More headaches for United... and others. (Lancaster, Mason: 2014, voucher, live in)

[Meyerland]

Originally Posted by Oildog

Last night I saw tv commercials advertising new Southwest routes to Mexico and Dominican Republic. I was in Chicago.

Agree that service on United has steadily declined. My peeve is flying regional jets across the country.

Is it going to be a direct flight from Hobby to DR? If so, I am ready with my bags packed. I always wanted to go there, but not through New Jersey.

[seadoons]

Originally Posted by PedroMartinez

I was on a United flight last week from California. There was a woman who was using a cane with a limp getting on the aircraft. You could see how uncomfortable she was. Well, they close the main cabin door, and the entire exit row was empty. She asked the stewardess if she could move to one of those seats so she could stretch out her bad leg. The stewardess said she could move there for $79, and she'd be happy to run the lady's credit card.

United would rather keep the seats empty and have a passenger that obviously could use one to be more comfortable.

United is saying, "We care about every dollar and not our customers."

Thank goodness the women didn't need an aspirin. United would have said they'd be happy to run one on her credit card.

I don't know about you, but I don't want a woman with a limp, using a cane, sitting in an exit row. Clearly if she has a bad leg she isn't the person best suited to open that exit window and direct everyone in the area off the jet in an emergency. In fact, she would probably do just the opposite and actually block the exit from being used which could cost people their lives. Think about it.

[ynonino]

It seems you haven’t flown enough (or paid attention during the safety demonstrations) to know that a person in an exit row must be able to do the duties described which means assisting people out that door in the event of an emergency landing. The person you described would not be able to do this. This is also why children aren’t allowed to sit in these rows. Flight attendants are under extreme scrutiny about giving away premium seats for free. In regards to giving people their own rows on empty flights they might have done it, but maybe there was a supervisor on board checking performance and they couldn’t. You don’t know the circumstances so if you don’t do that job don’t speculate.

Second, stop glorifying how wonderful of overseas airline carriers are compared to U.S. ones. Yes, the overseas carriers offer all sorts of perks (i.e. free alcohol) because their governments SUBSIDIZE them. Our government stopped doing this in the late 1970’s in the form of deregulation. Like all other companies, U.S. airlines have to make money to survive unlike most overseas carriers. Remember if deregulation hadn’t happened no one would have the cheap airfares they are used to now and would be paying triple the prices all the time.

[gwarnecke]

Is free booze THAT big of a deal on flights, international or domestic? Heck, you likely spent $1000+ for your ticket, if you really have to get your drink on, what's another $6 or $7?

Having said that, the "legacy" European airlines that I've flown (Air France, British Airways, KLM), still offer free alcohol on even ~1 hr economy flights within Europe. Still, if I can save $40 or $50 by flying a discount carrier like Vueling or Easyjet, I'll do so even if I don't get any free inflight beverages, alcoholic or otherwise.

[PedroMartinez]

Originally Posted by seadoons

I don't know about you, but I don't want a woman with a limp, using a cane, sitting in an exit row. Clearly if she has a bad leg she isn't the person best suited to open that exit window and direct everyone in the area off the jet in an emergency. In fact, she would probably do just the opposite and actually block the exit from being used which could cost people their lives. Think about it.

I guess you do have a point there.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by Oildog

Last night I saw tv commercials advertising new Southwest routes to Mexico and Dominican Republic. I was in Chicago.

Agree that service on United has steadily declined. My peeve is flying regional jets across the country.

Please Southwest, give me Venezuela or at least Aruba

[Meyerland]

I looked on the southwest website and saw a flight from Houston to Aruba with one stop. Not sure when they are offering it, but it was on the flight map.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by Meyerland

I looked on the southwest website and saw a flight from Houston to Aruba with one stop. Not sure when they are offering it, but it was on the flight map.

cool

[Oildog]

May have to check Punta Cana when the route is ready.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by gwarnecke

Is free booze THAT big of a deal on flights, international or domestic? Heck, you likely spent $1000+ for your ticket, if you really have to get your drink on, what's another $6 or $7?

Alcohol?
How about something better than a bag with with 5 mini pretzels?