket to avoid your security checks?"

Things that make you wanna uke:

Ya shoulda said "No; I don't think I'll let you search me today, Mr. TSA Inspector man", then cold-cocked him with your Six-shooter!
:beer:

 

[Wyatt]

Ya shoulda said "No; I don't think I'll let you search me today, Mr. TSA Inspector man", then cold-cocked him with your Six-shooter!
:beer:

Well dawg I try to keep in mind that the TSA are just doing a job (as ineffective as it seems at times).

Its the airline agent MORON's that keep me PO'ed.

And they wont lemme carry my Six-shooter any more....:crying:

D*MN STINKIN TERRORIST J*GOFFS!!!

 

[pgcfii2002]

HA, well RJ's are what the American flying public get for their buck.....like the old saying, "You get what you paid for."

 

[Ill Mitch]

Catching an earlier flight to get home early to surprise my wife only to find her in bed with another woman...oh wait, I am confusing fantasy with pet peeves. <sigh>.
But the X-mas party of 2002...that was awesome. Ah..I'll never forget that night.