# Yet another airline rant **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 28, 2005, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-airline-rant/296668 "2005-03-28T21:14:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-airline-rant/296668/61 "2005-03-31T03:41:11Z")
Naah, just a person who’d rather drink his G&T than wear yours. You want thrill rides, go to Six Flags. I get my fun from when Your Captain Speaking does a nice, tight, bank-n-drop to come to a lower altitude, and people have to look away from the window. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-airline-rant/296668/62 "2005-03-31T04:31:54Z")
> [@Duke of Rat](#): > > Anyway, I still think it’s silly to rant over being 2 hrs late and having to hail your own taxi. Sheesh! Actually, that was the one valid point in **Ninja** ’s rant. Not the waiting-outside-alone-in-the-dark aspect, but the taxi vs. shuttle aspect. Santa Fe is hell and gone from Albuquerque. The airport runs shuttles to SF, but the last one leaves at 10. I don’t even want to think about how much a cab would have cost. That said, I’m mildly surprised that there were no other Johnnies at the airport that night. When I returned from my sophomore spring break, they had to commandeer a second van just for us. And on another occasion, I missed the 8pm shuttle by about five minutes, and had to sit and wait for the 10pm. Some guy started chatting me up. I was okay with that, but when he asked my name, I gave my grandmother’s maiden name and told him I attended the College of Santa Fe. My mates and I had a good laugh at the idea of his scouring CSF for one Liz Pinto. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-airline-rant/296668/63 "2005-03-31T04:44:26Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > The airport runs shuttles to SF, but the last one leaves at 10. . Well, perhaps she should have scheduled a flight that was supposed to get her to ABQ earlier than 12. She would have already missed the last shuttle by 2 hrs. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-airline-rant/296668/64 "2005-03-31T06:14:05Z")
She was supposed to get back to her _dorm_ by midnight, which I believe is in Santa Fe. Which means she probably should’ve landed in Al. at 10. When the last shuttle left. Still cutting it a bit close, that. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-airline-rant/296668/65 "2005-03-31T06:25:35Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > I know, but I will not share it with someone who **enjoys** severe turbulence. People who _want_ turbulence because “it’s boring to ride smoothly” deserve to have their bags rerouted to Ouagadougou 😃 Boy, you people want to talk about layovers! Uff Da! Forget Philly or St Louis, Ouagadougou is the worst! Oh I have stories! Alas the plea agreement bars me from sharing what happened. Just trust me, it’s not a place to be stuck. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-airline-rant/296668/66 "2005-03-31T06:49:24Z")
> [@lezlers](#): > > She was supposed to get back to her _dorm_ by midnight, which I believe is in Santa Fe. Which means she probably should’ve landed in Al. at 10. When the last shuttle left. > > Still cutting it a bit close, that. Uh, partially correct. I had a reservation for the 10:45 shuttle, which left me 45 minutes of ‘delay room’. Also, there were a couple other students from my school that night (would’ve been in the same van as two, actually). I just missed them. FWIW - the ABQ airport doesn’t run shuttles. There are now three options: take a cab (which costs about $130). One shuttle company is $40 for a round trip to/from the airport from anywhere in Santa Fe, though they’re _always_ late. The other shuttle company is more expensive, but they’ll make a run specific, basically, to you, so you don’t have to hang out waiting for them. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-airline-rant/296668/67 "2005-03-31T13:19:20Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#): > > One shuttle company is $40 for a round trip to/from the airport from anywhere in Santa Fe, though they’re _always_ late. I wonder if they know the way. ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-airline-rant/296668/68 "2005-03-31T13:50:57Z")
When I fly, I typically have to take Delta through Cincinnati. Let’s just say I consider the flight a success if my flight from Canton, Ohio takes off within 3 hours of the scheduled time. E. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-airline-rant/296668/69 "2005-03-31T16:55:01Z")
> [@lezlers](#): > > She was supposed to get back to her _dorm_ by midnight, which I believe is in Santa Fe. Which means she probably should’ve landed in Al. at 10. When the last shuttle left. > > Still cutting it a bit close, that. Yeah, my bad. I guess I’m just jaded. Missing a connection to a shuttle, if you had no other transportaion, would be a real drag. But air travel isn’t as set in stone to presume that all connections will always be made. The way I look at it, even if I’m 6 hrs late on a 3hr trip that would take 20 hrs to drive, I’m still 11 hrs ahead. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2005, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-airline-rant/296668/70 "2005-04-01T02:24:35Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#): > > 1. If I book a ticket on Northwest, I want to fly Northwest. I don’t want my return trip to be with fucking Delta. Would’ve been nice to tell me this before I paid for the ticket, dipwads. I don’t give a fuck that you’re “chair partners” or whatever the fuck, Delta blows. You actually prefer Northwest over any other airline? I’m… _flabbergasted_. Next time - _read the fucking fine print_, OK? > [@](#): > > 1. The Philadelphia Airport can kiss my ass. Is it too much to ask to, for _once_, not sit out on the runway for a goddamn hour? Seriously. Join the twentieth century and get some digital clocks or something. Jerks. Ordinarially, I’d take the time to explain why planes tend to either be right on time or an hour late, but never anything in between. However, I’m not sure you’d listen and anyhow, I’ve done it multiple time before and I’m getting tired of repeating myself. > [@](#): > > 1. Also, if you change the fucking gate a flight leaves from, make a goddamn announcement. I used to work for a deaf woman who couldn’t physically hear PA announcements. Nonetheless, she managed to figure out these changes and get to the proper gate on her own. Honey, you’re an adult - or near enough to it as makes no difference. You are able to read. It behooves you as a responsible, adult human being to _be responsible_ for your own shit, _including_ double-checking travel arrangements, connections, and having a back up plan. Maybe you’re new to air travel, in which case - NEWS FLASH: gates change all the damned time, be sure you double check when you arrive at an airport and don’t be afraid to ask questions. So - listen for the announcements. Double check the gate listings. Ask questions. > [@](#): > > 1. So, I get to Cincinnati late, and dash across the airport. I think that my nice hour-long layover, in which I planned to eat dinner, has been ruined. I arrive at the gate, and…hey, my 8:30 flight is leaving at 10:10! Great! You could’ve told us this when you announced gate info on the arriving plane, no? Idiots. No, they couldn’t have told you. The flight crew on the airplane you are departing have no idea whether or not you’re making a connection, where you’re going after you deplane, what gate would be involved, or any of that stuff. You planned an hour long layover for dinner? Guess you ARE new to air travel. That’s time to grab a hot dog or taco, but the truth is planes are frequently delayed. An hour layover is pretty damn minimal. Lucky for you, that layover time wasn’t _shortened_ (which can and does happen) and you had plenty of time to eat. > [@](#): > > 1. If you delay a flight by nearly two hours, could you _please_ have someone at the gate to answer questions? Or at the very least, have someone at the information desk who can give you information? I wandered forlornly from gate to gate for half an hour, trying to find someone who’d tell me the reason for the delay, to increase my chances of getting them to pay for a cab ride back to school, since I had no hope of making my shuttle. Half a fucking _hour_ to find someone who knows more than flight numbers? Thanks, assmonkeys. Yes, the airline, the pilots, the flight attendents, the air traffic control system, and the weather-control angels appointed by God all conspired to make you two hours late and inconvenience you. Boo-fucking-hoo. You _seriously_ expect someone to be waiting for you, personally, to explain all things when you get off the airplane, do you? Well, spunky, _maybe no one there knows_. Maybe it’s the weather. Maybe it’s mechanical. Hold onto your hat, girl - _air traffic control might have had that airplane circling with NO explanation to pilot, airline, or anyone else_. You’re not being denied information out of spite, little girl. Don’t take everything so fucking personal. And why the fuck are YOU owed a cab ride? Have enough money to get yourself home. You hired the airline to _fly_ you somewhere, not _drive_ you somewhere. Read the fucking fine print - the contract twixt you and them covered only the flight portion of the trip, they are _not responsible_ for getting you either to or from the airport after they have completed their obligation. Get it? You can, of course, always ASK for assistance but _you are NOT ENTITLED_. > [@](#): > > 1. Dear pilot: I know you have a very stressful and demanding job, what with the sitting in front of the mostly-computerized controls and chilling out for several hours. But could you please learn to fly well enough so that it doesn’t feel as if we’re on a fucking roller-coaster dotted with speed bumps for two and a half hours? I’d appreciate it. Loser. You are so fucking out of line with this one it’s unbelievable. Are you truly so self-centered as to think a pilot _delibrately_ subjected the airplane to turbulence? It’s all about you, right? Your pilots gave you the best damn ride they could. I’m fucking sorry if the weather didn’t cooperate with your princess entitlement - hey _maybe that’s why your flight was delayed, huh?_ Calling a pilot a “loser” and questioning his/her competency to fly due to the _weather_ causes my arm to twitch as I suppress the urge to bitch slap your ignorant ass. You have _no clue_ what is involved in flying an airplane, in fact your prior statements make me question whether you even have a fucking clue about travel of any sort. Sit down, shut up, and eat your fucking peanuts/pretzels/whatever the hell they serve these days. > [@](#): > > 1. “Okay, but we need to take care of everyone with lost luggage first” is _not_ what I want to hear when I present you with a slip for a transportation voucher. Miserable corporate-programed drones, the lot of you. The first time you show up somewhere and your undewear for the next week is nowhere to be found you’ll understand why this priority is in line. Again, it’s all about fucking you. I have no doubt that if the situation was reversed you’d be bitching about the airline taking care of someone’s transportation instead of your precious luggage. There’s this concept called “get in line and wait your turn”. If you continue to travel in the future get used to it. Why? Because you’re no better than anyone else. > [@](#): > > 1. Yeah, after you make me miss my shuttle by over an hour, tell me “Just go outside and hail a cab, it shouldn’t take more than half an hour for one to come by” is really, really not what I want to hear. In fact, some people would consider you a total dick for telling a young woman “Go wait outside, mostly alone, in the dark.” Thoughtless pigs. Again - you’re claiming they “made you miss” the shuttle? Like, they did it _delibrately_ or something? Hey, _maybe you should have caught the fucking shuttle instead of “forlornly” going about the gates to get someone to pay for your cab ride, huh?_ And spare me the “young woman” whine. I traveled to fucking EUROPE when I was 17 and female - you don’t like hailing a cab at night? Try hailing a cab at night in a foreign country when you barely speak the language, how’s that for fun, huh? But you know what? I managed to do it, without having mommy and daddy along. Here’s what you do next time, bitch: 1. Have a back up plan. ALWAYS. For everything. Because shit happens 2. Have the money for a taxi from the airport to where you’re staying. Don’t spend this money on anything BUT that sort of taxi ride. 3. Have a calling card or credit card or bucket of change or whatever you in sufficient amount to _call a fucking cab_ from inside the airport. Or use a cellphone, if you have one. I’ve been through a lot of airports over the years. EVERY GODDAMN ONE OF THEM with a reception desk was willing to give you the phone number of a local cab service. Even the godforsaken, turf runways I’ve been to have a _fucking phone number PASTED BY THE PHONE_ of a a local taxi company. If you can’t find/obtain/get such a phone number it’s because _you’re not trying_ Assuming this is any sort of a commercial airport, I’d expect taxis to be _waiting_ for business outside the terminal - if it’s so busy there’s no taxi, it’s so busy you’ll probably have lots of company to wait with. This also applies to bus stations and train stations - why? Because taxi drivers _know_ there’s a certain amount of business to be had in such locations and they _make sure_ their numbers are available for travelers. > [@](#): > > So, rather than getting back to my dorm at about midnight, I got back at about 2 AM. Thanks, airlines! I love the way that I pay you to get me from point _a_ to point _b_ at _x_ time, and I pay the entire fare, but you don’t hold up your end of the contract. OK, honey, let me explain to you a few things. First of all, it sounds like you might have had _weather_ problem on that flight. The airlines don’t control the weather, only God controls the weather - got it? You may have been late because they flew _around_ the really shitty weather, in the interest of keeping you as safe and comfortable as possible (remember that comfort/turbulence bitch you had?) The FIRST obligation of an airline is NOT to get you there on time - it’s to get you there ALIVE. Do you understand that? ALIVE. If the choice is between delayed and safe vs. on time and possibly dead, they’ll opt for choice number one. _Do you have a problem with “safety first”?_ Second, in addition to the weather, the airlines are somewhat at the mercy of air traffic control, who tell them when to take off. Traffic control can also divert airplanes from their requested path, which can also delay you. Again, this is usually done for reasons of _safety_. After all that, yes, the airline will do its best to get you there _on time_. Remember that THEIR employees don’t get to go home any sooner than YOU do. THEY want to be on time, too - possibly even MORE than you do. So, again, get off your fucking high-horse and stop pitying yourself. No one is persecuting you. Learn to make back up plans, and don’t schedule anything tightly because - NEWS FLASH - transportation over large distances is subject to delays and other problems. _This applies to ALL forms of transporation_. Live and learn. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2005, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-airline-rant/296668/71 "2005-04-01T02:39:42Z")
For what it’s worth, it’s virtually impossible to get a cab in Albuquerque. I mean, you can get one, but generally you have to call ahead of time. I don’t think I’ve ever seen any waiting at the airport, though I will admit that I wind up heading directly to the parking garage, which avoids the arriving flights level. Heck, when I’m picking someone up there (instead of being picked up), I just park in the garage and pay the buck or two. And the fare to go 60 miles isn’t exactly cheap. Still, though, I agree with most of that reply. And I still can’t figure out why **NinjaChick** is flying Northwest when you can fly ABQ-PHL cheaply on Southwest. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-airline-rant/296668.md?page=3)