The WEALTHY can't handle airline travel

[Rick1128]

Tree-huggers...they're even less convinceable than the public. These fools don't seem to understand or acknolwedge the fact that climate change is a NATURAL PHENOMENON, and many won't be happy until the only energy is derived from renewable means and all transportation has zero-sum emissions...no matter the financial or economic cost.

As long as it is NOT in THEIR backyard and they don't have to do it. Like Al G.

 

[JJET44]

The belief that execs don't fly the airlines is to avoid security lines and the long wait in the terminal is the common ignorance of the public. These views should not be uttered among us in the business aviation community. Yes it's a perk of a Bizjet not having to do all of that but it's not the main reason. Let
s not help the media and the government by confirming their beliefs.

 

[AA717driver]

Golfing with a friend back in August and had this conversation:

Friend: "Our airplane (GIV) is going up for sale."

Me: "So what's Mr. Big going to do?"

Friend: "What everyone else does."

Me: "Netjets, fractional?"

Friend: "NO. The airlines!"

Me: [I was speechless with a look of abject horror on my face]

My friend is the CFO/VP Finance for a midsize communications company.

Let's see how long it lasts...

TC

 

[BoilerUP]

The belief that execs don't fly the airlines is to avoid security lines and the long wait in the terminal is the common ignorance of the public. These views should not be uttered among us in the business aviation community. Yes it's a perk of a Bizjet not having to do all of that but it's not the main reason. Lets not help the media and the government by confirming their beliefs.

I'll agree that avoiding a TSA checkpoint is an ancillary benefit of bizav travel, but avoiding the additional time involved in traveling via airline is a very legitimate reason for a business or individual to operate an aircraft...a reason based on the value of time, and in the same vein as "We can't effectively manage or maximize our growth on the airlines' schedule" or "Airlines don't travel to all the places we need to do business".

 

[SLFLYHI]

Golfing with a friend back in August and had this conversation:

Friend: "Our airplane (GIV) is going up for sale."

Me: "So what's Mr. Big going to do?"

Friend: "What everyone else does."

Me: "Netjets, fractional?"

Friend: "NO. The airlines!"

Me: [I was speechless with a look of abject horror on my face]

My friend is the CFO/VP Finance for a midsize communications company.

Let's see how long it lasts...

TC

Well if my experience from yesterday is any indication, it's not going to last long. First off, I fly for a large regional airline. Yesterday I get a call right after we push off the gate from the FA who says a passenger in row 17 was complaining that there was a loud noise he was unfamiliar with and to "tell the pilot to do something". So I laugh and turn off the hydraulic pumps (while sitting with the PB set) and ask the FA to go see if they passenger still hears the loud noise, which of course, he didn't and he apparently told the FA "you can tell the pilot to proceed now"

So we blast off to our destination and again the FA calls up saying that the same passenger wants to write a complaint letter because he is shocked that our airline would put such a little jet (EMB145) on this route. She gives him a complaint card.

After we land the FA tells us that this guy has been nothing but one complaint after another. She finally asked why he was so unhappy (since we left on time, had a nice flight, arrived early, and tried to kiss his arse) and this was his response:

"My company just placed restrictions on our corporate jet which I've been using for years. Now I have to fly on these little RJs (which ironically is way bigger than the Hawker he's used to), security made me take my laptop out of my suitcase, and how can you put people on an hour and 20 min flight without food...."

I feel really bad for you corporate drivers that have to deal with these elitist-types, but I don't think they're going to fly the airlines for very long if this guy is your typical corporate passenger.

Good luck to all of us!

T2S

 

[CharterDog]

I have been flying corporate then charter then corporate for 10 years and have never encountered the "elitist-type" described above. Moreover, the 7 or 8 individuals I fly regularly are all worth north of a few hundred million or so at least. Even in these dyer times, I don't expect to see them in seat 32c anytime soon. It's amazing to read the jealousy-driven "I hate rich people" posts written by people who have obviously jumped on the cnn evil biz jet wagon. This will pass. Want to become rich? Throw everything you can into blue chips. GE is 10 bucks a share for god sakes!

 

[blzr]

As an airline puke, I like to come into the corporate section now and again and see how things are going with y'all. Having flown a portion of my career in bizav, I miss it and I can honestly say I had a blast doing it.

Reading all the gloom-n-doom here about your futures leads me to wonder: Do you really think Joe Blow rich guy can handle traveling alongside the commonfolk? I mean who are we kidding? Sure he'll fly first class but domestic FC is a joke anyway. Even if he travels in international FC with a lie-flat seat, he will still be severly disappointed once he sees how American FAs treat customers. Or how he will have to chat it up with the guy next to him, whether he likes it or not.

Regardless of the aforementioned, the issue is not so much about the travel experience, which is pretty downtrodden for a wealthy person. It's about the standing in TSA lines with all us commoners. Having to wait in the gate area, boarding, dealing with airports, etc. I mean for a truly connected and wealthy individual, they're just not going to put up with it. Regardless of what the media thinks or prints, these execs will continue to use pvt jets. Maybe it will be via a frac deal, maybe by selling the plane and leasing it back. Either way, these aircraft that are being sold will continue to fly. Mark my words.

Hang in there, all.

I am sure my boss would use the airlines, but he can't take his tools or fly directly to the minesite, and get back to the office all in the same day. With LASP comming down the pike, corporate will die and the airlines will be the only game in town!

 

[Goose Egg]

In my albiet limited experience in this area, it's not the people that are actually rich that you need to worry about; it's the people that think that they are rich. There's a pretty big difference.

-Goose

 

[blzr]

Agree, but how do we convince the public, the tree-huggers and the media??? they don't see it like you and I see it.

I say the rich treat them the same way they are getting treated. "Screw You, We don't care about your irrelevant out of touch point of view." That is how the peasants treat the rich.

 

[Kingairrick]

This too, shall pass. As soon as the media find a better story to sell.