After finishing my last posting about flying I realized that I forgot to talk about the actual flight.
Being on a plane is uncomfortable, unless you have the actual money to fly business or first class. Having flown to France in coach I highly recommend paying the extra money for that first class ticket. Trust me 12hrs in coach you are just about ready to jump out of your skin.
Yet I digress. Most people today don't check their bags, I know I don't. I don't want to pay the $15-$25 fee to check a bag. A fee that didn't used to be there. The problem with everyone bringing a suitcase on the plane is that these people don't pay attention to the appropriate size. Your bag should be able to fit straight in, without having to turn it around to make it fit. When you do that it takes up more room leaving less space for the next person.
But space isn't the only problem with carry on bags. The other problem is that some people take way to long to get in the over head compartment. I'm guessing there are about 400-600 people on a flight depending in the size of the plane. Now take that into consideration the next time you are trying to get your bag up there, being in your own little world holds up the entire line of people still trying to board the plane.
Back in August flying back to California from my school's orientation I had a lot of trouble getting the my suitcase in the over head bin. I luckily had the aisle seat so I moved out of the aisle holding my suitcase in the seat letting the people behind me go by. When it was clear I had a couple of guys help me fit it in the bin.
My point is just be conscious of where you are and of the rest of the people in the plane. The same goes for getting off the plane. I often end up getting a seat near the back of the plane, once I was in the very last row. As a result of being in the back I have to wait forever for the people in front of me to get grab their stuff and get out. But I honestly I think there is a no real way to get off the plane any faster except just try to get your bags as quickly as possible.
Also if you see a person trying to get his or her bag, get out of the way. The last couple of times I've flown I've had a bunch of people standing in the aisle in my way. I couldn't get my bag down without hitting anyone in the head. As a result I ended up holding people up by the time I could get my bag. Here's a tip if you see someone who is obviously trying to make a move in getting their bag before the line moves, try to get out of the way. Shift slightly or better yet stay in your seat. I know you are anxious to get out but trust me unless you are in the front of the plane you aren't going anywhere.
My other pet peeve is people who take forever to get their bags, why are you taking so long? Unless you have kids or are old and can't move as well as you used to then you have no excuse. Get it and get out.
When flying most of my flights have been pretty uneventful but there is still the occasional horror stories. My friends and my own mom who fly way more then me have twice as many stories. The biggest annoyance it is agreed upon is children! Children I've seen can either be really well behaved or really bad behaved. I once had a kid that would not shut up for the entire flight. It was a late night flight and almost 6hrs and I'll I wanted to do was try and sleep. But the Gods were against me and they burdened me with this child. I understand that a young kid is going to be excited to be flying but parents shut them up, PLEASE!
Another time the parents weren't paying any attention to their two kids who were just going crazy. One child kept running up and down the aisle, if he wasn't doing that then he was fighting with his sister over their video game. Finally my mom told the kids to sit down and shut up, the parents didn't take to kindly to that. But they had it coming. So parents you aren't at home you are on a flight with 400 other people.
The next thing that really pisses me off are people take up all the room possible on the seat. What I mean is that there have been a few times I could barely move without really bumping into the person next to me. I've often had people fall asleep and damn near have their heads on my shoulder. That's why I try to get a window or aisle seat a little more room. I once got stuck in the middle and the guy next to me in the aisle seat was doing paperwork or some sort of work. That didn't upset me, what pissed me off was when he fell asleep he didn't bother to put any of the work away. So here I am stuck in the middle can't move because the guy has is stuff everywhere and he fell asleep right when I had to go to the bathroom. I hate waking people up I always feel guilty. So I didn't, I held it until he finally woke up. 3 hours later.
One final complaint are people who put their seats back. I am almost 5'11'' so you can imagine how uncomfortable it can get. Couple that with someone putting their seats ALL the way back. I just lost about 10 inches of movable room. Not a lot but after 5hrs those few inches are very precious. You hate it when someone does it to you, so why would you do it. I think that if everyone put their seats back there wouldn't be a problem. But alas that will never happen. All I ask is that you remember that you have someone behind you and maybe not lean the chair all the way back.
When flying just think of all the things you hate that other people do on flights and try not to do it yourself.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
The Art of Flying Part 2
Flying can be a pain in the ass and anyone who has flown would probably agree with me. My last post I talked about buying tickets and connecting flights, this post I'll cover airlines and getting through security without holding everybody up.
I've flown on a good number of airlines over the years, some aren't around anymore. A lot has changed over the years. For instance you used to get a whole a can of soda and not just a small cup, snack used to be free, and there used to be free movies.
I recently flew on U.S Airways and Delta and Southwest. Of the three Southwest was my favorite. I was a little surprised myself, I don't care much for the airline. You can't pick your seats before hand and as someone once described it, it's like they are herding you in like cattle. This time we got to be in the first letter that they called, so I got to be in the front of the plane. What I liked about it this time is that I got more than one drink and lots of snacks.
U.S Airways wasn't bad and the flight was pretty short. Delta on the other hand I really wanted to kick their ass. When I was checking in online to print our boarding passes I was able to do U.S Airways no problem. When I got to Delta the first flight wouldn't let me pick the seats because we were coming on a different airline first. I didn't know what to do so I called my mom at work and she called the airline for me. They weren't going to give us seats until she told them "I do a lot of flying and if I have this problem every time, then I can guaranty I won't fly with you again." That had them changing their tunes real quick. One problem solved.
I get back online to print the boarding passes but it wont let me, again because I was coming on a different airline. I had to talk to them twice to be sure and Delta wouldn't even let me print them at LAX it had to be done at Phoenix. They also told me that I wouldn't have to go through security again. Guess what? I did. Delta was in a completely different terminal that involved stepping out of the airport. My dad and I only had an hour, I was worried that it would take too long. We had to take a shuttle, print the tickets, and go through security. Getting the tickets was easy and luckily security wasn't that bad.
I get that you have certain policies but it's ridiculous that just because you are flying on a different airline first you can't get your boarding pass before you leave your house. What would have happened if my first flight had been late? In all likelihood we would have missed our connecting flight.
There is no airline I love, all of them have problems and until this trip I didn't mind Delta so much. No airline is perfect and there is always going to be some complaint. When I flew United Airlines last summer I kept thinking of that song on youtube by Dave Carroll "United Breaks Guitars".
I mentioned security a minute ago and that is one thing that always slows me down. Holidays are the worst time to fly. Everyone is flying. The added security doesn't help. Can't have shoes on, no belts, and no liquids over 3oz. It wouldn't be so bad if people would actually listen to what you are supposed to do. So here are my guide tips:
1) Always have your ID out and ready to go. Sometimes the lines go fast.
2) Try to get your laptop out and ready before you have to put it on the conveyor belt.
3) Be sure to take of sweater, jacket, or hoody.
4) If you have a backpack it doesn't have to placed in a bin just lay it on the belt like your suitcase.
5) Please get rid of any water bottles before you even get in the airport. I have seen at least one person in every line forget the liquid rule.
6) Put your shoes, belt, sweater, and any other small items in the same bin. Saves room and saves time.
7) Try to avoid being behind families, families with small children that is. The parents are trying to control their kids and get through security at the same time. They slow everyone down.
8) Grab your stuff and MOVE out of the way. You can fix everything somewhere else. The bathroom for instance. I walk a little where there aren't many people and put my stuff together. When you just stand right where your stuff comes out you are blocking everyone else who may have to run to catch their flight.
9) When you pick a line pay attention when it's moving. It's like being in a line for a ride, there is always someone who is in their own little world who just leaves a big gap before they realize the line is moving.
10) If you see that the line is long and is taking forever then PLEASE do your best to move quickly and not hold up the people behind you. Oh! pay close attention to your stuff. I almost lost my wallet, computer, and one lady tried to take my sweater because she thought it was hers.
Hope you enjoyed and can possibly relate to.
I've flown on a good number of airlines over the years, some aren't around anymore. A lot has changed over the years. For instance you used to get a whole a can of soda and not just a small cup, snack used to be free, and there used to be free movies.
I recently flew on U.S Airways and Delta and Southwest. Of the three Southwest was my favorite. I was a little surprised myself, I don't care much for the airline. You can't pick your seats before hand and as someone once described it, it's like they are herding you in like cattle. This time we got to be in the first letter that they called, so I got to be in the front of the plane. What I liked about it this time is that I got more than one drink and lots of snacks.
U.S Airways wasn't bad and the flight was pretty short. Delta on the other hand I really wanted to kick their ass. When I was checking in online to print our boarding passes I was able to do U.S Airways no problem. When I got to Delta the first flight wouldn't let me pick the seats because we were coming on a different airline first. I didn't know what to do so I called my mom at work and she called the airline for me. They weren't going to give us seats until she told them "I do a lot of flying and if I have this problem every time, then I can guaranty I won't fly with you again." That had them changing their tunes real quick. One problem solved.
I get back online to print the boarding passes but it wont let me, again because I was coming on a different airline. I had to talk to them twice to be sure and Delta wouldn't even let me print them at LAX it had to be done at Phoenix. They also told me that I wouldn't have to go through security again. Guess what? I did. Delta was in a completely different terminal that involved stepping out of the airport. My dad and I only had an hour, I was worried that it would take too long. We had to take a shuttle, print the tickets, and go through security. Getting the tickets was easy and luckily security wasn't that bad.
I get that you have certain policies but it's ridiculous that just because you are flying on a different airline first you can't get your boarding pass before you leave your house. What would have happened if my first flight had been late? In all likelihood we would have missed our connecting flight.
There is no airline I love, all of them have problems and until this trip I didn't mind Delta so much. No airline is perfect and there is always going to be some complaint. When I flew United Airlines last summer I kept thinking of that song on youtube by Dave Carroll "United Breaks Guitars".
I mentioned security a minute ago and that is one thing that always slows me down. Holidays are the worst time to fly. Everyone is flying. The added security doesn't help. Can't have shoes on, no belts, and no liquids over 3oz. It wouldn't be so bad if people would actually listen to what you are supposed to do. So here are my guide tips:
1) Always have your ID out and ready to go. Sometimes the lines go fast.
2) Try to get your laptop out and ready before you have to put it on the conveyor belt.
3) Be sure to take of sweater, jacket, or hoody.
4) If you have a backpack it doesn't have to placed in a bin just lay it on the belt like your suitcase.
5) Please get rid of any water bottles before you even get in the airport. I have seen at least one person in every line forget the liquid rule.
6) Put your shoes, belt, sweater, and any other small items in the same bin. Saves room and saves time.
7) Try to avoid being behind families, families with small children that is. The parents are trying to control their kids and get through security at the same time. They slow everyone down.
8) Grab your stuff and MOVE out of the way. You can fix everything somewhere else. The bathroom for instance. I walk a little where there aren't many people and put my stuff together. When you just stand right where your stuff comes out you are blocking everyone else who may have to run to catch their flight.
9) When you pick a line pay attention when it's moving. It's like being in a line for a ride, there is always someone who is in their own little world who just leaves a big gap before they realize the line is moving.
10) If you see that the line is long and is taking forever then PLEASE do your best to move quickly and not hold up the people behind you. Oh! pay close attention to your stuff. I almost lost my wallet, computer, and one lady tried to take my sweater because she thought it was hers.
Hope you enjoyed and can possibly relate to.
The Art of Flying Part 1
A couple of weeks ago I flew to Pennsylvania for my sister's graduation (she got her masters) and it was adventure just getting there.
My mother was in charge of buying the tickets and in traditional fashion she waited till pretty much the last minute to get them. Now I have done a lot of flying over the years and as such I've gotten kind of good at finding a decent ticket. I've discovered two things, 1) if you try to buy to early the price is going to be high and 2) of course is that too late it will be expensive. There is about a two week window where the price is going to be reasonable and if you are lucky you'll get a non stop flight.
Which brings me to the next part of flying. If you want a non stop flight you can pretty much forget it, chances are you're going to have to have a connecting flight. Most people (myself included) go the traditional route of getting connecting flights because it's cheaper, but not always easier. If a non stop flight is not that much more than a connecting flight then put the crowbar to your wallet and pay the extra, especially if you really need to get where you are going on time.
For this particular flight I had not one but two connecting flights on two different airlines. My mom was, up till recently unemployed and it was around the graduation that there was a good possibility that she would get one. Turns out she did. The bad part was the fact that she had to go to Minnesota. So while she was looking for a flight she discovered that my dad and I could end up on the same flight as hers leaving from Minneapolis to Philadelphia. Wouldn't it be great if we could do that? Having one connecting flights is stressful enough but two? Well I just smiled and said sure, it would after all make it easier on my sister to pick us all up at the same time.
Connections are tricky because you are constantly worried that your going to miss the flight if your first plane is late. I have missed them and I've known lots of people who have missed them. My best tip is this, if you have a connection then try to give yourself enough time to make it. That way if your plane is late there's still some wiggle room.
For this trip I had about an hour between each flight and mercifully each of my flights was on time and so I made each one. Of course no one wants to sit in a airport for several hours waiting for the next flight. It's boring, uncomfortable, your tired, and all you want to do is get there already.
Finding flights are hard and more likely than not you're going to pick the flight that is the cheapest one, and that's okay, why spend a fortune when you don't have to. All I suggest is that when looking for a flight shop around. Expedia and others like it aren't always the best option, there have been a couple times that I have gotten a better deal through the airline. Also if you can help it get a non stop flight. If you can't just pay attention to the times in between each flight.
My mother was in charge of buying the tickets and in traditional fashion she waited till pretty much the last minute to get them. Now I have done a lot of flying over the years and as such I've gotten kind of good at finding a decent ticket. I've discovered two things, 1) if you try to buy to early the price is going to be high and 2) of course is that too late it will be expensive. There is about a two week window where the price is going to be reasonable and if you are lucky you'll get a non stop flight.
Which brings me to the next part of flying. If you want a non stop flight you can pretty much forget it, chances are you're going to have to have a connecting flight. Most people (myself included) go the traditional route of getting connecting flights because it's cheaper, but not always easier. If a non stop flight is not that much more than a connecting flight then put the crowbar to your wallet and pay the extra, especially if you really need to get where you are going on time.
For this particular flight I had not one but two connecting flights on two different airlines. My mom was, up till recently unemployed and it was around the graduation that there was a good possibility that she would get one. Turns out she did. The bad part was the fact that she had to go to Minnesota. So while she was looking for a flight she discovered that my dad and I could end up on the same flight as hers leaving from Minneapolis to Philadelphia. Wouldn't it be great if we could do that? Having one connecting flights is stressful enough but two? Well I just smiled and said sure, it would after all make it easier on my sister to pick us all up at the same time.
Connections are tricky because you are constantly worried that your going to miss the flight if your first plane is late. I have missed them and I've known lots of people who have missed them. My best tip is this, if you have a connection then try to give yourself enough time to make it. That way if your plane is late there's still some wiggle room.
For this trip I had about an hour between each flight and mercifully each of my flights was on time and so I made each one. Of course no one wants to sit in a airport for several hours waiting for the next flight. It's boring, uncomfortable, your tired, and all you want to do is get there already.
Finding flights are hard and more likely than not you're going to pick the flight that is the cheapest one, and that's okay, why spend a fortune when you don't have to. All I suggest is that when looking for a flight shop around. Expedia and others like it aren't always the best option, there have been a couple times that I have gotten a better deal through the airline. Also if you can help it get a non stop flight. If you can't just pay attention to the times in between each flight.
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