Post Your GOOD Airline Experiences/Stories Here

In My Humble Opinion
21

This past Friday I flew bmi to Amsterdam. BMI, for those of you who don’t know, is British Midland. I loved it. I was pretty motion sick the whole flight, nothing to do with poor flying or flight conditions. I kept my eyes closed and pretended to be asleep for the entire 35 minute flight. After the flight was over, I was bemoaning my hunger to my friends at the bus stop 'cause I had “slept” through the very short flight and the lovely sandwiches offered during the flight. One of the flight attendants was standing nearby, reached into her handbag, and handed me a sandwich she had taken with her. On top of that, we had just missed the shuttle to the hotel. She made the “Staff Shuttle” take my friends and me to our hotel, which was a completely different one from hers.

I’ll fly them again anyday.

22

Same for me. I’ve done the Jacksonville-BWI-Jacksonville trek many a weekend in the last year - enough to earn 3 freebie round trips. Out of all of those flights, one was late about 10 minutes, one was on time, and the rest arrived early. Worst seating I ever got was the day I got a B ticket - this was right after the President’s day snowstorm in Balto - and I wound up on the aisle in the last row. Usually I get “A” group and I’m row 5 or lower.

I’m flying again tomorrow. I love Southwest.

23

It had been a really long day and a half. My CEO decided someone needed to go to New York and check out the Internet World show, since we had just entered the client/server marketspace.

The IW show started the next day at 9 a.m. Eastern at the Javits Center. Being the marketing director and acting VP, he, my assistant and I decided I was the best choice. This was around 1 p.m. during the weekly marketing meeting.

I called the travel agent and made arrangements. I normally flew 1st class, since I had miles out the ying, but with the short notice the flight was already in excess of $1000 and I couldn’t mileage up the seat or justify the hit to my travel budget for the added cost.

I left at 10 that night from Phoenix Sky Harbor, had a layover in Vegas and got into JFK at 8, grabbed a cab to Javits and did the show until 4, hopped in another cab to JFK and made the 7 p.m. flight to Vegas to pick up my connection to Phoenix.

I can’t sleep on planes. Never have been able to, and that night was no exception.

On the connect back to Phoenix, the sky waiter was walking down the aisle just as I was shifting in my seat to check out some of the info I’d picked up at the show. I ended up nailing him good and hard in the thigh.

I immediately shifted in the seat and said, “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. Are you all right? I didn’t notice you were walking down the aisle.”

He looked at me kind of confused for a second and said, “Yes, sir. I’m fine. Thank you.”

“Are you sure? I got you pretty hard. I’m really sorry.”

He assured me he was okay and make his way forward. A couple of minutes later he was on his way back and stopped by my seat. “I really appreciate you making sure I was okay, sir. Can I bring you anything to drink? Free of charge, of course.”

I said, “You don’t have to do that. I was just common courtesy. I bumped YOU, after all.”

“Sir, you’d be amazed how often I get bumped, nudged, stepped on and all kinds of things like that. You’d also be amazed how few passengers even say excuse me, much less make such an effort to make sure I’m okay. Anything you want, sir, it would be my pleasure.”

So I asked him for a Finlandia and a tomato juice. He brought me three bottles and a full can of juice. “The bottles are small,” was his comment.

I can’t remember what airline it was, but I was genuinely impressed by his courtesy and civility. It was the highlight of the whole 30 odd hour day.

24

FallenAngel, like you, I cannot sleep on flights. And I’ve taken some long ones in my time.

I was flying Qantas. We had left Perth, Australia at an ungodly hour of the morning; on our way to Sydney, so I could connect to Honolulu, then to Toronto. A helluva jaunt for me, but necessary. Anyway, the attendants did their jobs on the Perth-Sydney leg and asked all the passengers if they would like a drink.

Being the only conscious passenger at that hour, I said yes; I’d like a beer. Specifically, since we were leaving Western Australia, an Emu Lager or a Swan Lager. (Hey, I developed a taste for them during my time there.)

“I’m sorry, sir,” said the attendant, “but we only have Foster’s. Will that be all right?”

Well, beer is beer, and after my trip, and knowing the distance and the flying times that lay ahead, I said, sure. Foster’s would be okay.

She brought me one, and I dutifully reached for my wallet. “No, sir,” she said. “We should have had at least one of your choices when we took off. This one–and any others you may order–are complimentary.”

Well! I was very pleased. I didn’t “take advantage” of the situation, but I did have one or two more. It was a happy memory, to be sure.

25

Any landing that you can walk away from is a good one. :slight_smile:

Oh, the last two time I have flown Southwest from St Louis- somehow, someway, by some fantastic coincidence- the gate from where my flight has departed has been the gate closest to the security checkpoint.

26

A few years ago I was flying from Detroit to Raleigh to meet up with friends, so that the next morning we could all drive down to Myrtle Beach together. I was flying ComAir through Cincinatti. The weather was getting really iffy in Cincy before we even left the ground. You know how normally airlines without a sure flight time tell you nothing and make you stay by the gate? And how when they do get you on the plane but then lose their takeoff clearance, your ass is stuck on there because they don’t want to have to reload all of you back on there suddenly should things change?

Well, not ComAir. They kept us fully updated in the airport, and when we finally did get on the plane and were notified of a delay, they let people get off. Some people bailed altogether, and the gate agent cheerfully arranged for the baggage guys to find and offload their baggage.

When we finally got into Cincy, it was too late to make any connecting flights, anywhere. There were many planeloads of people who would have to stay over. When I got off the plane, there were already many people at the gate who were trying to get vouchers for hotels and rescheduled flights for the morning. I started to walk through the airport to find a service center that might be less busy. A ComAir employee who was headed off shift asked if he could help me find something. I asked where the nearest service desk was. When he heard why I wanted it, he quickly went to the nearest unused gate to fire up the computer to help me personally.

I was not an easy case–since I didn’t make it to Raleigh, I needed to change my plane flight to go to Myrtle Beach instead. He did that, and then arranged for a hotel–and then called ahead to a loaded shuttle headed there, so it would wait for me.

Sometimes the smaller, regional airlines have a better sense of how to get things right.

27

Yes, but a great landing is when they can use the plane again. :stuck_out_tongue:

28

I had tickets for an American flight from Rochester to Houston with a Chicago connection. But Chicago was getting hit by one of the worst blizzards in years. There hadn’t been a flight in or out of O’Hare in over five hours and the storm was getting worse. And was moving eastward and starting to hit western New York.

But the flight wasn’t officially cancelled so I drove to the Rochester airport (an hour drive). When I arrived, I was told my flight had indeed been cancelled.

Then the wonderful ticket agent made some calls for me. She actually managed to put me on a Continental flight connecting in Newark using my American reservation. Not only that, but I was put in a first class seat.

29

Many years ago now, when flodjunior was only 3, he and I flew alone from Trondheim via Oslo to Newark on SAS. The service was very good, like SAS reliably was in those days, and we had a nice flight. The attendants made enough of a fuss over flodjunior that he was an angel the whole way. But still, I was worn out and happy to be landing at Newark, where my parents had promised to meet us with the car.

Some little thing went wrong during landing. I don’t know what, but instead of a little bump it went WHAMMO. Hard enough that two or three of the little panels above the seats popped open, dropping the oxygen masks on the heads of the people below.

The head attendant stood up as soon as it was safe and said: “Ladies and gentlemen, as those of you in coach can see, there really are oxygen masks behind those panels, as we tell you in every safety presentation. I hope that’s the first and last time you ever see them. Local time here in Newark is…” and she eased into the usual stock speech.

That may not sound like much, but every kid on the flight was chattering away about the masks as we got off the plane. What could have been a scary experience for them was now something Really Cool.

30

I’ve flown American a few times. In every case the service was timely, efficient, and friendly. The express check-in saved me bundles of time and made the whole process go very smoothly. The planes left on time and arrived early. The meals were edible. The seats, even in coach, were noticeably larger than on some airlines I’ve flown. It was a totally problem-free experience.

I really wonder if airline service is as bad as it’s reputed to be. It may simply be that because of the stress and trouble of long travel, when the service IS bad, it’s such a horrible experience it makes you think the whole industry sucks. Bad service at a Perkin’s just means you get a lousy hamburger. Bad service at CorpAir means you’re uncomfortable for many hours.

31

Loonnnnggg story here: It was the summer of 2001, and my wife and our four children (at that time 7, 4, 2, and 6 weeks) were flying home to New Orleans via the Portland, Maine airport on U.S. Air with a transfer at Reagan National in DC. We’d scheduled a Saturday flight since it’s usually easier to leave “Vactionland” then than on Sunday. Bad weather canceled all flights; we were told to come back on Sunday. Early.

We did. Mrs. Ivorybill is keeping the kids as happy as any human can when doing nothing but waiting. Luckily the line was relatively short; we made it to the ticket counter in about 10 minutes. The clerk just rocked. She found us a better flight scheduled for Atlanta, but worried that it might be canceled since the crew was about to “time out” (have been on duty long enough to require down time). Before we took the flock to the gate, she told me that if for any reason the flight was canceled, to come straight back to her and NOT wait in the line, which by that point had become very long.

We get to the gate and onto the plane. We had a few carry on bags and one carseat for the two year old. Got everything loaded and everyone strapped in. About 20 minutes later, we’re told that the flight would indeed be canceled, but that it might have a destination change to Charlotte, NC, so we should wait on board for the final call. I asked to get off to try to make arrangements with the agent at the front desk, and the stewardess agreed. Mrs. Ivorybill agrees to watch the other kids, and I take the 7 y.o. with me.

We do as I was told, and wait near the agent’s desk. After about two minutes, she calls me up. She’s working on our tickets when I get paged to come back to the gate since in the interim the flight’s been canceled, and my wife needs help getting everything off the plane. The desk agent (who rocked) glanced up, and said “You go. I’ll make the arrangements and come to the gate to find you.” :flabbergasted, yet grateful smilie:

So, back through security, back to the gate. The nice flight crew had helped my wife and kids off the plane. I turned around, and the main gate agent (who rocked) was looking for me. Bad news. Best to try stand by. Sorry. No worries from me; they’d already gone above the call of duty as far as I was concerned.

So… kids are cranky but mostly polite. I get in line to wait for the gate agent. She’s harried. Pissed off flyers are everywhere. I really feel for these folks on these days, so I do my best to be extra polite and to commiserate with her. She’s polite, but says “If one more person touches me today, I’m going to have them arrested.” :eek:

She puts us on a flight to Pittsburgh, but it’s going to be leaving late and we’re likely going to have to spend the night there. Ugh. I go and sit with the flock. I look up at the gate: the plane that was supposed to go to Atlanta but that was possibly going to Charlotte is still there. I hear the gate agent I’d talked to discussing its immenent departure with the flight crew.

Back in line, back to the same gate agent. I ask: “Can we go to Charlotte?” The agent looks us up, looks at me, prints out some passes and says “Go!” The flight crew grabs our stuff, and we and a few other lucky passengers who can connect through Charlotte get on the plane.

Rest of story: In Charlotte we get upgraded to first class since coach is full. Let me tell you: people don’t expect to see a family of six in first class. Nearly every passenger getting on the plane turned the corner after getting on, saw us and did this :eek: Fun!

We made it to New Orleans an hour ahead of schedule.

Last year when I flew home from Vacationland (on U.S. Air) I searched for, and found, the front desk agent (who rocked) and thanked her again for her service. She didn’t remember me, but she smiled. Hope I see her this year. :cool:

32

I was booked on a DELTA flight a few years ago. In my case, it Did Even Leave The Airport!.

33

One thing that keeps popping up in this thread. When treated like people, the airline folks seem to go out of their way to be nice.
I have had this experience many time. One time I was traveling with a bicycle (normaly a $50) charge. I was nice and friendly to the ticket agent. Her comment to me was “This should cost $50, but since you are the first person all day who hasn’t given me shit, it’s on me.”
If you are ever on a long flight, after the meal service take a few minutes to talk to the flight attendents, they have some wonderful stories.
I have heard about whacky passengers, strange airports, fun things to do in different cities, and have been given bottles of champane, french wine, and lots of little bottles of booze to take home.

34

Every flight (about a dozen) I took between the USA and Australia (when I lived in Oz) I flew United. And every flight I had great service.

Most of the time I flew cattle car class. I made it a point to do a seventh inning stretch about 2 am and have a chin wag with the attendants awake at that hour in the kitchen. I learned quite a bit about what it’s like to be an attendant. Everyone appreciated the conversations, if just to pass the time. Just saying my pleases and thankyous when I sat and they worked got extra pillows, blankets, food. None I had asked for; all were offered.

On one really full flight between Sydney and LA I was way in back in a center section stuck with an oblivious mother and father, and a screaming brat of a child. We coulda had a war back there with all the folks quite upset the parents doing nothing to cool their child’s lungs for 13 hours (never allow your brat child to sleep before flying!).

The attendants apologized to everyone, and I did my 2 am walk to the kitchen. Upon landing in LA, I was presented with a bag by an attendant and a thank you from them. I asked what for and was told I didn’t whine about the brat like so many others did, and they appreciated the 2 am conversations. I was told not to open the bag until I got off the plane because no one else got one.

One red, one white from first class. Best they had.

Finally, it had been a few years of not flying and I was returning to the USA (SYD - SFO). I had enough flier miles to buy a cattle car ticket and upgrade to business class (whatever you do, make sure you never fly cattle car across the Pacific if ou can help it).

Anyway, the service I had years back continued. What had changed were my fellow passengers. Rude, crude and social idiots best described almost everyone around me. They treated the attendants like dirt. (Upon getting seated at boarding the idiot in front of me held out his jacket and told the attendant, “Hang this up,” in a tone that was disgraceful. She did as told and caught my glance with my weird expression.)

Later on, early in the flight I talked with that attendant and asked if they were all treated this way, and how did this all come about. She said it was all prt of a general decline in courtesy by passengers the past few years. I apologized for the jerk and was told not to worry about it.

I was treated with respect the rest of the flight and responded in kind. Not so by folks around me.

When we arrived in SFO, an attendant came down the aisle with a bag in hand and said it was compliments of United Airlines. I said thank and and asked why for me, I had not done anything to earn it.

In a louder voice she answered, “Oh yes you do. You treated me with respect. You were polite to me.”

35

TWA. What a shame they’re out of business, because they provided me with the best airline experience I ever had.

Late November, 1999. My family and I planned a trip to Hawaii, with intentions to leave Honolulu at around 6 PM Thursday night and be back home in New York early Friday afternoon - plenty of time to make it home before Shabbat. After we made our plans already, we were told by a well-traveled friend that there are issues with Hawaii in Jewish law, and that Thursday night might be considered by Jewish law to be Friday night, i.e., Shabbat. (to make a long issue short, the International Date Line is meaningless in Jewish law, and there is a Jewish religious “date line” regarding which there is some question as to the exact location. Hawaii is in a grey area.) After consulting a Rabbi, we came to the conclusion that if we were on the plane before sunset (about 20 minutes before passengers were really allowed to board), we could allow it to take off with us on it, and we’d have no problem with Shabbat once we were back over the mainland USA. The TWA manager at Honolulu Airport was nice enough to let my family board a bit early, and he stayed with us until real boarding time (apparently some sort of safety regulation). Without this, we would have had to scratch one day from our trip or possibly the entire trip. He saved our trip to the Aloha State.