Airline Horror Stories

Surprised how many guys apparently don’t fly much. But yeah, avoid holidays is kinda step 1

Having a wife who worked for Delta I have done my share of flying, all standby.
Once it took longer to fly to Kansas city than to drive there. But the worst was trying to get home from Alaska. Flew up with a buddy pass for my friend no problem. Getting home was another story. For 3 days there was only 1 open seat for the 2 of us, but I would have to go first because I was listed with her seniority and he was listed as the buddy pass.

I think if you are flying for free that you should expect inconvenience. Not too surprising.

The only airline I’ll use is called “Dodge Ram”. And I’m the pilot

SR

I haven’t been on a plane since the pandemic started. I normally travel a fair amount for work including international, but a lot of countries have very strict travel restrictions that my employer is required to abide by.

I personally am not a fan of traveling on a plane in general. My head doesn’t adjust well to the air pressure and I get a little paranoid rubbing elbows with a complete stranger for hours on end. The longest flight I’ve been on is about 6.5 hours nonstop and I would prefer to keep it that way.

lindyrig79 wrote:

I think if you are flying for free that you should expect inconvenience. Not too surprising.

Don’t get me wrong I never except to get on when I fly. It just doesn’t usually take 3 days.
When we did get on at the last second I told my buddy not to get to comfortable as I have been taken off the plane for a late arriver.

Pitter patter wrote:

Allegiant airlines.

Wait, I think I see your problem…

These days, if you take a cheapie cheapie discount airline flight, you’re taking your chances and you get what you pay for. No, I’m not saying schmidt never happens with the majors, it just happens WAY more often with the cheapie cheapies.

Sounds like same old same old airline BS to me. Nothing really new or different, and as delays go, an overnight delay on a night flight isn’t much to go all Pitchfork Nation about.

It will probably come as no surprise that we are by far the largest country that has no “traveler bill of rights” when it comes to air travel where the airlines are bound to a uniform set of rules for things like compensation for canceled flights, overbooking, bumping, etc.

But of course, if a bill were to be introduced in congress tomorrow cracking down on these airline abuses, it’d be branded by many as “socialism” and another step toward a “government takeover”.

Went to Tokyo for work in 2016. 12 hours there, 11 hours back (with the wind). I thought maybe I’ll pop for a 1st class seat upgrade since there were a few open the morning of the return flight. I thought if it was $500-$700 bucks, I’d do it. It was $5,000. No waaaaay!!

Been flying quite a bit lately, no major issues. Mostly AA and am working my way way up the status pole. Slowly learning the system, air pods and downloads are your friend.

One time they said we needed to de-ice – it was 50 degrees outside lol.
Stay away from Delta they are struggling, most cancelations.

BTW – love Clear!!! Walk right in front of the TSA people.

Isn’t clear only with Delta and United Airlines? Had the free trial when it first came out. It was great but could only be used with Delta flights. I see it is up to 200$ bucks a year now.

tswoboda wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Pitter patter wrote:</div>
Allegiant airlines

This is like buying a Tracker from BPS and saying all boats suck

Priceless.

I have found that Terminal 2 Humphrey at MSP, which operates Sun Country and Southwest, to be more reliable than Terminal 1 Lindbergh which has everything else. Just my personal experience.

bigfatcroixbaby wrote:

I see I struck the usual snowflake’s nerves…proving they’re more predictable than the airline’s schedules. Fly on!

Dude, you need to slow your roll around here. Play nice or you will be shown the door! No need to call other members here names. Most here could care less about your usual negative replies.

-J.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Isn’t clear only with Delta and United Airlines?

I do not believe it is Airline specific, I do know not all airports currently have it though.

I fly quite a bit for work. Delta has always treated me well. I’m very surprised how many here are so against flying.

However, when it comes to vacation…I’m almost always driving since I can’t check or carry-on a boat or SXS…

bigfatcroixbaby wrote:

I see I struck the usual snowflake’s nerves…proving they’re more predictable than the airline’s schedules. Fly on!

a snow flake imo is someone who overreacts to a difference in opinion or thinking. The fact that my venting about a poor experience on a cheapy airline prompted that response from you proves you’re the snowflake 😎

I was delayed in Atlanta a couple weeks ago because someone’s “service dog”pooped all over the plane! The flight attendant told us it ran up and down the isles and the poop was not scoopable! They had to get us a different plane!

Eelpoutguy wrote:

Been flying quite a bit lately, no major issues. Mostly AA and am working my way way up the status pole. Slowly learning the system, air pods and downloads are your friend.

One time they said we needed to de-ice – it was 50 degrees outside lol.
Stay away from Delta they are struggling, most cancelations.

BTW – love Clear!!! Walk right in front of the TSA people.

I’m flying Delta to Charlotte next week, fingers crossed.

From Sienfeld…”you know how to TAKE the reservation, you just don’t know how to HOLD the reservation, which is really the most important part of the reservation. “

Netguy wrote:

Went to Tokyo for work in 2016. 12 hours there, 11 hours back (with the wind). I thought maybe I’ll pop for a 1st class seat upgrade since there were a few open the morning of the return flight. I thought if it was $500-$700 bucks, I’d do it. It was $5,000. No waaaaay!!

In 2018 we flew to Amsterdam from MSP. I got a free Delta One upgrade each way, wife and son were upgraded on the return. Out of curiosity I looked up the fares = $8K round trip, $5K one way. Would not have paid for it but it was a great flight.

Netguy wrote:

Another time my wife and I were flying to Europe for a Mediterranean cruise she earned for being a top performer. Our plane was next in line for take off. Pilot says they are having an equipment problem, the compass. Tried to fix it on the runway, no luck, back to the gate. They wouldn’t let us off the plane. Took a a few hours to fix. By the time we got to London, we had been on the plane for ~11 hours. Good thing our connecting flight to Lisbon was much later the next day.

Posted this yesterday. This trip was in 2005. Today while cleaning out bins from my storage locker I found a small notebook in which I kept a log of this trip. The first entry was this flight delay.

Coincidence, I think not!!

I’m far from a regular flyer, but we fly 3-4 times a year for trips/vacations. We’ve kept on flying right through Covid without major issues.

We strategically pick flights during non peak times. I think every flight I’ve taken the last 4 or 5 years I could basically walk to security and be through in 10 minutes. Another thing I’ve learned is to avoid luggage. Carry ons and personal bags are in your possession and can’t get “lost”. I can do a week anywhere without a checked bag.

We’ve historically had great luck with Delta, but the last 2 years have avoided it due to cancellation stories. The smaller airlines seem to have the staffing thing more streamlined right now.

I take car trips and don’t mind driving, but not across the country. There’s just not enough hours in the day to spend days on the road for us. Perhaps when life slows down we will be more into road trips…but for now it just doesn’t fit the work schedules.

Pitter patter wrote:

The fact that my venting about a poor experience on a cheapy airline prompted that response from you proves you’re the snowflake 😎

I’m sure truer words have been spoken on this forum…but it’s been a while…

bigfatcroixbaby wrote:

I’m not the dumbass plopping money down knowing I’ll probably get screwed, predictably get screwed, and then come whine to the choir about it.

Jon, ready when you are! (again..)

You’re cool