Travel

[Colinka]

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@rrpell wrote:

Another Southwest fan.  Their fares are stable.  They make flying as easy as possible.  Plus, they use humor! 

I was once flying to Florida and the pilot came on and said something like "we are about three hours from Phoenix and it looks like we will have a very pleasant flight..."   Then he came back on and said "got cha".

I think discount airlines can have a sense of humor as well. I used to fly a discount airlines that had 5 aircraft.  One of them was always on the tarmac.  Once, when we were taxing down the runway and passing the aircraft, the flight attendant looked over at me and said that is where they got their spare parts. 

 This is a little veering off topic, but it has to do with humor.  Have you seen the funny preflight announcement videos that Delta has made? (You can watch them on YouTube) I took Delta to South Africa a little over a year ago, and really enjoyed the presentations they aired.  They were so funny that everybody watched them and laughed.  Much better than the same, dry attendant spiel.

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[rrpell]

@Colinka

No, I have not experienced the new Delta preflight instructions so I checked out a 6 minute you tube video that was very funny.  It had a rooster and a frog as passengers (they were adorable in their seats) and the last 10 seconds showed a pilot dressed in old fashioned aviator garb saying thank you for flying Delta.  It was very professional but light hearted. 

I agree, much better than the usual spiel 😀

[VaBelle35]

Las Vegas Airport has great TSA spots while you're waiting to go through Security.  They are done by all the great Vegas acts like Carrot Top.  At least you are entertained while you wait.

[VaBelle35]

I often upgrade my seat for work because it's inexpensive and I can use my per diem to cover it.  I'd rather have a nicer seat on a long flight.  My per diem is usually more than I spend on food, so I don't mind using it for that.

This recent situation reminded me of a flight to Phoenix where I had paid about $80 to upgrade my seat on the way out because I wanted more leg room for the long flight and I wanted my bag in the overhead compartment near my seat (priority boarding).

A family boarded and they were in the front row due to needing special assistance with one of the family members.  They were all seated together.  At first the leader of said family was at the gate, trying to get them into first class.  The gate rep wasn't hearing it and said there weren't enough seats for all of them and there weren't enough seats together for all of them in first class.  Family rep said, "oh that's fine we don't have to sit together."  But the airline didn't budge on upgrading them to first class.

So then they board the flight and now Family rep is all about them sitting together in a difference configuration than they are currently sitting.  Family rep is talking to all of the flight attendants as they pass by, asking them to move people around so that they can sit together differently.  The flight attendants would not move anyone.

So family rep took it upon herself to start asking people herself for everyone to move.  We were all in premium seats and had paid extra for them.  We tried to explain that he her, but she would not budge, just kept repeating over and over that for health reasons she had to sit in our seats to be near the rest of the family and said family members needed more leg room, etc.

When she didn't get her way, she just became annoying and spent the entire first part of the flight getting up and down, even though the seat belt light was on and being repeatedly warned my flight attendants to sit down.  She would ask people to move out of the way, get up, and when we would not (because the seat belt light was on), she would start leaning over people and crawling over people.

So the flight attendants move each and every one of us being inconvenienced by this into first class for the remainder of the trip.

The kicker was the way the flight attendant closed the drape between first class and their seats.  It was fabulous.

And then we all got free alcohol.

[World Traveler]

@VaBelle35 Priceless post! Loved it. 

As you walked into First Class, did you bend over and say to the family rep, "Have a wonderful rest of the flight"?  Or perhaps thank her?  Probably best not to annoy her any further than what that did to her when she saw all of you trot up to the front of the plane. ha!

[VaBelle35]

@World Traveler

It was so hard not to do something smug.  But we all toasted our good fortune up front.

[qbetzforreal]

I think Spirit is another ala carte airline.

[Stray]

I travel often and on Delta, never missed a connection...have never had a problem....however, I love Korean Air which is part of the Alliance....

[FrostyBabe1]

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@Stray wrote:

I travel often and on Delta, never missed a connection...have never had a problem....however, I love Korean Air which is part of the Alliance....

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Same for me. I stay away from connections that are less than an hour in the winter, but with the exception of an occasional miss, have never had a problem. Connection times are all shown when booking the ticket.  If it's too tight to suit me, I choose something else. Did the same thing when I traveled for work. Sure, I can hang out in the SkyClub, but big whoop. I'd rather get off one flight and quickly on to the next. 

[Lipstickdiva]

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@qbetzforreal wrote:

I think Spirit is another ala carte airline.

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Yes they are and the fees on that airline were horrible.  I had no intention of using them but for the heck of it, I priced out a flight to come home next month.  The "flight" was advertised as only being $29.00.  By the time I got done with all the fees, it was nearly $200.00.