<p>Singapore Airlines is a class act.</p>
<p>I bought a cheap Dell laptop to bring with me on my last trip instead of my MacBook Pro. It’s mostly a client system used to access other systems. If it got lost, stolen or damaged, it wouldn’t be a big deal. I was amazed at what people try to bring on the plane as carry-on. I guess dealing with lost luggage is a real pain. BTW, UA did lose my luggage but they got it to me within 18 hours.</p>
<p>I agree with many of WashDad’s suggestions. However, Chicago is bad all year long – those late afternoon/early evening thunderstorms in the spring and summer wreck havoc with flights. So, avoiding Chicago is key.</p>
<p>As far as I can tell, all airlines have problems. One of the things I like about US Air is it will hold connecting flights for passengers whose first plane gets in a little late. United won’t do that – we’ve missed several connecting flights on United because of their strict policies. </p>
<p>And I never, ever check bags. I’ve gone on 3-week trips to Europe, and used carry-on luggage. I simply don’t understand why someone going on a weekend trip needs to check bags. </p>
<p>I fear things are going to get much much worse. I’ve flown a bunch in the last few months, and almost every single flight has been full. This weekend, 4 flights, 4 oversold airplanes. Come fall, airlines are cutting flights – it’s going to be a mess. That JetBlue experience Seiclan had, I predict that happening to a lot of people.</p>
<p>My husband flies a lot for business. He has all the airline phone numbers in his cell phone, as well as all the hotel chains. He always uses his phone to rebook flights when there is a problem, instead of relying on airport personnel. (Note to self: I really need to do that, too.) When there is a problem, he frequently has to switch carriers, which I believe they are required to let you do. On some occasions, he’s switched airports (taking a cab from Dulles to National in DC, for example – at the airline’s expense).</p>
<p>Also, your student needs to be an advocate for themselves with the ticketing folks…in the event of a snafu while traveling. My son (so far) has been able to get himself rebooked every time his flights have been screwed up. He was flying to NC for an audition and HAD to get there. Flights were being cancelled left right and center due to an ice storm (that did NOT materialize…but they cancelled flights anyway). He HAD to get to where he was going…and his flight had been cancelled. They put him on another airline, another route and he got there. Last year when flying back to school, his flight was delayed and he would have missed his connection. He got himself on another flight, with a completely different airline and stop…but he got back. Both times…no cost to him. Keep your fingers crossed that his luck holds out.</p>
<p>Washdad has some good advice. I used to travel for business in my previous life (way pre- 9/11) and I had many many things go wrong (mostly on my vacation trips, but whatever).</p>
<p>While a student, I flew from atlanta to laguardia in what turned out to be a snowstorm. My flight circled the airport in NY, and ultimately was diverted to Boston, while my parents were in LGA. In Boston, no hotel rooms due to ECAC hockey tournament(this was in the day when they did give hotel vouchers). They offered a bus to LGA (in the blizzard mind you), or uncertain rebooking whenever things cleared up including flight availability. I went on the bus because two of my classmates were going too, at some risk, but we made it by 6:00 am to an empty airport. By then my Dad was at work, and I had to find a way home, which with divine intervention I am sure, I did.</p>
<p>I hate to fly now, and could not do it regularly. My family has to beg and cajole me to go on an airplane. I would rather drive 12 hours than fly. If it is more than that, I force myself. I hate having to take off shoes, belts, jackets, unpack carry on, etc. (I KNOW it must be done, but I hate it.)</p>
<p>One thing that I think is wrong with air travel is that the relative price with regard to inflation has not gone up over time. Lately it is more due to fuel costs, and other rising expenses, but in real terms, it probably is so much less than it was 25 or more years ago. If the prices were more, and the profit more it might be better. Unlikely to happen.</p>
<p>Regarding Jetblue. Son’s gf was delayed 24 hours from JFK on Jetblue in November, and she ended up missing some classes at her own college because of the delay. Jetblue did put them up in a hotel, and gave her a flight voucher after she wrote them a “hardship” letter explaining her experience.</p>
<p>We fly out of DFW so it’s hard to avoid AA, but I try to fly Southwest whenever I can. Coming back from Germany last month on AA, the flight attendants were downright *****y the whole flight…snapping at the passengers AND at each other. Not a kind word or a pleasant expression from anyone. (And it was a “normal” flight - no dealys or unruly passengers.) We had a connection in Chicago…when deplaning and rechecking our luggage the employees were YELLING at all of us. I think they learn their customer service skills from Marine Corps DIs (sorry if that’s insulting to any Marines out there.) Maybe that’s what happens to you when you worry about whether you’ll have a job every single day.</p>
<p>Good advice WashDad. It agrees with most of my business travel experience. However:</p>
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<p>^^For this one I would caution that on row 28 you are much more likely to be sitting near crying babies and toddlers who will be kicking the back of your seat. The rear of the plane is often a families-with-little-kids ghetto.</p>
<p>
I could have written that. I skipped our “look-see” trip to Germany before our move simply because I couldn’t handle the idea of an extra flight there and back. We always drove S to UPenn (from Georgia) and D to Ohio (we leave Friday!) We also make an annual trip home to PA - 15 hours with stops.</p>
<p>I enjoy driving/riding. We listen to a lot of good books on tape from the library, and enjoy each other’s company. Our kids have always been good travelers, even when younger, so it’s all good memories.</p>
<p>I also like being in control, which I definitely am not when flying.</p>
<p>I agree with the price issue. I also wish they’d pick one price and stick with it. I hate the games we have to play just to find the best price. Then the airlines change the rules between purchase and fly date (Air Tran did that to us - charging us for our second bag on the return flight, although it was free on the flight up. 3 days earlier, and free when we purchased the tickets!) I think the market is very ripe for those airlines who are willing to step up and create a low hassle experience. </p>
<p>Rather than try to fix various current issues, they just need to start from scratch. If I were in charge of the world, here are the things I would do:</p>
<ol>
<li> Limit carry-ons. Computers. Purses. That’s about it. Lugging lots of luggage holds everyone up.</li>
<li> Create a “closet” for fragile items, like musical instruments.</li>
<li> Load from back of plane; unload from front. (Like at a wedding - a row at a time!) People who miss their row call have to wait till the end.<br></li>
<li> Build in the extra $5-10 into the fee to provide food and drink! It really isn’t worth the price to make people so mad at the nickel and diming.</li>
<li> Roomier seats. Do away with the class system - first class can give up a few inches for the benefit of all.<br></li>
<li> Return logic to excess baggage fees. Don’t charge more than it would cost to ship same. A pound over should not warrant the same fee as 20 poounds over. Provide scales prior to ticketing booths, so people have time to make adjustments. Provide boxes (for a fee, if you wish) to turn one heavy suitcase into two lighter ones. I don’t mind paying extra for a second bag, but please be clear and consistent about charges.</li>
<li> Be required to clearly post fees and rules, both on the website and at the airport. When the agent says one thing and you “know” another, guess who wins?</li>
<li> There needs to be some consistent rules about delayed flights and missed connections. Some of you may remember my S2’s nightmare trip to Korea last year, where the Atlanta plane sat on the tarmac for a couple hours, knowing full well that everyone was going to miss their connections because airports were shut down all along the east coast. But by leaving the gate, they only had to pay for the missed connection, leaving S2 stranded. The whole situation should have been illegal.</li>
</ol>
<p>There’s probably more things I’d fix, but that’s a start.</p>
<p>Edit: cross-posted with several. Missypie - I think we had the same flight attendant on our last trip to Germany. Except I think it was US Air. I could not believe how nasty she was - to everyone! Absolutely awful.</p>
<p>Actually Binx…Skybus was doing most of the things on your list. It was an “a la carte” airline but the fees were very clear. You paid for food, baggage, etc. It was a “no frills” airline that got you from place to place easily. They boarded from both the FRONT and the BACK of the planes at the same time (and dropped off passengers this way also) which significantly cut down on their turn around time. The seats were not roomier, but the center aisle was and the overhead bins were HUGE…you could put a carry on bag easily in them perpendicular to the aisle…not sideways. All flights were non-stop to their limited number of destinations (from their limited number of departure sites). They ran the airline like a bus…their only mistake was that they didn’t really charge enough for their airfares and with rising fuel costs, I think that is what did them in. They also had limited routes (which worked for US). I miss Skybus…and I wish it would reincarnate itself slightly differently and be successful.</p>
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<p>I don’t agree with this. Friends of ours once traveled with two young children, one under the age of one. They were held up in Rome because of missed connections. They had no change of clothes, not even extra diapers, not even toothbrushes, and they did not speak Italian. Since then, I always travel with a change of clothes, a small toilet kit, my medicine and other essential personal needs, not to mention a couple of books to read on long flights along with my laptop and of course my purse.<br>
Holding everyone up for 20 more minutes or so is small potatoes in the scheme of things.</p>
<p>Then there was the time when after a very very long flight, we return home on a commuter plane (changing in JFK). We had lots of luggage after a long trip. the commuter plane did not want to unload all the luggage in order to take ours out because it was flying on to another city. So it delivered our luggage late at night. Had we been flying out instead of returning and needed to connect with another flight, it would have been a real disaster.</p>
<p>One thing, if anyone cares: After the Germany trip, I emailed AA to complain about my husband getting food poisoning on the flight back (I could have also complained about the flight attendants AND no movies either there or back, but I wanted to choose my battles.) They added 8000 Aadvantage miles to his account as an apology, for what it’s worth.</p>
<p>For years (decades?) I’ve used an AA Citiank credit card, to earn Aadvantage miles. After the trip to Germany we stoped using that. It is so hard to use the miles anymore. Last month I checked on using them for a trip from DFW to Phoenix…8 months out, the only way to use miles would be to fly DFW-Chicago-Phoenix. No thanks. </p>
<p>My daughters and I are going to NYC next July, so I was able to book good flights with AA miles on the first day tickets were released for that date. I don’t really care if I’m not necessarily getting my “money’s worth” because it’s so hard to use them at all these days.</p>
<p>One more amazing rant: My 12 year old had enough miles in her account for two of the tickets, so I tried to book two tickets on her account. There is now a $10 per ticket processing fee to use miles, which you put on a credit card if you book online. It booted me out because the name on the AA acount (my 12 year old’s) has to match the name on the credit card exactly (she doesn’t have one.) I called AA and they said the only way around this is to book over the phone…for a $20 fee! My 15 year old actually does have a credit card in her name, so I used her miles instead.</p>
<p>I have to add a dissenting view about Singapore Airlines. My H flew round-trip on them early this year, and they smashed his guitar to pieces in checked luggage, despite being packed carefully in a clearly-marked Fragile case which had survived many other previous flights. After a 12-hour flight, during which he began to experience symptoms of a flu that kept him bed-ridden for several days, we were required to wait at SFO until someone who could write up the claim for him could take time away from their other work. We sat there in the check-in area, with his temperature climbing, for TWO HOURS waiting for them to free someone to come take his claim information, with me checking in every 10 minutes to see if someone was available yet and noting that he was getting sicker and sicker. The agent who took the claim did not speak much English, and after all the documentation was in, they offered him $300 for the destroyed instrument, and it took four months for them to pay.</p>
<p>My opinion of Singapore Airlines really plummetted after that incident. Of course it’s just a one-off, and they can’t be faulted for the errors of baggage handlers, but their lack of graciousness or caring did make an impression on us.</p>
<p>I either live a charmed life or am less prone to complain than other posters. Of course, I fly Alaska Air a lot, and I think they’re pretty good.</p>
<p>I have to concur with whomever said not to check luggage. On trips where I have to check luggage (dive trips, mostly), I do, but in general, I can live out of a carryon bag for two to three weeks. And it’s a SMALL (20") carryon because I can be sure I can lift it that way. I pack by laying everything I want to take out on the bed, and then taking a cynical look at it and putting half of it back. I plan to wash clothes in the hotel sink every two to three days. I do have clothes I bought specifically for traveling that dry fast and look good. (My son likes the Ex Officio traveler’s underwear, which he claims really does dry in less than an hour.)</p>
<p>As for a laptop computer, the iPhone has liberated me from the need to carry one… What a pleasure that is!</p>
<p>We have had issues with USAIR and Laguardia Airport. I won’t book USair anymore unless I absolutely have to do so with all of the problems we have had with cancelled flights. Then I booked H on United, only to find that they are now USair! Can’t win with the airlines.</p>
<p>On a positive note, I had been fearing the rise of air tickets with the cost of gas these days, and was surprised to get reasonable prices for the many flights I have had to book this month. </p>
<p>Oh, I absolutely will not take indirect flights unless there is no other way. Also, I am now taking the train to Baltimore rather than flying from NY. Definitely not worth the hassle.</p>
<p>I guess that’s some good news for American Airlines-everyone seems to hate most of their competitors as much as they hate AA!</p>
<p>I think we should all get together and get those airlines to do something. If a hotel is over booked, they will find another room for you, most of the time you’ll get a nicer room (probably for free too). If a store is out of stock, often they’ll ship it to you for free. I have never been bumped from a ballet, concert…If one public transportation fails to work, they would usually have contingency. Airline is only business that has no obligation to its customers. They figured it out if it’s weather related, then customers are ***** out of luck. And the weather could be somewhere on the other side of the world - your EWR flight is delayed because there is storm in Miami (the flight is coming in from Miami). Yes, I get very angry talking about airlines because I am so dependent on them.</p>
<p>Continental recently cancelled its direct flights between San Jose and Newark, which disappointed us because our younger S has been taking those to/from school. Now today we read that JetBlue is also cancelling its flights between San Jose and Boston, which our older S takes exclusively. Those flights are always fully packed to the gills and we are at a loss to understand why this route is being closed.</p>
<p>For our convenience, most likely.</p>
<p>I fly occasionally (4 or 5 times per year) on business and I hate it. I particularly hate flying with US Air or Delta or United, because I have experienced more mechanical delays and other delays with those airlines than with any other. Southwest continues to be my favorite, but I recently flew on Airtran for a vacation trip because their route and price were by far the best. We had a cross country flight with a layover to change planes in Atlanta. </p>
<p>Much to my amazement, all four flight legs went without a hitch. I was very impressed with Airtran’s check-in – there were virtually no lines at either end. The staff were incredibly friendly, with one exception (and she was not UNfriendly – just indifferent). So friendly, in fact, that we felt they (especially the flight attendants) really cared about our experience and were willing to go out of the way to make it a positive one. All flights were on time with no delays. Flights were extremely crowded and we were packed in like sardines, but that is typical for all flights now.</p>
<p>The only complaint I had is that there is no option for food on board – not even to purchase food during the flight. On our return trip, we had a five-hour flight to Atlanta, arriving after 10 p.m. We had no food on the flight, and although we ate before getting on the plane, we were read for dinner by the end of the flight. However, with the flight arriving in Atlanta after 10 p.m. and a short layover of 45 minutes, we had no opportunity to eat before our next flight. Also, it would have been nice to have a movie option on the flight, but that was a minor issue. I would definitely consider flying with them again.</p>
<p>Any airline can experience a mechanical problem, weather delay, lost or damaged luggage, overbooking, etc. However, it’s when their is consistently some problem or another, personnel are rude/uncaring/unhelpful, and decisions seem absolutely arbitrary based on the individual. </p>
<p>I fly 2 of 3 times a month, on Southwest if I can. No individual is perfect and anyone can have a bad day, but they are almost unfailingly cheerful, friendly, helpful. When there is a delay, they regularly update the passengers when there are delays. I’ve also seen when a flight is delayed and passengers miss connections, that they are already rebooked on the next flight. (No standing in line waiting for one customer service rep to appear to try and use a computer terminal for the first time!) </p>
<p>That’s not to say that there’s are never problems, but my experience has been there are always problems with other airlines.</p>
<p>I’m pretty happy with continental-- they still feed you and come around relatively often with free soft drinks and snacks. While they are often delayed, I’ve never been stuck for an ungodly amount of time on the runway, but rather delayed inside the newark terminal which is much much much better (unlike northwest). They also don’t charge for you to check baggage, and still provide pillows and blankets. Also, when you are delayed for awhile they tend to provide headphones for free (instead of $1), which is a nice touch.</p>