Passengers Say The Stupidist Things

rsmith6621a · Wed Jun 27, 2007 11:55 pm

Last night while getting settled in to my seat to travel back to SEA for a short weekends rest there was a Dad and Daughter boarding. As they passed through the FC I heard the little girl say "Dad these seats are huge" the dad replied "yes they are and these people up here will get a big meal and better drinks too but we are sitting in the CHEPO SECTION and will have to buy extras if we want them" .

Question.....Do you think the Dad knows the price at which those CHEPO seats have came at???...Do you think he thought for one second that the person who made his reservation....issued him his boarding card.....checked him into the flight at the gate....will serve him the drinks and sell him those snacks and welcome him aboard...the person who is putting his bag into the cargo hold,,,,,,,the person who has carefully planned his route of flight and fuel load and lets not forget the Flight crew up front who have years of costly training that will make sure that they reach there destination safely and yes the MX people who make sure the AC is in proper working order. But lets not forget some of the above has been OUTSOURCED.

Do you think that Dad thought for one second that each of those people have taken pay cuts or started working for less now than they did ten years ago.

If you have the same thought process as the Dad just think about if your employer asked you to give back some of your earnings to help the company and the paying public....then think about the CEO who hasn't gave back near as much in comparison. After all if some of these airlines had not received concessions they might not be here today thus higher prices....

End of what some will say..Another Rant.

graphic · Thu Jun 28, 2007 12:12 am

Quoting Rsmith6621a (Thread starter):

End of what some will say..Another Rant.

cygnuschicago · Thu Jun 28, 2007 12:18 am

We unfortunately live in a culture of entitlement and we don't always appreciate the sacrifices made. Last night, on AA from DTW to ORD, I was right in front in coach. The coach flight attendant - Paula - was stellar: friendly, helpful, kind. I know, normally that would be an oxymoron for AA, but despite a 90 min delay, Paula went out of her way to accommodate passengers.

On landing in ORD, the First class obviously disembarked first. There was a large, 300lb gentleman in the middle of first. He was short, probably 5'2", bald and looked kind of like a fat bullet. He stood in the middle of the aisle, slowly putting on his coat and then proceeded to repack his briefcase, while blocking the aisle. All of us in coach stood waiting for him.

Eventually, Paula kindly asked him "Sir, would you mind stepping out of the aisle so other passengers can pass? Due to the delay, many have very short connection times." He turned, said to her. "I had to wait for others so I can get my stuff. Now they can wait for me. I don't care if they miss there connections. Screw you!"

I guess money can get you out of first, but it cannot buy you humanity.

JBirdAV8r · Thu Jun 28, 2007 12:21 am

Randy, I agree with you--passengers shouldn't complain about the woes and inconveniences of sitting in the "cheapo" section because, ultimately, that's the only way the typical casual traveller will actually travel. You can't have cheap seats and five-star service because it's just not feasible. The average Joe doesn't care about the pilots making 40% less than they did ten years ago or their rampers that are subject to lousy work rules. All so many of them care about is getting to Disney World on that $100 fire-sale fare for a (exorbitantly overpriced) vacation. They just care that they're not getting their turkey sandwich and apple for free anymore because those stupid, late, oft-delayed airlines are just cutting back everywhere.

Unfortunately I doubt it will get better anytime soon. Unless there comes a major shift in consumer preferences (namely a willingness to pay more for upgraded service) or, say, a collapse of bargain-basement airlines like Skybus and an across-the-board fare increase (which would more likely curtail demand for leisure travel), I just don't see the current trend reversing.

And you're right. To those of us in aviation, it's sad.

AeroWesty · Thu Jun 28, 2007 12:31 am

Quoting JBirdAV8r (Reply 3):
Randy, I agree with you--passengers shouldn't complain about the woes and inconveniences of sitting in the "cheapo" section because, ultimately, that's the only way the typical casual traveller will actually travel.

The way I read it, the man wasn't complaining about sitting in the main cabin at all--it was his choice, and he was explaining what he bought to his daughter.

JBirdAV8r · Thu Jun 28, 2007 12:35 am

Quoting AeroWesty (Reply 4):
The way I read it, the man wasn't complaining about sitting in the main cabin at all--it was his choice, and he was explaining what he bought to his daughter.

Yeah, I kind of read a little into what he was saying and took it as kind of a sarcastic complaint to his daughter, because of his reference to the seats up front being large and including full meals. Maybe Randy can shed a little light on the context for us.

ManchesterMAN · Thu Jun 28, 2007 12:52 am

Does "cheapo" mean something else in American English? The way I read it he wasn't saying anything out of place, just explaining that he paid less for his seat and got less. I'd have said something to the same effect. How is this stupid? I use the word cheapo all the time to mean something that was relatively cheap - as in inexpensive - compared with other products/services on the market.

This isn't so much of a rant but a huge misunderstanding of the use of the word "cheapo". The only thing that dad said that was wrong was that the folks in Fc would get a big meal! (well they might of depending on the length of flight and airline).

AeroWesty · Thu Jun 28, 2007 12:55 am

Quoting ManchesterMAN (Reply 6):
Does "cheapo" mean something else in American English?

Nope.

rsmith6621a · Thu Jun 28, 2007 12:59 am

Quoting JBirdAV8r (Reply 5):
Yeah, I kind of read a little into what he was saying and took it as kind of a sarcastic complaint to his daughter, because of his reference to the seats up front being large and including full meals. Maybe Randy can shed a little light on the context for us.

Bingo...we have a winner....

IMO the word CHEAPO is a negative term...I felt after rehashing the statement several times the father statement was met as a two fold statement...one that was without any educated thought with regards to the current environment when he said CHEAPO in front of me as well as two F/A's he might as well said "The fire department took their time putting out the fire in front of a fireman at there burned out house"...people still don't realize that air travel no matter what is still a great value when you consider just in the time savings alone....also he was setting up his daughter with "I haven't been able to get up here yet so you probably wont either in your life"....kinda a bad example to impart on the young ones....even if he had used the word CHEAP...it would not have been as bad......

BTW where was I sitting....in F/C part of my perks as an employee also I get FD privileges as well....because my parents never imposed boundary's on what I could achieve.

deskflier · Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:04 am

Isn't this what a market economy is all about? You pay for the service you want. If you don't expect to use all the extras included in First Class and don't want to pay for them, you buy a cheaper ticket and pay for the services you do use. The man with a daughter referred to in the thread starter knew what he was buying when he booked the flight. If he wanted the legroom or nice drinks of First included, he shouldn't have booked his flight in Coach.

AeroWesty · Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:06 am

Quoting Rsmith6621a (Reply 8):
BTW where was I sitting....in F/C part of my perks as an employee also I get FD privileges as well....because my parents never imposed boundary's on what I could achieve.

So you were sitting in First for free, and making a judgment call on a paying passenger referring to himself as a cheapo.

jhooper · Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:09 am

Quoting Rsmith6621a (Thread starter):
"yes they are and these people up here will get a big meal and better drinks too but we are sitting in the CHEPO SECTION and will have to buy extras if we want them" .

I found that quite funny. You people sometimes take things too seriously.

rsmith6621a · Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:11 am

Quoting AeroWesty (Reply 10):
So you were sitting in First for free, and making a judgment call on a paying passenger referring to himself as a cheapo.

Sorry Buddy......I earn that opportunity and sometimes I sit way back in 44b and when I sit in F/C I still pay for my meal and service unless I have a great gate agent only the seat is no cost otherwise.....

AeroWesty · Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:13 am

Quoting Rsmith6621a (Reply 12):
I earn that opportunity and sometimes I sit way back in 44b and when I sit in F/C

I never said you didn't. I was merely commenting about from where you were seated while making a disparaging judgment call against a paying passenger, who, by the way, pays your salary.

killjoy · Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:19 am

Are you stressed out at work? Maybe you should talk to a counselor.

Pope · Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:20 am

Quoting Rsmith6621a (Thread starter):
Rsmith6621a

If we accept everything you say about the sacrifices as true on it face, does that in any way make anything the dad said incorrect?

davescj · Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:22 am

Quoting CygnusChicago (Reply 2):
"I had to wait for others so I can get my stuff. Now they can wait for me. I don't care if they miss there connections. Screw you!"

Too bad the other pax didn't start pushing past him......If I had a TRULY tight connection, I'd probably have politely asked him to move. But that's me.

As to CHEAPO dad, why not simply tell her that yes, the seats are big, and the people sitting there worked hard to afford them. While perhaps not always the strictest of truth, it would make flying F as something SHE could get was a result of work -- thereby also showing work to be a good thing.

But to say "cheapo" seats is tacky.

airtran717 · Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:27 am

Quoting CygnusChicago (Reply 2):
We unfortunately live in a culture of entitlement and we don't always appreciate the sacrifices made

The only sacrifice I saw being made was that the dad was too "cheapo" to pay for the upgrade. I don't see where the rant of the thread starter had anything to do with what the guy said to his daughter. What sacrifices were made by all involved that had any impact on whether he sat in FC or the last row, by the lavs? You want the bigger seat and free drinks, pay for it. Otherwise eat your trail mix and Coke in a plastic cup and keep quiet. FC is a service for those who wish to pay for it. It's not an entitlement. I loved it when passengers would get on dead last and demand I move luggage around for them to put thier lugguage above "their seat". They paid for passage to a location, not real estate. That's not THEIR seat. It's the airline's seat and he is being given the luxuryor privilige of using it... for a price of course. You want space above 'your seat'... maybe you shoulda left for the airport a few minutes earlier to get there in time not to be the last one onboard...

airtran717 · Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:30 am

Quoting AeroWesty (Reply 10):
So you were sitting in First for free, and making a judgment call on a paying passenger referring to himself as a cheapo.

Kinda stupid in and of itself now isn't it?

AeroWesty · Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:34 am

Quoting AirTran717 (Reply 18):
Kinda stupid in and of itself now isn't it?

To make disparaging remarks about how paying passengers refer to themselves, yes, I'd agree. He's quite free to tell his daughter that he's a cheapo.

airtran717 · Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:36 am

As an employee, I enjoyed the perk of being upgraded when I flew. But I kept my mouth shut and never discussed my business with anyone. If the crew didn't interact with me, no one would ever know I was crew flying upfront for free. It's called discretion and professionalism. I don't see where a crew member flying for free... period... forget that he was upgraded to FC anyways... has anything to say about any comments coming from anyone else on the subject. I'm sure there was someone who paid for their ticket, who could have been upgraded, but instead it was the employee. Sounds like it's the employee who is the ingrate, not the dad.

airtran717 · Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:41 am

Quoting AeroWesty (Reply 19):
Quoting AirTran717 (Reply 18):
Kinda stupid in and of itself now isn't it?

To make disparaging remarks about how paying passengers refer to themselves, yes, I'd agree. He's quite free to tell his daughter that he's a cheapo.

Actually I was referring to the employee who began the rant.

deltadc9 · Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:42 am

Quoting AeroWesty (Reply 4):
The way I read it, the man wasn't complaining about sitting in the main cabin at all--it was his choice, and he was explaining what he bought to his daughter.

yep

I think gate agents and flight attendants say as many silly and inapropriate things as passengers anyway.

I once had a AA gate agent tell me my girlfreing really didnt have to go to the bathroom before waiting in line to board and he should have closed the door to the jetway but he was willing to let us "take advantage of him and the airline". (this was a connecting flight thru Dallas with each flight at opposite ends of the place, our plane was late and had to wait for a gate, and we had 10 minutes to get to the connection)

I flushed my FF card on that very flight along with any loyalty to AA I had left.

khobar · Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:43 am

Quoting Rsmith6621a (Thread starter):
Question.....Do you think the Dad knows the price at which those CHEPO seats have came at???...Do you think he thought for one second that the person who made his reservation....issued him his boarding card.....checked him into the flight at the gate....will serve him the drinks and sell him those snacks and welcome him aboard...the person who is putting his bag into the cargo hold,,,,,,,the person who has carefully planned his route of flight and fuel load and lets not forget the Flight crew up front who have years of costly training that will make sure that they reach there destination safely and yes the MX people who make sure the AC is in proper working order. But lets not forget some of the above has been OUTSOURCED.

Do you think that Dad thought for one second that each of those people have taken pay cuts or started working for less now than they did ten years ago.

And this is the dad's fault - how????

People pay what the airlines charge. Even on Priceline people don't really name their own price.

As for your other comments, I've had occasion to think about those items. Usually because I've been met with rudeness, lack of professionalism, or some other attitude problem that makes the experience stick in my mind. The worst case was with Delta where some bitch (and she really, really was) twisted her face and said "If I weren't such a nice person, I'd charge you for those headphones." They were my own headphones I was using to listen to my own CD's. Scary. In my letter to Delta I mentioned "the only good thing you did was not crash the plane." I also lost my camera on that trip, on a Delta plane. I stepped off the aircraft and realized I didn't have it. I turned around to go back to the plane but was refused. I had to go to Delta customer service who then escorted me onto the aircraft. By that time, of course, the cleaning crew were on. The camera, and the last shots I had of my father alive, were gone. Delta customer service refunded my tickets plus some, at least.

And yet, when my father passed away a couple of months later, and I had to take a red-eye cross country, Delta walked on water - every Delta person I came in contact with walked on water. Every one of them. I will go out of my way to fly with Delta because of how I was treated on that occasion.

I'm usually very forgiving, realizing there are malcontents who always think someone owes them something, the ones who lash out and blame the customers for their misery. One always has to believe such people are a minority, that most of the people in an airline really aren't trying to ruin your day.

airtran717 · Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:43 am

But you wanna talk about passengers saying stupid things...

I had a lady once ask me if the engines would be that loud the entire flight... I said I certainly hope so!!

And i absolutely hated when we were late and people would ask when we would get there... it's 2 hours and 5 minutes flight time... have we even finished boarding or pushed off the gate yet? How the heck am I gonna know when we get there if we haven't left yet??

Crewchief · Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:45 am

I don't see the negativity in what the Dad said, and, although I recognize that many are offended by it, I don't think he meant to offend. I think his intention was merely to explain the facts of life to his daughter.

Quoting Rsmith6621a (Thread starter):
Do you think the Dad knows the price at which those CHEPO seats have came at???...

My guess is he only had two choices: cheap seats, or very very expensive seats. He had no other choice.

I'm all in favor of a level of service better than today's coach, but not as pricey as first class. I'll even pay for it. But, with the exception of YX, no one is offering it. And given the FL take-over, even YX may be offering only "cheap" seats in the future.

Someone in the industry has to take the lead and fill the market void. That'll be good for passengers and employees alike.

airtran717 · Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:47 am

" Is everyone sober today?" Not even funny folks. That's another one that I never took kindly to. If a Fed happened to hear that kind of comment, the whole crew could be grounded and tested and the flight would be late... I have seen it happen... People think they are being funny, and in this case, it's really pretty offensive.

CitrusCritter · Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:53 am

I for one think too much is being read into this statement. The father was simply trying to explain the difference in price and amenities to a child, who had apparently never flown before (having never seen F class seats). I can't read that text and think he is begrudging the airline or its employees. I get the feeling he was trying to communicate that there are two options on a domestic flight: expensive and inexpensive, and that he took the "cheap" option. I don't think it's disparaging at all.

ikramerica · Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:53 am

Quoting AeroWesty (Reply 4):
The way I read it, the man wasn't complaining about sitting in the main cabin at all--it was his choice, and he was explaining what he bought to his daughter.

That's how I read it, but we don't know the tone of voice. Doesn't sound like he was being a jerk, though. Sounds like someone ELSE is the one with the massive chip on their shoulder.

If you hate your profession so much OP, work elsewhere. Just don't remind passengers how lucky they are to have you helping them.

Quoting Rsmith6621a (Reply 8):
IMO the word CHEAPO is a negative term...

Well, that's fine. But it has become common slang. The cheap/cheapo/noseblead seats are a term used in stadiums, concerts, etc. as nothing more than a fun term to say "I couldn't afford the good seats."

If you want to get all bent out of shape, go right ahead. I think his comment was neutral. Not joking, not angry, just neutral.

PanAm747 · Thu Jun 28, 2007 2:00 am

People will complain about anything and everything, and if they don't have anything to complain about, they make up stuff.

Recently, in San Diego, there were letters to the editor berating firefighters that they were getting paid while shopping at the grocery store. Sadly, there were more than just a few who thought that firefighters were overpaid, underworked, union-mafia controlled leeches.

Firefighters.

I wrote an open response suggesting that the writers tell firefighters to their faces that they are making too much money and are only feeding off the public trough because they're lazy and can't get a REAL job as they are pulling you out of a crushed automobile or are rushing into your burning house to save life and limb (as well as trying to save as much as they can of your private property!

You get what you pay for.

To all complainers: Get it out of your system discretely and get back to reality with the rest of us. You Napoleon-like little-man-syndrome rant is embarrassing you, and you won't accomplish a d*** thing with the people who can make things happen for you.

readytotaxi · Thu Jun 28, 2007 4:17 am

You get what you pay for.

kangarooman · Thu Jun 28, 2007 4:18 am

Quoting AirTran717 (Reply 24):
But you wanna talk about passengers saying stupid things...

Here's a few of my favourite's

In response to the question 'Which X-Ray did you put your bags on?' Some people point at the metal detector they just came through and say "that one".

In response to the question 'Could you take your shoes off please?' To which one shoe gets taken off and handed to you and then the answer "oh you want both off".

And my all time favourite to the question 'Any keys or mobile phones in your pockets?' The "answer no but I've got change"

Roo

baw716 · Thu Jun 28, 2007 4:23 am

Short answer to thread starter's question: YES!

Regardless of the fare he paid to sit in Economy, he will receive the same level of service that someone sitting next to him that paid 10x what he probably did. This is, to a large extent, why air travel is the way it is in the USA. Passengers don't have a clue (in general...there are notable exceptions) to what airline employees, especially nowadays, have to go through to launch a flight.

Yes, I too try not to pay more than I have to for an airline ticket, but that said, I don't always go for the lowest price. I weigh convenience vs. cost and decide accordingly. Choice of airline is driven to some degree by my alliance allegiance, but I've been known to go in another direction if the situation were just right. Case in point: I'd love to fly jetBlue. Won't get a lick of mileage in my Delta account, but if the price is right, I'll give them a go and not worry about the miles.

Having been an airline employee, I KNOW what goes into each and every facet of the airline, from the internet reservation all the way to the mechanic who keeps the aircraft flying. Therefore, every time I step on an airplane, I make a point of thanking them for the job they do and to keep doing it (if they are doing good work). If they are not doing good work, I try to give them a little encouragement so that next time, they'll remember that absent the passenger, it's pretty tough to have a job.

We have to educate passengers on how to behave, and that is a sad thing...but we'll do it, somehow.

baw716

Halophila · Thu Jun 28, 2007 4:32 am

"Thou shalt be grateful when thou fliest in economy, for thou shouldn't forget the sacrifices made to keep the airline executives rich"

This kinda reminds me of the "Soup" episode of Seinfeld. "I toil over the soup" "no soup for you!"...

I see nothing wrong with saying economy is the el cheapo section, cattle class, scumbag class, etc. Just as I see nothing wrong with calling myself an el cheapo, cattle or scumbag.

aviationnut12 · Thu Jun 28, 2007 4:47 am

I have heard people say stupid things too...but I don't pay attention to it. Once on an AirTran flight from ATL-MSP we were delayed an hour and a half over having to return to the gate and let off unruly passengers, one passenger said "This airline sucks!". I know that's not true, but I didn't sit and dwell on what he said. AirTran is a great airline, better than some of the majors IMHO. Don't take stuff so seriously.

checksixx · Thu Jun 28, 2007 5:16 am

Well if he said it that way, then yes, obviously he paid for the service and seating he received. But in the end, your comments about outsourcing are directly resulting from the company leadership. Money makes people do crazy things...you know, like pay themselves a huge salary, a huge bonus and company perks....while signing off on pay cuts etc. What really irks me is when the president or ceo of a company gets the boot for poor performance and........they get a huge bonus on the way out!! IF and thats a big IF, an airline company gets a leader that cares for the folks working for them and the folks buying seats, and is not out just for his/her self...then you'll see an airline that shines above the rest.

flyingKangaroo · Thu Jun 28, 2007 5:32 am

The way I see it, it depends on the tone the dad said it to his daughter. If it was in asome sarcastic tone where he was implying that it's not fair the F class passangers get better service and seating that those in Y, then maybe the OP rant is valid, since the dad expects high service standards but isn't prepared to pay the price for it. But if it was in a normal tone, simply explaining why the seats here were bigger than the seats they would be sitting in for the flight, then really, I see nothing wrong.

Don't read too much into things..

flyingKangaroo

ContnlEliteCMH · Thu Jun 28, 2007 5:52 am

Quoting Rsmith6621a (Reply 8):
IMO the word CHEAPO is a negative term...I felt after rehashing the statement several times the father statement was met as a two fold statement...one that was without any educated thought with regards to the current environment when he said CHEAPO in front of me as well as two F/A's he might as well said "The fire department took their time putting out the fire in front of a fireman at there burned out house"...people still don't realize that air travel no matter what is still a great value when you consider just in the time savings alone....also he was setting up his daughter with "I haven't been able to get up here yet so you probably wont either in your life"....kinda a bad example to impart on the young ones....even if he had used the word CHEAP...it would not have been as bad......

Wow. You've gone from interpreting a statement made in front of you, not to you, and probably not about you, to be a personal attack... ... to judging the quality of his parenting.

Perhaps if you reflect further it can become a crime against humanity or something. Good grief. Absurdity called and he'd like you to stop usurping his usual place.

As for "cheapo" being negative, sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't. Personally, I'm into cheapo things. I have cheapo cars (including one old car that was a gift) and cheapo clothes. I love me some cheapo airfare, too. Even El Cheapo seats at the ole' ballpark are usually just fine by me. And if you call me cheapo, well, I'll just smile and nod because these cheapo things have created a couple of accounts which aren't quite so cheapo. And you can bet I'll be teaching my children this as well, even if there are thin-skinned customer-facing workers listening. yes

skyhigh777 · Thu Jun 28, 2007 6:01 am

I think this is all a classic example of how much hostility is involved with air travel nowadays. I think the father intended for his comments to be sarcastic and not to be taken to heart, but obviously the thread starter feels different. Maybe there is some overreaction involved with the comment that the father made, but people have their opinions and whatever you do or say to them will hardly change what they think. If the dad truly did think the "cheapo" seats he had were due to the airline making cut backs, then it would not be worth the effort to try and change his mind. Overall the flying public is rather ignorant, so I personally try not to let people's comments or actions affect me when I travel. As long as I know the truth, who cares about what some random walking down the aisle says.

rampart · Thu Jun 28, 2007 6:12 am

Quoting Rsmith6621a (Reply 12):
Quoting AeroWesty (Reply 10):
So you were sitting in First for free, and making a judgment call on a paying passenger referring to himself as a cheapo.

Sorry Buddy......I earn that opportunity and sometimes I sit way back in 44b and when I sit in F/C I still pay for my meal and service unless I have a great gate agent only the seat is no cost otherwise.....

Earn all you can. Opine all you want. But, prepare to accept same criticism. While I agree with your sympathy for aviation employees, I also agree with Aerowesty. You have precious little to judge the father's intentions, background, parenting skills, or sense of humor. I don't have much to judge you, either, so I could be entirely out of line by stating that we cheapo seaters take umbrage at over-reacting criticism from First Class.

-Rampart

KLM11 · Thu Jun 28, 2007 7:17 am

It's a sad, unfortunate truth. Although "CHEPO" may not be the best term for Y, service levels have significantly decreased. I remember just six or seven years ago when AS prided themselves on never leaving any Y customer hungry. Nowadays, forget it! As a frequent traveler, I can unmistakably say that the level of service provided to customers in Y is just appalling. From a tighter pitch, no meals, fewer FA to PAX ratio, and an overall meager attitude to ALL PAX across the board, there is definite truth to the fathers statement.

--KLM11

Type-Rated · Thu Jun 28, 2007 7:36 am

I think the daughter should be very happy that her father didn't put her in coach while he flew first. This actually happens quite often.

The fat ass who blocked the aisle with that kind of attitude probably would have gotten my knee shoved up his ass so far he'd talk three octaves higher! I detest people with that kind of attitude. But as I was doing this, I would have been polite and said "Oh! EXCUSE ME, sir! How clumsy of me!"

TuRbUleNc3 · Thu Jun 28, 2007 7:38 am

I think you've looked too deeply into this, it seems a meer explanation to me

CJAContinental · Thu Jun 28, 2007 7:59 am

I for one would probably still prefer to fly economy, I know some will dissagree with me as they could be folks who travel in business and first class.

Over recent years I have had the priviledge of travelling trans-atlantic frequently, because my dad worked in Houston for five years, and he may go back, I'm not sure. For me this was fantastic, because in my early teens, I was an absolute aeroplane nutcrack, and although I still am, I will always remember when I boarded BA G-BNLN with that awesome tail, and I was taking photos in the economy cabin trying to capture the width, scaring the other passengers. Although I have never appreciated flying as much as I did then, I still love it when I fly. More particularly, one of the reasons why I still love flying is that I have found a new aspect of flying thats really cool: meeting new people.

So, this is relevant to the subject, as one of the best things about flying in economy class is that you are more likely to talk to a person, that is less reserved, and likely to be in a more diverse profession.

This is one of the things I love about flying economy, meeting people.

rsmith6621a · Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:08 am

Well after 43 reply s most of them saying the public doesn't have a clue how the airline industry runs why don't the airlines then just overnight raise fairs about 10 to 15% after all if they don't know how the fare that got dirt cheap was figured out then they wont know that there has been a fare increase....at least with higher fares the airlines can begin to restore wages and dignity to those who make the airline what it is...

FlyDeltaJets87 · Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:23 am

Quoting PanAm747 (Reply 29):
People will complain about anything and everything, and if they don't have anything to complain about, they make up stuff.

Kinda' like this thread starter.

Quoting Rsmith6621a (Thread starter):

Well buddy, in the days of $49 one-ways, it is the cheapo section whether you like it or not. And unfortunately, the airlines don't offer too many incentives to purchasing the fares above that $49 one way. The service I receive in the cabin is exactly the same whether I paid $180 roundtrip for that ticket or $800 for that roundtrip coach ticket. Yea, sure, there's miles incentives and "upgrade opportunities", but for the most part, the service is the same regardless of your fare class.

Also, this guy didn't say "Cheapo airline". He said "cheapo section", which would refer specifically to coach regardless of the airline. The upper deck at a ballpark is the "cheapo" section whether it's the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati or Camden Yards in Baltimore or Turner Field in Atlanta.

Now, let's for argument's sake say that this guy was using "cheapo" in the most negative possible manner. If "cheapo" was the most offensive term you've ever heard used towards your airline that you felt so compelled to post about it, well, then I would probably say your airline isn't doing too bad.

Quoting Rsmith6621a (Reply 12):
Sorry Buddy......I earn that opportunity

Maybe it's because I spend a lot of time here on a.net, but this whole "sense of entitlement" seems more prevalent in the airline industry than anywhere else. Anyone wish to agree or disagree?

copter808 · Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:53 am

Quoting AirTran717 (Reply 26):
" Is everyone sober today?" Not even funny folks. That's another one that I never took kindly to. If a Fed happened to hear that kind of comment, the whole crew could be grounded and tested and the flight would be late... I have seen it happen... People think they are being funny, and in this case, it's really pretty offensive.

Stupid comment, but if the feds used that as a basis to test everyone, they would be way out of line.

I used to work the ramp and wore a good set of hearing protectors. If I had 2 cents for every time I heard a reference to Mickey Mouse, I would be a rich man! One needs to realize that in some cases a comment may be cute, but not when we've heard it a thousand times. Each one of these passengers think they are being original when they make these comments.

It may sound stupid, but just accept the comment. They pay our salary so let's make them feel like we appreciate the joke. I'm sure there are times when WE have made stupid comments as well. (at least I know I have.)

trojanAE · Thu Jun 28, 2007 9:00 am

Dude if you have nothing better to do than to analyze and ponder and then rant about what a man said to his daughter while boarding an airplane I feel the utmost sympathy and pity for you.

CupraIbiza · Thu Jun 28, 2007 9:01 am

The passenger in question did not make a remotely stupid comment. I think the embittered thread starter needs to chill and possible change job and industry.

bond007 · Thu Jun 28, 2007 9:35 am

Quoting AirTran717 (Reply 24):
I had a lady once ask me if the engines would be that loud the entire flight... I said I certainly hope so!!

And i absolutely hated when we were late and people would ask when we would get there... it's 2 hours and 5 minutes flight time... have we even finished boarding or pushed off the gate yet? How the heck am I gonna know when we get there if we haven't left yet??

I guess you have a different idea of what's a "stupid" question. Both very valid IMO ... might have been worded very slightly differently, but hardly stupid.

Quoting KangarooMAN (Reply 31):
And my all time favourite to the question 'Any keys or mobile phones in your pockets?' The "answer no but I've got change"

... and this is stupid why?? I'm assuming the guy wasn't a frequent traveller, and therefore maybe the question was more stupid than the reply.

Jimbo

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