Flying sucks!

[Dekonick]

So my Aunt passed away. I don't have a huge family, thus it is important for me to go to the family only funeral. Of course, this means short notice flight from East Coast to Seattle... Right. Freaking fortune. Almost 900 bucks unless I want to take a cattle carrier and have 3 stops with multiple hour layovers each stop... What the hell? So I am paying out the you know what because it is a last minute ticket - but pay for aisle and window seats? FOR EACH HOP? Pay for luggage on top? Not even ONE bag? I was going to bring my Serotta and ride along the coast... Not at that cost. For the love of God, I can fly to Europe for less...

I haven't flown 'commercial' air in a LONG time. I used to fly all of the time. This is nuts.

Just to be clear, I fly often enough in medevac's - but the rules are different. We don't even use the same entrances to any airport. I digress... God I hate flying cattle cars... It would have been nice to have a bike to ride for a quick ride or two. I guess it will be my feet and the smell of paper mills... Gotta love Everett...

So - Can I or Can't I lower my chair? I don't want to start a riot.

[witcombusa]

Flying has sucked for a LONG time now. Between the cattle cars, TSA, long lay overs and high prices I just don't fly anymore. It's become a joke.
I don't know how folks who fly often for work do it, but then again some subject themselves to an hour plus in traffic each way every day too.

[R3awak3n]

Oh yeah, it has indeed sucked for a LONG time.

Cheapest tickets don’t let you choose seat or have a free bag. The problem is that because its last minute the cheap seat is not necessarily actually cheap.

When my grandma got really sick a couple of years ago, I bought a last minute ticket to go home to Portugal. Cost me $1400. Then I had to pay for baggage ($100) and to choose seat ($100). Of course I paid for neither but there I was, in the middle seat at the back of the plane with a stuffed carry on in the overhead compartment.... on the way back, I paid for a damn seat.

Its even worst if you actually hate flying, I hate being trapped on that damn metal tin tube for hours. Probably one of the things I like the least to do so I rarely do it. Also flying out of nyc adds a few annoying things such as, where do you leave the car? Gigantic lines for everything and planes are usully delayed.


Family is family and that is what money is for. My condolences to you.

[Peter P.]

Quit complaining. Your aunt died; endure the cost out of respect for her.

You own expensive bicycles; you can handle it.

[wc1934]

Originally Posted by Peter P.

Quit complaining. Your aunt died; endure the cost out of respect for her.

You own expensive bicycles; you can handle it.

***??? What compelled you to post that? Shame on you!!

[hokoman]

I think most airlines offer a discounted bereavement fare - you have to call customer care. In regards to travel - I think airlines have made it so easy/cheap to travel that it's not much different than taking a bus in the worst neighborhood of your area.

I don't think flight prices have moved from 20 years ago when I was shuttling back and forth from the CA to NY. I would pay $400-$500 on average back in the mid 90s, and once got caught needing a last minute flight and paying $1,600. Not much different than prices today.

Being loyal to an airlines does help - I was platinum with United the 3 years I didn't work (travelled a lot) and the airlines do take care of their loyal customers in a lot of different ways when trying to move flights, etc.

Don't think too much about the price - it's something that needs to be done. Best wishes for you and your family.

[R3awak3n]

Originally Posted by hokoman

I think most airlines offer a discounted bereavement fare - you have to call customer care. In regards to travel - I think airlines have made it so easy/cheap to travel that it's not much different than taking a bus in the worst neighborhood of your area.

I don't think flight prices have moved from 20 years ago when I was shuttling back and forth from the CA to NY. I would pay $400-$500 on average back in the mid 90s, and once got caught needing a last minute flight and paying $1,600. Not much different than prices today.

Being loyal to an airlines does help - I was platinum with United the 3 years I didn't work (travelled a lot) and the airlines do take care of their loyal customers in a lot of different ways when trying to move flights, etc.

Don't think too much about the price - it's something that needs to be done. Best wishes for you and your family.

When my grandpa passed, my parents were here so they had to change their flights to go home, I don’t remember which airline it was but I think maybe delta, they not only changed their tickets for free but also put them in first class. I thought that was pretty awesome

[likebikes]

i only fly southwest these days, it's always a pleasant experience

[Clancy]

Originally Posted by wc1934

***??? What compelled you to post that? Shame on you!!

Kinda what I thought. Pretty unnecessary

[Peter P.]

Originally Posted by Clancy

Kinda what I thought. Pretty unnecessary

Thank you.

[akelman]

Originally Posted by Peter P.

Quit complaining. Your aunt died; endure the cost out of respect for her.

You own expensive bicycles; you can handle it.

His aunt died. He's being gouged by one of the least popular industries in the country. You don't want to hear him complain? Nobody's making you read the thread. Get a grip on yourself.

[gemship]

Originally Posted by akelman

His aunt died. He's being gouged by one of the least popular industries in the country. You don't want to hear him complain? Nobody's making you read the thread. Get a grip on yourself.

I read the comment you and others quoted and it reads maybe insensitive but I would say it airs on the side of tough love with some good sense to it.

So what is this thread about?....the dead aunt or the airline rip off?...because it seems like there is a whole lot of agreeable replies to the latter rather than "sorry for you loss" statements going on here. So on that note, this is what happens when the regulars of this forum get bored about bikes. They start OT threads to complain about first world problems and demonstrate a rather disrespectful stance on their own situations such as a dead aunt from far way. So off course one can expect at least one of us to come up with some kinda snarky reply because you know that's a coming too.

Honestly my frank thoughts reading the OP was that if I wanna take a flight I need to get a new driver's license sooner than later. Personally I don't like flying. Also I come from a broken family where none of us talk to each other so it would be a pretty easy decision for me to simply not take a expensive flight I don't wanna pay for someone that I may not care about although they maybe family. I also thought if the OP stands to inherit money then at least there's some compensation.

The thing is this is not any of our business and since we don't know the deceased it's OK to talk like this about it because the OP made it so.

Maybe folks should have a bit more respect for the airline biz and marvel at what can be done in terms of travel today vs a hundred years ago?

[Peter P.]

Originally Posted by gemship

I read the comment you and others quoted and it reads maybe insensitive but I would say it airs on the side of tough love with some good sense to it...

Maybe folks should have a bit more respect for the airline biz and marvel at what can be done in terms of travel today vs a hundred years ago?

Thank you.

[Mr. Pink]

Ha, it's like that Louis CK bit about marvelling at the fact you're sitting in a chair in a big tube at 33,000 ft moving at 400mph.

[OtayBW]

I've been flying from BWI either to ATL or to San Jose ~2-3 times a month for the last several months. I tend to take the same flights and have had pretty good on-time service with both Delta and SW - both of which I'm happy to fly. On balance, the Delta for both connections has been the cheaper one, especially if you book closer to departure date.