I don't know how anyone can stand commercial flights

[AKDoug]

This is the biggest curse of living in Alaska for me. We have to fly. If I lived in the states I'd be driving a lot.

I just got back from Phoenix visiting my parents. Before my mom was diagnosed with cancer, I'd just wait for them to come back for summer. Time is getting short for both of them so I go visit a couple times while they're down there. I suck it up, but damn I hate how I'm treated as a customer from the airport parking, to TSA, to the airline. They really DGAF about you anymore. Within a decade I will not a living relative I care about in the lower 48. I can't wait to never have to fly for more than a couple hours again (instate). I'll be able to afford first class if I decide to do so.

Currently I sit on a state regulatory board that requires travel 4 times a year. I have found that I can still be effective on Zoom, so I sit in the comfort of my home and do my civic duty. Two of these meetings annually I can drive to and I'd rather drive a few hundred miles in winter than sit on a plane.

[Alex V]

I took 32 flights for work in 2022. 2 of them where on time.

In the last 2 weeks I was on 6 flights. Wife and I went to Paris which required a connection in Dulles. The night we got home my grandmother passed, the next afternoon we were back at the airport flying to NJ. Less than 18 hours at home. I was supposed to go to NJ for work anyway.

It’s a mess and yeah, you’re right, you get treated like a criminal in security.

Air travel used to be cool and fun, now I dread every minute of it.

[AKjeff]

Flying DURING covid was great. No lines, planes were freaking empty. It was like flying private charter only with really shitty service. I got a pic of security at DEN from back then. Just 6-7 TSA folks waiting for anyone to show up. I can't believe the airlines didn't just close up shop, but it worked for me. I was flying every week at the time.

But overall, it's become Air Greyhound these days. It's kind of a shitshow. I drive for biz more than I fly these days if it's possible. Put 100k on the company truck in the past year.

I had overlooked that part, thanks. That was pretty cool.
The masks and test procedure/reporting was a pain.

I was flying to AK for work, the first time I had to quarantine until I had a test, the next time I got tested before I flew but I didn't submit the forms to their website before I arrived.
That was a new one, and I had no easy way to do it while standing in the airport.
That got me a bit worked up. A co-worker helped me out from home after I called asking for help.

That was the last time I flew, Sept. '20, I had enough time to retire after that.

[3 AE]

Yeah, agreed...Every aspect of it is terrible. From the busted-down garbage heaps that count as "airports" these days, to the shitty airlines and their shitty employees, and especially the overly entitled sociopathic narcist hot-garbage-waste-of-oxygen average other travelers and their free-range shit children. I hate it. All of it. If I never have to get inside another commercial airliner it'll be too soon.

...free-range shit children." LOL, I've got to remember that one!

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

And I remember smoking on flights

That was just going out when I started flying regularly for work. It would send people over the edge, and I’d say that it is an improvement.

I won't do it. **** those cunts, they have lost my business forever. Not to mention it will only by a matter of time before their current woke equity hiring practices will have planes falling out of the sky.

I’ve got about 10 years before I retire and I hope that those won’t have much effect by then, but United is going FULL STUPID on it. You basically can’t get into their program for training with out checking boxes….

[czgunner]

Yeah, terrible service, cramped cabins, idiotic personnel. I recently got prices to fly from WY to Portland, OR. They want over $1000 per person. Nope, gonna drive.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

[Warp]

Because it's the only viable option

[Warp]

Flying DURING covid was great. No lines, planes were freaking empty. It was like flying private charter only with really shitty service. I got a pic of security at DEN from back then. Just 6-7 TSA folks waiting for anyone to show up. I can't believe the airlines didn't just close up shop, but it worked for me. I was flying every week at the time.

But overall, it's become Air Greyhound these days. It's kind of a shitshow. I drive for biz more than I fly these days if it's possible. Put 100k on the company truck in the past year.

I flew early June of 2020.

It was nice except everything was closed even in the busiest airport in the world, Atlanta, you couldn't buy anything if not from a vending machine. I get hungry and I want to buy food. Nothing. Ghost town

[LoboTBL]

I'll fly to a few places I can't drive to. Hawaii for instance. But I'd much rather drive to CO or FL than fly there despite the time it takes.

[ABNAK]

9-11 gave the airlines cover for fvck-ups; dare raise your voice if they screwed something up and they could (and would) have your ass hauled off in cuffs. That got them feeling their oats. Unfortunately that power has never been taken back. They badly need to feel humble again.

As far as airlines with assigned seats (like anyone but Southwest) why the hell do they board from the front on back? Doesn't it make sense to board from the rear and move upward? I mean everyone has assigned seats so what's the big deal? Oh I know someone with a seat closer to the front might whine that they didn't get to board first, but who friggin' cares? Boarding in their ass-backwards way takes longer and creates what inevitably ends up being a cluster-fvck. So have a flight attendant make sure no one sticks their usually oversized carry-on bags (because they're too damn cheap to check it) in seats forward of where the assigned seat is. Very simple.