Airline service

May 12 00:55 UTC 1995

Airline service
I just had an experience with US Air I'll share with you.  
A group of 3 were traveling on business with an early morning flight out
of Metro with USAir.  At flight time, the agent told us "The flight will
be delayed because the 2nd officer lost his wallet which contained his 
certification papers.  They are going back now to check the hotel, but we 
should be in the air with a 30 minute delay."  After an hour they came 
back to us with "They could not find the wallet, but we will be in the air
after 9:00 when the (records?) office opens so we can get a copy of the 
certification papers."  At that point we left the airport, because we had
a 10:00 am meeting which we would miss.

Our corporate flights are booked through a travel agent who informed us
that the tickets could not be turned back in because they were non-refundable.
After much discussion, they relented, but someone who believed what they
were told would be out the cost of the ticket.

Had any particularly good or bad flight service lately?

response 4 of 32:

May 15 03:51 UTC 1995

Hmm.  I've generally had very bad service (and *very* bad food) on 
Continental, while I have had rather good service and food on TWA.

response 6 of 32:

May 16 01:30 UTC 1995

If you ever have a chance, take a flight on Air Canada of 2 hrs or more.
The service and food is better than anything I have experienced.
It's been several years, so I can't be sure it still is as good, but 
it still remains the BEST!

response 10 of 32:

Jun 25 02:20 UTC 1995

I've taken mostly Northwest and Delta because they have the most flights to
where I am going.  I can't remember the last time the plane left anywhere
near the scheduled departure time, although many times enough "buffer" was
built into the itinerary  that the plane technically arrived "on time".  My
last trip was on Northwest to Boston - both left the gate 30-45 minutes
after scheduled departure.  Arrival back in Detroit was 20 minutes late
(even from itinerary) on my flight home.  As a sideline, I just dropped a
friend off at Metro for a Southwest flight.  I liked the green boarding pass
things (festival seating, I guess), but I must admit that when 4:25 rolled
around (the time printed on the ticket) the plane was being pushed back
away from the terminal.  That got my attention :-)  I may try Southwest
next time just for that reason.

response 12 of 32:

Jun 25 12:31 UTC 1995

Northwest and KLM are sort-f partners, and KLM is much better than Northwest.
I fly Northwest or Southwest, depending on flights, and while I usually like
the organized seating of NW, it can sometimes backfire when there are a lot
of empty seats and you still get a seat between two sumo wrestlers.  SW has
that "groups of 30" festival ("stampede for the best seat") system, which
is somehow a much faster way to get everyone onto the plane.  SW gets much
higher marks than NW for punctuality.  On NW, they usually lie about what the
delay is, even if it doesn't matter.  On SW, they cheerfully inform you that
the pilot has to "ductape the flaps up before takeoff...just kidding!".

response 14 of 32:

Jun 26 16:10 UTC 1995

Sorry I missed the chance to write to steve before he left for Amsterdam. 
On the ride from the airport to my daughter's home here in Seattle, I sat next
to a young man, a native of Amsterdam, who had just flown in from there.  He
was very pleasant and warned me seriously about pickpockets in Amsterdam. 
He said he thought they were about the worst there then anywhere he knew. 
I hope steve takes precautions.

I flew NW from Detroit here to Seattle and we not only left on time, came in
half an hour early.  Flew on a reconstructed DC10.  I remember thinking years
ago that DC10 seats were the most comfortable.  let me tell you, this time,
I felt like a squished sardine. Maybe its partially because I often fly
sitting nest to my husband and I can lean all over him.  This time, I sat next
to a lady who wouldn't even look at me, much less let me lean over on her
space. 8-).  Could also be that I may have gained some weight during the
years.  

response 16 of 32:

Jun 29 20:34 UTC 1995

Marc, you are much too kind.  Actually the return trip wasn't as bad.  I was
able to sleep for a good part of it and it made the time pass more quickly.
But you are sweet to tell me the seats are shrinking.

response 18 of 32:

Jun 30 11:06 UTC 1995

As I get older, I notice the effects of jet lag more. I never seemed to feel
it when I was younger.

Anyway, going to Seattle, I change my watch on the plane and start thinking
in terms of the new time.  When I get there, I take a small (no more than 1
hour nap) and stay up till 11:00.  I have just recently taken to taking a mild
drug to help me sleep through that first night (Tylenol PM actually works or
a mild tranquillizer).  The next day, I find a I am a little tired mid day
but I don't give in and am fine from then on.

Coming back East, when I lose the three hours, I am usually so exhausted from
the trip and unpacking, I fall asleep at 11 or 12 our time, wake a few times
during the night, and then wake at about 6 am.  I am tired part of the next
day so I try and plan an easy day.  By the the followin day, I'm right on
schedule.

I have heard all kinds of things like getting into the sun in the early am,
or trying to get on the new time before you leave, but when I travel I have
no time for all that.  I do avoid all caffeine and alcohol before, during and
right after ytravelling and that helps.  I drink alot of water during flying
and that keeps from getting dehydrated.

When I go to Europe, I have such an adrelaline rush when I get there that in
spite of no sleep on the plane, I can make it (albeit very wearily) through
the first day.  I go to sleep early that night and am on local time by the
next day. 

Do you have Any secrets?

My next trip, I have a very long flight, but I will not cross time zones, so
I think I will have no problem.

response 20 of 32:

Jul 1 00:51 UTC 1995

I don't have any magic secrets.  I travel much more easily west than east.
 I try the sun thing (get out into the sunshine as much as possible until
adjusted).  I don't have enough data points to know if it works, or is
merely a way to deepen my sunburn.

response 22 of 32:

Jul 4 02:20 UTC 1995

An update on my experiences with Northwest:  I had the pleasure (?) of
using NW to travel to NY/LaGuardia.  I had a nice 3:05pm Sat afternoon
flight booked.  I dutifully arrived about 2:30pm, only to find that the
flight had been rescheduled to 4:00.  And then to 5:00.  And then to 5:30.
There was another NW flight out at 4:30 pm, with several open seats.  I
did change to this.  When I boarded the plane, my original flight had been
postponed to 6:30pm.  Of course, my 4:30 flight actually took off at 5pm. 
Our 66 minute flight time turned into 96 minutes as we toured the eastern
seaboard from a variety of angles.  I got in at about 6:45pm, over 2 hours
late from my original scheduled arrival time.

The flight back was just the reverse.  I actually left the gate a couple
minutes early (it was a good thing I was sitting - I nearly fell over
backwards!).  We took off right away, and got into Detroit a whopping 30
minutes early.  I was amazed.  I was astonished.  I was downright
speechless.  I think I should have bought a lottery ticket :-)

Will I ever fly Northwest again?  Maybe, but don't bet on it.

response 24 of 32:

Jul 11 15:00 UTC 1995

You know, I used to get annoyed a lot at delays in take offs, but I have since
decided that if the crew does not feel the plan is airworthy, then I would
rather be delayed than risk not making it at all.  I do wish the people in
charge would let you know why the delay instead of keeping you in the dark.
That makes waiting a great deal less stressful for me.  One time, returning
from my usual trips to Seattle, I was waiting in the World Club for my flight.
The hostess came up to me and suggested she rebook my flight as the non-stop
I was scheduled for was having serious engine trouble.  She said the plane
might not be air worthy until the next day and that they have no extra planes
to substitute.  I had to take a flight to Memphis with a layover and then the
rest of the flight to Detroit but I was grateful not to think about getting
on a plane with "serious engine trouble."

Anytime you are delayed in takeoff, think that it might be they are double
checking to insure the safety of the plane or crew.  Perhaps that thought
would make the wait less annoying.

I am flying into LaGuardia next month and am not looking forward to it Bret.
It is one of my least favorite airports to land in.  It is also known as one
of the most dangerous for take offs and landing because it is so close to the
city and the noise abatement rules require precipitous angles for take offs
and landings.  The airspace around NYC is also extremely crowded, therefore,
potentially hazardous.  This is all said as an ex-flight phobic -still mildly
trepidous flyer.  Notice, I don't let my concerns stop me from flying all over
the world.  I use a lot of meditation, deep relaxation techniques and careful
modification of my thinking to assist.