Northworst Airlines

[Blueblood]

88,

My good friend.... can you cut the story down a bit since I don't really have the patience to read all that.

If I paraphrase... you went to the west coast and had trouble with the airlines.

Am I close ?

[Wolfman]

Seems to me that we have a guy who needs a vacation in a nice warm (relatively---it will be 73º this afternoon) place
on say the Gulf of Mexico. The beer is cold and the seafood is fresh !
Also--and I'm sure this will never happen even in the 21st century--maybe it's time for our court systems to have something like video conferencing/hearings. or would that require some sort of constitutional overhaul ??

[poptart]

Then the agent who had been helping me abruptly determined that it was time for her break, and walked the fuck away.

:facepalm:

[smackaholic]

You flew on wednesday and you didn't have to land in a fukking river? I'd say you had a pretty good day.

sin,

passengers on uscareways nonstop crosstown shuttle service

[Harvdog]

You should fly Continental. They hub out of Cleveland. I get them all the time out of Houston. I don't know if there is a better non-discount US airline than Continental.

[PSUFAN]

Thanks for the Demise Log. A bad as that must have sucked, it made for an entertaining read.

[Goober McTuber]

Fortunately, the hearing went well. I drove to Portland that night and had an excellent dinner with some good friends.

I’m betting Dinsdale had the tenderloin with a wine spritzer.



As usual, overall this was another entertaining read courtesy of 88. However, Counselor...

On the way, I happened to take a look at the departures board, in the hope that there might be another delayed Cleveland flight. No dice. But there was an Akron/Canton flight that had been delayed for four hours about six gates away. So I ran over there and they were boarding. I asked the agent if I could get on that flight and she said it was full. I said, "Can I get on stand by". She said OK, but it was full and all the passengers were checked in. So I stood there, like a fucking idiot until everyone had boarded. And as luck would have it, some bastard must have been in the can or something and she gave me a boarding pass. Just as I started heading down the jet-way, I heard some poor bastard going apoplectic at the ticket agent for giving his seat to me. Sucks to be him. But at least he had a yummy $7 meal voucher and an overnight stay in a flea-bag hotel waiting for him...

The flight to Akron/Canton was surprisingly uneventful. But it took 95 minutes for the ground crew to get the baggage to the carousel.

...considering the timeline, how did your baggage make it within three terminals of the Akron/Canton flight?

[War Wagon]

That story makes me grateful I don't have to fly to earn a living. You can have that shit, but as was said, at least you didn't have to land in a river.

I got probed like a trailer park alien abduction

Nice.

[KC Scott]

I've had 8 trips / 12 flights in 09 so far - all Continental or Delta and I think 4 have been on time.
Of course one of the ones on time was my connection home via Atlanta of which my inbound from Richmond was late.

The airlines have cut so many flights, that the choices are non-exisitent and to make sure I make it, I'll take an afternoon departure the day before a meeting. I'll never check luggage, even when I go to dusseldorf in a few weeks as the chances of it arriving seem like a coin flip.

At least I haven't fallen into the Hudson

[Diego in Seattle]

I've had 8 trips / 12 flights in 09 so far - all Continental or Delta and I think 4 have been on time.
Of course one of the ones on time was my connection home via Atlanta of which my inbound from Richmond was late.

Old Man Winter doesn't help with on-time performance....regardless of airline.

[XXXL]

I started taking Horizon Air return flights from Sacramento to Santa Barbara recently and the 7:30 departure always seems to leave Sac around 10 p.m. I'm wondering if the same will happen tomorrow night. So now I bring work to pass the time while I sit at the gate for the usual 2.5 hour delay. Maybe Horizon will surprise me tomorrow night and get me out of here on time...

:)

[PSUFAN]

At least I haven't fallen into the Hudson

AP is breathing a little easier. It seems that one day, there will be an "at least" clause he can make good use of. The Hudson thing is tantalizingly close, but still not quite there.

[Left Seater]

Guess that is what you get 88 for trying to save the customer some money. Sucks for sure.

For my money I would have taken the Southwest one stop thru Midway. Smaller airport without the usual crazy delays if mother nature isn't feeling well. Plus, instead of driving back to SEA you could have flown home from PDX for the same cash.


I know some you hate Southwest, cause you can't get upgraded and you must have your precious pre-assigned seat, but you are really missing out. They are the only airline I will even consider anymore. Yes, you got upgraded and have a pre-assigned seat, but I got to my destination on-time, with my bags, without paying anything for checking them, and interacted with happy employees. You on the other hand get 88's experience.

Hell, I know two AA pilots that pay to commute from Houston to Dallas on Southwest instead of riding in the back of their own airlines planes for free because their airline has caused them to miss so many flights.


And just to make myself feel good this morning here is a little price shopping using 88's trip and the dates of 1/28 - 1/30.

CLE to SEA on 1/28
PDX to CLE on 1/30

Southwest at $360, change in Chicago Midway
Mixed airlines @ $409, outbound leg changes in Charlotte, two stops on return
United @ $415, change in Denver
AA @ $465, change at O'hare
Northwest @ $591
Delta @ $597
Alaska @ $727
Continental @ $791 but is non-stop.

[Rack Fu]

That story makes me grateful I don't have to fly to earn a living.

So the National Forklift Driver's Convention is local or do you attach your house to your pickup and make the roadie?

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

RACK Fu.

[War Wagon]

That story makes me grateful I don't have to fly to earn a living.

So the National Forklift Driver's Convention is local or do you attach your house to your pickup and make the roadie?

We've got our own convention? Cool.

Speaking of forklifts, did anyone see Obama's interview with John King on CNN? They were at some factory in Ohio, ostensibly promoting American jobs, and they had a bright orange forklift placed strategically in the background.

Now I couldn't see the nameplate on the lift so can't say for certain, but we've got one at my work that looks just like it. It's a Toyota, and it's a piece of shit.

[KC Scott]

I know some you hate Southwest, cause you can't get upgraded and you must have your precious pre-assigned seat, but you are really missing out. They are the only airline I will even consider anymore.

No problems w/ SW since they instituted the "new" cattle chutes - except that it's still station to station (AKA Greyhound) to get to some cities.

I'm good with one layover, but that's it.

Out of KC they have directs to Vegas & Orlando so that's who i use

[Louis Cyphre]

I'm flying from Milwaukee to Orlando on AirTran in two weeks. Any problems/horror stories I should know about them?

[Diego in Seattle]

I'm flying from Milwaukee to Orlando on AirTran in two weeks. Any problems/horror stories I should know about them?

They have a nice buffet.

Sincerely,
Everglades crocs

[Rack Fu]

Now I couldn't see the nameplate on the lift so can't say for certain, but we've got one at my work that looks just like it. It's a Toyota, and it's a piece of shit.

So it's kind of like bizarro world to automobiles. Toyota makes great automobiles but shitty forklifts. America can't make a car, truck or SUV for shit but I guess we make awesome forklifts. There's something to hang your hat on.

[Goober McTuber]

The flight to Akron/Canton was surprisingly uneventful. But it took 95 minutes for the ground crew to get the baggage to the carousel.

...considering the timeline, how did your baggage make it within three terminals of the Akron/Canton flight?

On the flight to Seattle, I had to initially fly an small jet from Cleveland to Detroit. They would not let me carry on my rolling garment bag, so it got checked into the baggage system at the gate. Once it was in they baggage system, it was not available to me when I got stranded in Detroit.

On the return flight, I flew a large jet from Seattle to Atlanta. I was able to carry my garment bag onto the plane, so I had it with me when I ran to the Akron/Canton flight. That was a small jet, so it again got checked into the baggage system at the gate.

If I had checked the bag in Seattle, it would not have been possible to get it on the plane to Akron/Canton. Furthermore, because that bag would have been checked, I could not have been added as standby on the Akron/Canton flight. There is some bullshit rule that prohibits passengers and their bags from flying on separate flights.

The airlines should keep that in mind when you arrive in Seattle and your luggage lands in Newark. Thanks for the explanation.

[Left Seater]

If I had checked the bag in Seattle, it would not have been possible to get it on the plane to Akron/Canton. Furthermore, because that bag would have been checked, I could not have been added as standby on the Akron/Canton flight. There is some bullshit rule that prohibits passengers and their bags from flying on separate flights.

The airlines should keep that in mind when you arrive in Seattle and your luggage lands in Newark. Thanks for the explanation.

Mostly myth, but widely misused. Airlines reserve the right to remove a passengers luggage if said passenger does not board the flight. This was the norm back before 9-11 and someone took the time to check-in and then not board the flight. The departure would be delayed while the ramp rats sorted out the missing person's bags from the rest of the checked bags already loaded on the plane.

That said there isn't a rule that says the bags can't fly on a different flight. One perfect example is a flight I often take on Southwest. This flight requires a change of planes in Dallas. Since the flights to Houston are every 30 mins Southwest uses the same two gates all day long for Houston departures. Just so happens that my inbound flight arrives right next to these gates. Even though I am on the flight leaving 40 mins after arriving in Dallas, my bags are often put on the flight leaving Dallas 10 minutes after I arrive. So in the end my bags make it to Houston 30 minutes before I do on about 60% of these trips. Makes it nice when you walk to the claim and your bag is lined up against the wall waiting for you.

Airlines like to use this to their advantage but don't use it to yours. You have to be very careful to bring this up to their attention, as any vibe can send the gate agent running to the phone for the police. But done correctly, you can mention this rule to them and use it as a way to get yourself onto an oversold flight or onto one where you are running late due to a connection etc.