Travel

[KathyPet]

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@granddi wrote:

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@PINKdogWOOD wrote:

This act by so-called air marshalls was hideous.  Passengers planned trips, bought seats on the plane, did everything they were supposed to do ie baggage check, pat down, and were told they were able to move forward, board the plane.

Then all of a sudden 4 pilots show up and say they need to get on this same plane, toss 4 paid settled in customers, point to them and say you're out of here, get off the plane b/c we need the seats. Are you kidding me?  The ultimative is get the h*ll off or we'll remove you.  How dare you TOUCH ME, DRAG ME out of my buckled in seat body, DRAG ME down the aisle on my backside to TOSS ME OFF the plane?  How freaking dare you!!! 

Suppose this person has a back back, any kind of health issue that he must be protective of and United staff has the NERVE to think this action is OKAY to DRAG any passenger down the aisle because now all of a sudden 4 pilots think they absolutely must toss people off any plane because they over booked it? 

I hope this gentleman sues United for EVERY DIME they have.

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I have seen no explanation as to how the passengers were selected for removal?

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Supposedly randomly by by the computer.  ALso the security personnel,used to remove the passenger were not "air marshals".  AIr marshalls are federal employees who work for the Dept of Homeland Security.  THey fly on planes to intervene in the case of a hijacking.  THe people who removed the passenger were airport security personnel not Air Marshals.

[VaBelle35]

I book my flights well in advance for both work and personal travel.  If there is no seat number/selection when I book, I keep checking back every day until a seat opens up.

I also keep checking to move my seat if something better comes along.

While a seat assignment is not a guarantee (it says it all over the website when you choose a seat), it is better than no seat at all when you arrive at the airport.

However, I often have my seat moved, more now that I have TSA Pre-Check.  It's probably because I travel alone, so I am easier to move.  I now know that when my seat is moved, it means I'm sitting with unaccompanied minors.  

I've been delayed in airports and have had unaccompanied minors latch on to me for whatever reason.  I clear it with the gate agents if I want to take them for food, restroom, make a phone call.

I am now the Designated Babysitter for all airlines.  LOL  

When I have a connecting flight and I check my connection status when the first leg lands and I see that my seat assignment has changed, I know I'm sitting with kids.

The perks are, all the food/snacks I want (and even some I don't want, the flight attendants just walk by and throw all kinds of stuff at me and the kids).

Also, the last time I was with unaccompanied minors, they held the plane for them (and me) because it was the last flight out and Delta did not want to get stuck with 4 minor children overnight until the next flight went out.  So, that was a perk for me as I would have missed the flight otherwise and had to spend the night in the airport.  If those kids weren't on my flight, they would have left without me.

For the vent part:  Parents who sent their kids alone on a flight, especially a connecting flight, need to send them with stuff to do and money in the event of a flight delay.  These kids have no money and are bored.  I am buying food, magazines, books, whatever because I feel so bad for them.  On the business flights, I can expense it all.

I noticed on the last flight where I was with unaccompanied minors that they now give them bar code badges and they are scanned at every point and the badge of the employee who has them is also scanned.  I am assuming this is so that the airline can keep track of them as they move through the system.  I am also wondering if parents have access to the scans or if they can call the airline for an update.

[World Traveler]

@VaBelle35 WOW! Your post about being with unaccompanied minors was awesome! It is a win-win for you and the kids and their parents, and also the airline personnel! Never heard of that before. I always thought the airline people kept the unaccompanied kids up close to the galley so they could be watched more closely. And you obviously must have a lot of patience, as I think it would take a lot of your time to ensure the kids are doing okay, or seeing if there is anything you can do for them.

I take it you don't get a chance to sleep or read much on your flights with this second career of yours on the airline.  Kudos to you!

[VaBelle35]

@World Traveler  No rest on those flights, for sure!

Only one little girl was kind of a pain.  She sat between me and another woman and complained about being hungry for about 30 minutes until I realized she wasn't with the woman on the other side of her.  We ended up getting her some food and kept her talking and she eventually settled down.  We guessed she was about 6 or 7.  She was very young.

Some kids are well traveled, especially the ones in and out of DC.  I sat next to 2 young girls once.  Probably 11 or 12.  As soon as I got to my seat they introduced themselves and told me their life story.   I was like, "okay I guess we're going to talk the entire trip."  LOL  They had traveled all over the world.  Their parents were either military or State Department.  Very interesting young ladies.

[Lipstickdiva]

Hotels overbook because they figure that X number of people won't show up.  I have a friend who runs a very upscale hotel in NYC.  She has worked at various hotels in other countries, other states and other hotels in NYC.  She said they always overbook.   

When someone arrives and all the rooms are gone, they put them up at another very nice hotel.  They pay for a car service to transport the guests and their luggage and generally they comp them something else.  When a room opens up back at the hotel where they have the reservation, they again pay the car service to bring them and their luggage back.

I have a relative who also found out the hard way that when you book a hotel through those third party services like Hot Wire, Trivago, Expedia, etc., you are subject to getting bumped.  The hotel takes care of the people who booked on-line with them directly or called them directly to make a reservation.  My relative booked through a third party because he got a better rate.  He arrived and the hotel was booked and they put him up at another one of their hotels.  The problem was it was in a horrible part of town and 45 minutes away from where he needed to be.        

[VaBelle35]

I always call the front desk of the hotel if I know my plane is going to be late or I am scheduled for a very late check in.

I make sure they know what time I will be there and to not give my room away.

So far this has worked for me.  I sometimes get a suite or other upgrade, but I always get a room at the property where I'm booked.  This is for personal travel as well as corporate travel.  I am pretty sure for corporate travel they won't bump me as we are a 100,000 employee company and do a ton of travel.  Marriott does not want to lose our business.