Flying Sucks

[avatar! | 1,820]

18 hours ago, captmorgandrinker said:

I thought there was a federal regulation where you had to deplane after three hours?

https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/tarmac-delays

How long can an airline keep me on a DEPARTING flight before the airline is required to start moving the airplane to a location where passengers can safely get off?

• For flights departing from a U.S. airport, airlines are required to begin to move the airplane to a location where passengers can safely get off before 3 hours for domestic flights and 4 hours for international flights.

How long can an airline keep me on an ARRIVING flight without providing me with an opportunity to get off of the airplane?

• For flights landing at U.S. airports, airlines are required to provide passengers with an opportunity to safely get off of the airplane before 3 hours for domestic flights and 4 hours for international flights. 

Are there any exceptions to these requirements?

• Yes.  Exceptions to the time limits are allowed only for safety, security, or air traffic control-related reasons.  You should not exit the airplane unless told by the airline that you can do so safely.

[avatar! | 1,820]

Normally I have little to no sympathy for airlines, but as soon as I saw it was a "youtuber" I immediately knew...

A YouTuber on a Delta flight which made an emergency mid-Atlantic return to New York said he was 'sobbing' in his seat and thought he was going to die

https://www.yahoo.com/news/youtuber-delta-flight-made-emergency-080100359.html

Arieh Smith, a YouTuber with more than five million subscribers, was on the flight which departed Sunday from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, bound for Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana.

Around two hours into the flight, when the plane was flying over the Atlantic Ocean, the pilots turned the aircraft around and returned to New York, Smith said in a YouTube video he uploaded.

"I was honestly terrified," Smith told Insider. "I started texting my wife and sobbing in my seat. I thought we were going to die."

The Delta spokesperson told Insider the plane landed safely and passengers got off the flight, adding that customers' safety and security is the airline's first priority. Customer support teams helped affected customers when they arrived at JFK airport, the spokesperson added.

Perhaps Mr. Smith does not realize that planes can, and in fact often do, turn around without people dying. No worries, expect a bunch of videos explaining how his terror was greater than all of Ukraine combined and multiplied by the number of atoms in the Universe. Oh, and a lawsuit, because, you know, the plane did a uwey.

[TDIRunner | 2,744]

11 hours ago, avatar! said:

Normally I have little to no sympathy for airlines, but as soon as I saw it was a "youtuber" I immediately knew...

A YouTuber on a Delta flight which made an emergency mid-Atlantic return to New York said he was 'sobbing' in his seat and thought he was going to die

https://www.yahoo.com/news/youtuber-delta-flight-made-emergency-080100359.html

Arieh Smith, a YouTuber with more than five million subscribers, was on the flight which departed Sunday from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, bound for Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana.

Around two hours into the flight, when the plane was flying over the Atlantic Ocean, the pilots turned the aircraft around and returned to New York, Smith said in a YouTube video he uploaded.

"I was honestly terrified," Smith told Insider. "I started texting my wife and sobbing in my seat. I thought we were going to die."

The Delta spokesperson told Insider the plane landed safely and passengers got off the flight, adding that customers' safety and security is the airline's first priority. Customer support teams helped affected customers when they arrived at JFK airport, the spokesperson added.

Perhaps Mr. Smith does not realize that planes can, and in fact often do, turn around without people dying. No worries, expect a bunch of videos explaining how his terror was greater than all of Ukraine combined and multiplied by the number of atoms in the Universe. Oh, and a lawsuit, because, you know, the plane did a uwey.

 

The entire article was an extremely long, weird and convoluted way of saying that the YouTuber doesn't fly very often. Hell, I was able to do it in a single sentence.   

[avatar! | 1,820]

2 hours ago, TDIRunner said:

 

The entire article was an extremely long, weird and convoluted way of saying that the YouTuber doesn't fly very often. Hell, I was able to do it in a single sentence.   

Aerophobia is real - I believe statistically over 25 million Americans suffer from it! That said, there was no discussion of that nor how often Mr. Smith flies. At this point, I would encourage Mr. Smith to never drive in Boston which, quite honestly, is terrifying...

[Tabonga | 2,324]

 

[avatar! | 1,820]

American Airlines couldn't find a passenger's bag after canceling his flight even though it never left the airport

https://www.yahoo.com/news/american-airlines-couldnt-passengers-bag-091556498.html

About 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time of 3.30 p.m., passengers already on the plane were told that no pilot was available so it was delayed by an hour.

Passengers waited on the aircraft for about three and a half hours after the pilot arrived only to be told about 7.30 p.m. that the flight had been canceled due to "a combination of weather conditions and not having enough gas".

Close to midnight security officers told passengers that baggage claim area was closing and that they must return the following day to retrieve their missing luggage.

"Security was called down before they made the announcement that no one would get their bags until the next day in anticipation of a mob scene because lots of people were very upset, cursing and crying," Werner said.

He said they spent about 12 hours at the airport and felt the situation was "extremely mismanaged", with American Airlines being "completely understaffed".

Well don't you worry! American Airlines CEO Doug Parker was paid $7.24 million in compensation in 2021. I'm sure he's so hard-working, he's bound to just hand-deliver any missed luggage because he cares. Yup, can't you tell, they really and truly care about you. In summary:

[LeatherRebel5150 | 1,056]

50 minutes ago, avatar! said:

American Airlines couldn't find a passenger's bag after canceling his flight even though it never left the airport

https://www.yahoo.com/news/american-airlines-couldnt-passengers-bag-091556498.html

About 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time of 3.30 p.m., passengers already on the plane were told that no pilot was available so it was delayed by an hour.

Passengers waited on the aircraft for about three and a half hours after the pilot arrived only to be told about 7.30 p.m. that the flight had been canceled due to "a combination of weather conditions and not having enough gas".

Close to midnight security officers told passengers that baggage claim area was closing and that they must return the following day to retrieve their missing luggage.

"Security was called down before they made the announcement that no one would get their bags until the next day in anticipation of a mob scene because lots of people were very upset, cursing and crying," Werner said.

He said they spent about 12 hours at the airport and felt the situation was "extremely mismanaged", with American Airlines being "completely understaffed".

Well don't you worry! American Airlines CEO Doug Parker was paid $7.24 million in compensation in 2021. I'm sure he's so hard-working, he's bound to just hand-deliver any missed luggage because he cares. Yup, can't you tell, they really and truly care about you. In summary:

I honestly can’t believe they can get away with shit line that

[avatar! | 1,820]

Air Canada is refusing to compensate passengers for cancellations thanks to a policy that lets them call staff shortages a safety problem

https://www.yahoo.com/news/air-canada-refusing-compensate-passengers-003022013.html

Air Canada is refusing to compensate passengers for cancellations thanks to a policy it introduced during COVID-19 that allows the airline to call staff shortages a safety problem, The Canadian Press reported.

In Canada, the Air Passenger Protection Regulations require airlines to pay up $1,000 in compensation for cancellations or significant delays that are within the carrier's control when the notification comes 14 days or less before departure. Airlines do not have to provide any payment if the change was required for safety purposes.

Gabor Lukacs, president of the Air Passenger Rights advocacy group, told the news organization that Canada's largest airline is unlawfully exploiting the federal regulation to avoid paying compensation and called on the transport regulator for stronger enforcement.

In the US, there are no federal laws requiring airlines to provide passengers with money or other compensation when their flights are delayed, according to the US Department of Transportation.

Of course here in the USA there are NO laws providing passengers with compensation

[avatar! | 1,820]

WOW...

Man drove his family all night to make his brother's wedding after American Airlines booked them on a flight to a different country then canceled their replacement

https://www.yahoo.com/news/man-drove-family-night-brothers-110510491.html

Grady R. Heins, a lawyer from Washington state, had booked in January to fly from Seattle to Vermont for his brother's wedding in May. He bought tickets for himself and his three children on the fastest trip he could find on American Airlines via Chicago. Before his departure, he was surprised to receive an email from the airline asking him to prepare for his "upcoming trip to Canada." He told Insider that he logged into his account only to see that his destination had been changed from Burlington, Vermont, to Montreal, Canada, without his permission.

American Airlines staff at Seattle airport eventually found him an alternative flight to Burlington with a stop in Philadelphia. The Seattle to Philadelphia flight was operated by Alaska Airlines.

After four hours in the airport, Heins decided to retrieve his family's bags, rented a car, and drove from 11:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. to reach his intended destination.

The airline offered to refund Heins for the segment that he didn't fly, but not for the Seattle to Philadelphia segment of the trip. It also offered to reimburse him for the rental car, per the email correspondence seen by Insider. As an alternative to the refund, the airline offered vouchers of $300 per passenger.

Flying today is pure shit... and the airlines have a new catch-phrase "staff shortages".

"Oh hey, the plane isn't even here!" -Airlines: It's because of staff shortages!

"Why was my flight incorrectly changed?!" -Airlines: It's because of staff shortages!

"Why don't you pay your workers better! Your CEOs are making freaking millions -Airlines: It's because of staff shortages!

[avatar! | 1,820]

The days of 'fun flying' are long gone: How U.S. air travel became a nightmare

A good read --

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/whats-going-on-with-air-travel-today-how-to-fix-it-rcna66501

The year 2022 was one of the most stress-inducing for consumer air travelers in recent memory. A surge in travel demand after airlines slashed resources during the pandemic caught carriers flat footed. Unable to adequately staff flights, they nevertheless continued to sell record-breaking numbers of tickets, resulting in more than one in five flights being delayed, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics — the highest rate of delays since 2014.

That's a shock - Airlines overselling tickets... I'm just shocked. Yup, really and truly shocked. Next thing you'll tell me is the Earth is round... shocking.

There is near-universal agreement that the infrastructure underpinning segments of America's air travel system is outdated and vulnerable. That was on full display at the start of the year when a technology issue at the Federal Aviation Administration caused all planes to be grounded. The agency said it has continued to investigate, but Washington lawmakers said the glitch proved that more drastic changes were needed.

Yeah, "more drastic changes" WTF does that mean? That's code for "hey, there's a problem, but I don't want it to be my problem, so it's your problem. Could you like, deal with it? Thanks."

"Passengers should never lower their expectations, but should always prepare for the worst," Mayerowitz said. "We need to hold airlines and politicians accountable. Air travel should be predictable and consistent, and you shouldn’t have to wonder if air traffic control is going to be working today as you head to the airport. That said, every traveler should always have a backup plan, and a backup for their backup. And that’s especially true over holidays."

Sir, I assure you my expectations could not get lower even if I tried...

[Brickman | 3,995]

On 1/22/2023 at 8:49 AM, avatar! said:

The days of 'fun flying' are long gone: How U.S. air travel became a nightmare

A good read --

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/whats-going-on-with-air-travel-today-how-to-fix-it-rcna66501

The year 2022 was one of the most stress-inducing for consumer air travelers in recent memory. A surge in travel demand after airlines slashed resources during the pandemic caught carriers flat footed. Unable to adequately staff flights, they nevertheless continued to sell record-breaking numbers of tickets, resulting in more than one in five flights being delayed, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics — the highest rate of delays since 2014.

That's a shock - Airlines overselling tickets... I'm just shocked. Yup, really and truly shocked. Next thing you'll tell me is the Earth is round... shocking.

There is near-universal agreement that the infrastructure underpinning segments of America's air travel system is outdated and vulnerable. That was on full display at the start of the year when a technology issue at the Federal Aviation Administration caused all planes to be grounded. The agency said it has continued to investigate, but Washington lawmakers said the glitch proved that more drastic changes were needed.

Yeah, "more drastic changes" WTF does that mean? That's code for "hey, there's a problem, but I don't want it to be my problem, so it's your problem. Could you like, deal with it? Thanks."

"Passengers should never lower their expectations, but should always prepare for the worst," Mayerowitz said. "We need to hold airlines and politicians accountable. Air travel should be predictable and consistent, and you shouldn’t have to wonder if air traffic control is going to be working today as you head to the airport. That said, every traveler should always have a backup plan, and a backup for their backup. And that’s especially true over holidays."

Sir, I assure you my expectations could not get lower even if I tried...

I just recently in Dec/Jan flew from Australia to LA then flew to South America. On the way back I had to stop in Miami and Dallas and never ran into issues. Everything felt like it did pre pandemic to me.

The only sort of issue I had was that someone in Miami said our bags wouldn’t go through and we’d have to collect them in Dallas. We had an hour connecting flight so thought it was strange. Got to Dallas and didn’t see our luggage so had to quickly get AA to help us get through. They were super helpful and we made it.

Anyway just thought I’d tell a good story that happened over peak period because these articles love to focus on the negative. I didn’t notice a drop in flight quality. If anything the flight staff seemed overly happy to be back to it haha.