Is flying commercially usually as bad as I just experienced?

[BrianNole777]

I just got back from a trip to the Carribean. It was great after the first 3 days of brutal heat.

I can't believe how bad the flying experience was, though. I flew American Airlines and they maybe charged an extra $250 in fees for 1 suitcase, choosing seats and other random fees.

They also delayed my luggage on the return trip by an hour so I had to wait.

The Miami airport was packed. I barely made it through the slow security line and had to run half a mile to get to my connecting flight.

They also didn't serve food on the flights, which were also packed. They served a non-alcoholic drink and bag of pretzels.

I only fly every 3 years or so I'm not sure if it's usually this bad.

Is this the new normal?

 

[89nole]

Its been bad since the Pandemic. Even Delta and Southwest which I never really had a problem with are pretty sucky right now.

 

[BrianNole777]

Its been bad since the Pandemic. Even Delta and Southwest which I never really had a problem with are pretty sucky right now.

Do they charge fees for one suitcase and choosing seats?

 

[Ohio1nole]

Flying is awful now. Last time I flew I had the worst experience on the flight home..

Had a connecting flight in DC to return home..

Every 20 min kept getting a notification that the flight was pushed back to XX o’clock… only for them to cancel it all together.. they then booked me on another flight on standby that we had no chance of making it onto.. and was zero help in helping me find another flight..

So I Uber from DC to Baltimore to catch a 6am to Chicago to make an 11:00 to Ohio..

But my bags were in charlotte due to the standby flignt they put me on.. only to get to my home airport 2 hours after I got there.

And they basically told me “tough luck”

 

[BrianNole777]

Flying is awful now. Last time I flew I had the worst experience on the flight home..

Had a connecting flight in DC to return home..

Every 20 min kept getting a notification that the flight was pushed back to XX o’clock… only for them to cancel it all together.. they then booked me on another flight on standby that we had no chance of making it onto.. and was zero help in helping me find another flight..

So I Uber from DC to Baltimore to catch a 6am to Chicago to make an 11:00 to Ohio..

But my bags were in charlotte due to the standby flignt they put me on.. only to get to my home airport 2 hours after I got there.

And they basically told me “tough luck”

Yikes.

How much did the Uber from DC to Baltimore cost?

 

[Ohio1nole]

Yikes.

How much did the Uber from DC to Baltimore cost?

$40ish if I remember correctly, so not awful.. but had to Uber at like midnight., only to sleep or sit in the entrance of Baltimore since the airport was closed. Or at least the security section was closed. Brutal.

I made it in record time. My driver was driving like Dale Earnhardt. Just weaving in and out of traffic doing 80.

 

[SnapperNole]

They nickel and dime you for every darn thing. We're lucky we still get complementary soda and pretzels. You can always purchase snacks preflight in the terminal for an ungodly amount of money.

 

[QuaZ2002]

Just flew home from Tahoe last night with no issues. Busy holiday weekends are pretty bad though. We had a nightmarish experience flying to and from NYC on 4th of July weekend. Like everything else the airports/airlines are short staffed. When we got to Reno we had to wait 2.5hrs to get our rental car bc they were so short staffed they couldn’t turn the cars around fast enough that were coming in. It was every company too. Brian, you’re a single guy who never travels? Go see the world, brother.

 

[BrianNole777]

Just flew home from Tahoe last night with no issues. Busy holiday weekends are pretty bad though. We had a nightmarish experience flying to and from NYC on 4th of July weekend. Like everything else the airports/airlines are short staffed. When we got to Reno we had to wait 2.5hrs to get our rental car bc they were so short staffed they couldn’t turn the cars around fast enough that were coming in. It was every company too. Brian, you’re a single guy who never travels? Go see the world, brother.

I've traveled a fair bit.

I've been to 20 states and 11 countries about:



Canada
Mexico
Ukraine
Spain
China
Brazil
Costa Rica
Jamaica
Bahamas
Curacao
Cayman Islands

 

[GeddyLee09]

They nickel and dime you for every darn thing. We're lucky we still get complementary soda and pretzels. You can always purchase snacks preflight in the terminal for an ungodly amount of money.

I travel for work a lot so I'm fortunate enough to have accrued a lot of miles over the years. Getting AA Platinum or One World Sapphire type status is a big benefit and enables you to miss out on all the lines and "employee shortage" nonsense. Plus, once you can upgrade a few times you can earn enough to stay up front so to speak. Night and day comparison to what you put up with from staff to other passengers. The airlines seem to fully staff areas that deal with premium customers so there's less BS. Also, going international is far different than domestic its really night and day.

The problem I have is that people in general are just horrible. Absolute Neanderthals and seem to get worse when they travel. I couldn't imagine having to put up with people like that every day. The short staff excuse will be here for a while until they hire more and more people decide to start working again. Maybe if they turn the free stuff off it might help them along.

 

[Ohio1nole]

I travel for work a lot so I'm fortunate enough to have accrued a lot of miles over the years. Getting AA Platinum or One World Sapphire type status is a big benefit and enables you to miss out on all the lines and "employee shortage" nonsense. Plus, once you can upgrade a few times you can earn enough to stay up front so to speak. Night and day comparison to what you put up with from staff to other passengers. The airlines seem to fully staff areas that deal with premium customers so there's less BS. Also, going international is far different than domestic its really night and day.

The problem I have is that people in general are just horrible. Absolute Neanderthals and seem to get worse when they travel. I couldn't imagine having to put up with people like that every day. The short staff excuse will be here for a while until they hire more and more people decide to start working again. Maybe if they turn the free stuff off it might help them along.

Are you like George Clooney in the movie Up In The Air? Where you have the rewards lounges, travel perks etc at your disposal?

 

[Timfsu]

I have to fly more than I want and it has gotten terrible. Three weeks age I changed planes three time in the Dallas Ft Worth airport. Mechanical problems with two planes. Third one passed inspection and we took off. It seems like the seats get a little smaller with each trip. If I can drive it in a day I will avoid flying. Go Noles!

 

[QuaZ2002]

I've traveled a fair bit.

I've been to 20 states and 11 countries about:



Canada
Mexico
Ukraine
Spain
China
Brazil
Costa Rica
Jamaica
Bahamas
Curacao
Cayman Islands

Did you stop traveling bc of COVID?

 

[NoleFan2U]

I have a flown multiple times in the past few months. Twice to Europe and multiple times to the NE. Knock on wood but I had ZERO issues with nay flight. And, we mostly fly on Spirit to the NE. Planes are always on time and the few times I do check my luggage, no issues. The best advice with your luggage is buy Air Tags or Samsung equivalent. Best piece of mind on all my trips knowing my bags at least made it on the plane.

Oh, I almost forgot. The flight home from Italy there was a medical emergency and I spent 4 hours saving a stubborn Italian's life. And the airline gave me a cappuccino as a thank you. That was the worst flight experience.

 

[BrianNole777]

Did you stop traveling bc of COVID?

Not really. I usually travel every few years.

I went to Brazil in January 2020, just before covid. I think I had it for a week. It was like a mild cough.

 

[BrianNole777]

I have a flown multiple times in the past few months. Twice to Europe and multiple times to the NE. Knock on wood but I had ZERO issues with nay flight. And, we mostly fly on Spirit to the NE. Planes are always on time and the few times U do check my luggage, no issues. The best advice with your luggage is buy Air Tags or Samsung equivalent. Best piece of mind on all my trips knowing my bags at least made it on the plane.

Oh, I almost forgot. The flight home from Italy there was a medical emergency and I spent 4 hours saving a stubborn Italian's life. And the airline gave me a cappuccino as a thank you. That was the worst flight experience.

What are air tags?

 

[F4Gary]

What are air tags?

Is your google broken?

 

[ChiefWB]

What are air tags?

AirTag

Attach AirTag to everyday items, like your keys or a backpack, to easily keep track of them in the Find My app.

www.apple.com

 

[NoleFan2U]

What are air tags?

They are fabulous and worth every penny. If an airline puts the wrong tag on your bag and it gets lost, you will never find it without one. There are many, many stories of people who saw where their luggage was with an air tag and went back to an airport to retrieve it, even after the airline told them it was not there.

People attach them to their dogs collar, their keys, anything you can lose. As long as someone with bluetooth is nearby, your tag will show its location. And when you lose stuff in your house (like your keys), it can emit a sound so you can locate them.

 

[GeddyLee09]

Are you like George Clooney in the movie Up In The Air? Where you have the rewards lounges, travel perks etc at your disposal?

Didnt see the movie but once you have "status" you can use different checkin lines "where theres no line" not pay baggage fees "if there are any", upgrade to the front of the plane either first or premium, board early and use the expedited security lines. The problem these days is that everyone buys access and its all more crowded. Im fortunate to have accumulated miles by virtue of work trips but like I said once you get there its easy to stay. Also seats upfront accumulate more miles 1.5 and sometimes 2x the regular rate so you dont have to buy that many. This year I purchased a ticket to Europe and the business class was only 300 more than coach. No brainer there.

I typically don't use the lounges because they are very crowded and not what they used to be. Plus people in there tend to get the pinky outs when they go in.

I know it sounds snooty but I'm all about reducing aggravation and skipping a long line. Next stop London.

 

[GeddyLee09]

They are fabulous and worth every penny. If an airline puts the wrong tag on your bag and it gets lost, you will never find it without one. There are many, many stories of people who saw where their luggage was with an air tag and went back to an airport to retrieve it, even after the airline told them it was not there.

People attach them to their dogs collar, their keys, anything you can lose. As long as someone with bluetooth is nearby, your tag will show its location. And when you lose stuff in your house (like your keys), it can emit a sound so you can locate them.

There are security issues related to these but... for the purpose you stated they are great.

Apple AirTags causing major security concerns over reports of stalking

Apple's popular tracking device has been linked to alleged stalking cases, and prompted calls for improved safety.

abcnews.go.com

As with anything there are risks.

 

[BrianNole777]

They are fabulous and worth every penny. If an airline puts the wrong tag on your bag and it gets lost, you will never find it without one. There are many, many stories of people who saw where their luggage was with an air tag and went back to an airport to retrieve it, even after the airline told them it was not there.

People attach them to their dogs collar, their keys, anything you can lose. As long as someone with bluetooth is nearby, your tag will show its location. And when you lose stuff in your house (like your keys), it can emit a sound so you can locate them.

Thanks, what if the airline delays the bag by an hour?

 

[GeddyLee09]

Thanks, what if the airline delays the bag by an hour?

These days bag delays are normal and normally bags take up to an hour to reach baggage claim. Ive seen airports in Europe where it takes over that. Do the research and see how long baggage takes at a particular airport, you can check an airports web page and it tells you incoming flights and time to baggage claim normally. The best way around that is to pack light and not check a bag. I only bring a overhead bag and a backpack when I travel.

 

[NoleFan2U]

These days bag delays are normal and normally bags take up to an hour to reach baggage claim. Ive seen airports in Europe where it takes over that. Do the research and see how long baggage takes at a particular airport, you can check an airports web page and it tells you incoming flights and time to baggage claim normally. The best way around that is to pack light and not check a bag. I only bring a overhead bag and a backpack when I travel.

I tried that for Europe but glad I didn't do it. I would have had nowhere to put all the stuff we bought!

 

[GeddyLee09]

I tried that for Europe but glad I didn't do it. I would have had nowhere to put all the stuff we bought!

I carry on going over then check one coming back. Also I try to not connect.