Be nice should have been higher up the list. There's nothing like expecting preferential treatment by pissing off those making decisions.

Is Rick Romero working for USA TODAY now?

Don't fly, simple enough. Once the airlines understand that their survival depends on customer service they will either change their approach or go belly up. Either way works for me.

My life has been uncomplicated slightly by my husband and I's decision to see family during the summer. Both of our dads work in industries that have high labor demand during the holidays and both of our moms work where there is consistent time-off during the summer months and, of course, lessened labor demands on our fathers.

So, visiting the fam. during the summer is the way to go. Less stress traveling and less stress for the family we're visiting.

Also this gives us our own time together on Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year's.

Makh: Is Rick Romero working for USA TODAY now?

No, but Fark is.

lajimi: Don't fly, simple enough.

I'm with ya.

Once the airlines understand that their survival depends on customer service they will either change their approach or go belly up.

Um, no. The airlines have embraced the WalMart business model. Crappy experience, zero frills and zero service at rock-bottom prices. And like WalMart, folks eat it up. Only one thing matters: which flight comes up on Expedia cheapest. That is the beginning and the end of their "shopping". Airlines know it and act accordingly.

Consequently, flying (esp domestic US) is exactly like shopping at WalMart.

/I hate it. Hate hate hate it. Hate. It.

Considering how much of a PITA is it to fly, I'd rather drive. Staying home is much better though.

One tip to avoiding all airport-related hassles:

Take the bus.

You're welcome.

I'm staying home & working extra hour$.

For those of us with limited budgets and who can't drive or take the bus to see family and friends, budget airlines are a huge blessing.

/as long as you check the fine script
//bring back Oasis Airlines

Seth'n'Spectrum: For those of us with limited budgets and who can't drive or take the bus to see family and friends, budget airlines are a huge blessing.

/as long as you check the fine script
//bring back Oasis Airlines

Yeah. Otherwise they will nickle and dime you to death.

Are you kidding?

Each year, just to prove how everyone has turned into a bunch of pantywaists, I board the first cheap flight to Cayes, Haiti, from (near) Fall City, WA.

This typically involves a flight from Fall City, WA to Seattle Washington. From there, I fly to Atlanta, then to Miami. Once I Miami, I fly to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. Afterwords, I hop on a 20-seater puddle jumper to Cayes. Each year, the local airport manager informs me that my luggage was not loaded on to said puddle jumper due to "inadequate luggage space", and will arrive on the next flight. Each year, it fails to ever show up, leaving me with one set of clothes, a Zune media player, Tom Clancy novel, and shaving kit for the remainder of my stay. The Zune dies after 14 hours of listening to "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey, the greatest band ever.

After 4 days of entertaining Haitian prostitutes and reading my Tom Clancy novel for the 5th time (would ya believe that Jack Ryan spoils the enemy plot, again?) the return plane lands at Cayes airport. I load onto the plane (did I mention before that chickens are considered carry-on luggage in Haiti?) and basically do the whole thing in reverse.

My wife always comments upon my return that I smell like shiat and why is my luggage missing? I return home refreshed and ready to work again for an entire year, holding on to my scummy job in hopes of a promotion to assistant to the regional manager. This year is the year, I'm sure.

/Who's comin with me to Cayes next year?

Be nice. Until it's time to not be nice.

Someday I'm going to take a train again. Just for the hell of it.

Wear a suit and smile during check in (free upgrades are nice), pack noise-cancelling / ear-plugging headphones, a good book, wet wipes, and a decent sandwich. Make sure you have at least 1 change of clothes in your carry-on (in case your luggage is a day late). In case of emergencies (crying baby, annoying kids, fat people), pack a couple valium. Easy.

davidphogan: Be nice should have been higher up the list. There's nothing like expecting preferential treatment by pissing off those making decisions.

Yes, it kills me how many travelers expect the opposite to work. They'll biatch at me for five minutes, then expect me to give them whatever they want. Sorry bud, you ruined any chance of getting help from me when you insulted me, my place of business, and my hometown - all in the same sentence.

If someone wants help from me, they should ask me nicely, phrase their request succinctly, and either accept what I offer or continue to bargain politely. If I flat-out say "no, I can't do that," I'm not bargaining, I'm stating a fact.

I'm really not trying to be difficult, I'm just trying to do my job. My job does not include bowing to every customer's demand, because thankfully my boss realizes that the customer is not always right.

I especially love the ones who call me trying to get the telephone number of a different hotel that belongs to a different franchise, that happens to be located on the opposite side of the city - and get mad at me when I tell them to call information.

Or just work through them, like I am AND ADVOID EVERYTHING. Thanks to my company paying holiday pay and overtime for Thanksgiving, The Day After Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas!

/never flown

I'll be working and drinking enough through the holidays where the only flying I'll be doing will be alcohol induced.

/Only flew once on an commercial jet. Drive from Milwaukee to O'Scare (when the remodel was new), fly to Cleveland and back. Pre-9/11. I had to get so bombed my friends poured me into the plane and I have little recollection of The Flats. Rock & Roll HOF the next day was cool, though...
//Yeah, I can be a control freak. At least I've learned to zip it somewhat when in the passenger seat of a car.

I'll be kicking off my new pet sitting business over the holidays, so I don't have to worry about all that crap. :-)

GAT_00: Makh: Is Rick Romero working for USA TODAY now?

No, but Fark is.

this (as in "came here to say")

CitizenTed: lajimi: Don't fly, simple enough.

I'm with ya.

Once the airlines understand that their survival depends on customer service they will either change their approach or go belly up.

Um, no. The airlines have embraced the WalMart business model. Crappy experience, zero frills and zero service at rock-bottom prices. And like WalMart, folks eat it up. Only one thing matters: which flight comes up on Expedia cheapest. That is the beginning and the end of their "shopping". Airlines know it and act accordingly.

Consequently, flying (esp domestic US) is exactly like shopping at WalMart.

/I hate it. Hate hate hate it. Hate. It.

Flying first class would seem to be the solution tailored to you. Better experience, some frills, and not-rock-bottom prices.

Stay home. Post comments on Fark.

Ed Becker: I'll be working and drinking enough through the holidays where the only flying I'll be doing will be alcohol induced.

/Only flew once on an commercial jet. Drive from Milwaukee to O'Scare (when the remodel was new), fly to Cleveland and back. Pre-9/11. I had to get so bombed my friends poured me into the plane and I have little recollection of The Flats. Rock & Roll HOF the next day was cool, though...
//Yeah, I can be a control freak. At least I've learned to zip it somewhat when in the passenger seat of a car.

Good. Go all dominatrix in my car, and you'll be standing in the breakdown lane.....

rico567: Good. Go all dominatrix in my car, and you'll be standing in the breakdown lane.....

Oh fark. By "zip it" I meant holding back on my comments. I can hardly fit into my dominatrix gimmick anymore. Stalker.

I like how the first three items are
1 bring less luggage
2 seriously though, less luggage
3 did we push the luggage thing hard enough?

Drive.

Money for gas and meals on the way equal one ticket.

Your bags arrive the same time as you, no annoying passangers, don't have to get the UFIA from the TSA, plus you don't have to rent a car.

Holidays always make me happy that my father managed to alienate my immediate family from everyone else I'm related to.

I only fly when I have to (destination is beyond reasonable driving range or across an ocean).

I don't mind flying itself, but the whole potential for getting a UFITA from the TSA and the guarantee of being treated like so much cattle really just puts me off.

farklenny: I like how the first three items are
1 bring less luggage
2 seriously though, less luggage
3 did we push the luggage thing hard enough?

If you fly frequently, you should be well aware of how much this message needs to be hammered home. People will pack two 50-lb suitcases for a 3 day trip and now thinks to baggage fees they will try to take both of them as carry on, in addition to their purse and backpack.

Also, get your god damn ID and boarding pass out before you actually get to the little Tub Stackers of America podium.

Thankfully having status means that I've always got overhead space and I can go through the priority line, so it gets me around most of the morons. Except of course the people with Group 6 who put their boarding pass in the bottom of one of their 50-lb suitcases and try to rush the jet bridge door as soon as First Class starts boarding.

I used to be a frequent flier but these days I don't fly unless it's an absolute emergency. I don't even like driving past the airport. If there is any possible way to get from point A to B without flying I will do it.

Shockingly, USA Today (The Fluff Source!) is given out for free on Continental air US->International flights. I wonder if this is a hint? "Pack less. Yes, pack less. Really, go naked. Service will suck, so praise anything you get. Since you are flying naked with no baggage, use the online check in. Let us charge you for every pair of underwear you pack while sitting you next to a nine thousand pound water buffalo. And enjoy your flight!"

BuzzBoy: I used to be a frequent flier but these days I don't fly unless it's an absolute emergency. I don't even like driving past the airport. If there is any possible way to get from point A to B without flying I will do it.

Obviously you are a terrorist and must be punished.

Bourbon, lots of bourbon.

List seems to be missing "casually murder all children within 3 rows of your seat".

Stay away from this guy.

Just be nice, goddamnit!

As it is I'd cancel all holidays if I were king. I can't imagine how suicidal I'd be if I had to fly.

Mad Scientist: Stay away from this guy.

jesus....

Mad Scientist: Stay away from this guy.

The last time I flew I sat next to a woman of comparable weight and girth, who had brought her own bag of food to eat before and after the in-flight snack. It was the longest three-hour flight I've ever been on. Taking the plane isn't much different than riding the Greyhound Bus nowadays, and I try to avoid it whenever possible.

famousp: Are you kidding?

Each year, just to prove how everyone has turned into a bunch of pantywaists, I board the first cheap flight to Cayes, Haiti, from (near) Fall City, WA.

This typically involves a flight from Fall City, WA to Seattle Washington. From there, I fly to Atlanta, then to Miami. Once I Miami, I fly to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. Afterwords, I hop on a 20-seater puddle jumper to Cayes. Each year, the local airport manager informs me that my luggage was not loaded on to said puddle jumper due to "inadequate luggage space", and will arrive on the next flight. Each year, it fails to ever show up, leaving me with one set of clothes, a Zune media player, Tom Clancy novel, and shaving kit for the remainder of my stay. The Zune dies after 14 hours of listening to "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey, the greatest band ever.

After 4 days of entertaining Haitian prostitutes and reading my Tom Clancy novel for the 5th time (would ya believe that Jack Ryan spoils the enemy plot, again?) the return plane lands at Cayes airport. I load onto the plane (did I mention before that chickens are considered carry-on luggage in Haiti?) and basically do the whole thing in reverse.

My wife always comments upon my return that I smell like shiat and why is my luggage missing? I return home refreshed and ready to work again for an entire year, holding on to my scummy job in hopes of a promotion to assistant to the regional manager. This year is the year, I'm sure.

/Who's comin with me to Cayes next year?

Hell, I'll go with you THIS year! How does NYE sound?

I was listening to some news story this morning about how air travel will be down this season, due to the recession. No, really!? People aren't willing to pay hundreds of dollars so that they can be treated like crap, stressed out, and packed into a metal tube with a bunch of strangers?

I actually moved so that I don't have to fly anymore. So I might not be living exactly where I want to (close enough though), but at least I don't have to go to an airport anymore.

Also, I took a Greyhound cross-country in June, and it wasn't bad at all. The seats are more comfortable than in most airplanes I've been in, even if the experience is comparable. And the ticket was $80--to go 1800 miles. They've really cleaned up the buses since I used to ride them as a drunken bum.

sbchamp: Just be nice, goddamnit!

Agrees:



/hot

If my farking dysfunctional family wants to see me, they can fly down here to Houston. They seem to think that I should be more than happy to fly to Seattle to see them. Screw that.

I will never fly again, except to see my best friend who just moved to Hawaii.

I fly at least two round trips a week. Security is no big deal if you are prepared. Those that complain the loudest are those that don't fly much. It's really a non issue.

I have a little rule of thumb about air travel. If it is an 8-9 hour drive to the destination, go ahead and drive. That would be about a 2-2.5 hour flight, but adding an extra hour at each gate, & factoring in a possible layover gets you to about 5 hours of dealing with airports. So by flying you're really only saving yourself 4 hours, you're on a company's critical, unforgiving schedule. And chances are other people are having spend at least an hour or two of their day dealing with the task of taking you to the airport and/or picking you up, and you possibly can't travel with everything you may want to bring.

So if you can drive to your destination in the better part of a day, often it is worth it over the trouble of flying.

GAT_00: Makh: Is Rick Romero working for USA TODAY now?

No, but Fark is.

Hey, this is the only paper in America that's not afraid to tell the truth, that everything is just fine.

I gave up flying -- almost completely -- in July, after a one-stop flight home from Tulsa to Philly became a twenty-hour ordeal because of thunderstorms at DFW.

I figured out that I could actually make the drive back to Tulsa in less highway time than that, not counting the night in a hotel... and, since my wife (and often her mother) usually travels with me, it's almost always cheaper to drive even with hotel stays.

I got to test that last month, and it turned out to be true in both directions. On the first leg of the drive home, we covered 739 miles in under 10½ hours, averaging 70.6 miles per hour including stops. The total highway time added up to 18 hours 48 minutes over two days, at an average speed just a tick under 67 mph... including the last 60 miles on back roads from Lancaster down into Delaware.
For some reason, every left-lane hog moves out of the way when my car comes up behind them at 85+ ... not sure why:


/slightly OT... but we were flying
//my Police Interceptor was the best $2800 I ever spent
///P71 slashies!!!!!

famousp: Are you kidding?

Each year, just to prove how everyone has turned into a bunch of pantywaists, I board the first cheap flight to Cayes, Haiti, from (near) Fall City, WA.

This typically involves a flight from Fall City, WA to Seattle Washington. From there, I fly to Atlanta, then to Miami. Once I Miami, I fly to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. Afterwords, I hop on a 20-seater puddle jumper to Cayes. Each year, the local airport manager informs me that my luggage was not loaded on to said puddle jumper due to "inadequate luggage space", and will arrive on the next flight. Each year, it fails to ever show up, leaving me with one set of clothes, a Zune media player, Tom Clancy novel, and shaving kit for the remainder of my stay. The Zune dies after 14 hours of listening to "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey, the greatest band ever.

After 4 days of entertaining Haitian prostitutes and reading my Tom Clancy novel for the 5th time (would ya believe that Jack Ryan spoils the enemy plot, again?) the return plane lands at Cayes airport. I load onto the plane (did I mention before that chickens are considered carry-on luggage in Haiti?) and basically do the whole thing in reverse.

My wife always comments upon my return that I smell like shiat and why is my luggage missing? I return home refreshed and ready to work again for an entire year, holding on to my scummy job in hopes of a promotion to assistant to the regional manager. This year is the year, I'm sure.

/Who's comin with me to Cayes next year?

What airline do you fly/how much is it, to go from Fall City to Seattle? I used to rent a 152 and fly from Harvey Field (S43) in Snohomish to Fall City and back for about $75 iirc.

/Just interested, reminded me of home.