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Air travel largely has become sort of "mass transit" with all that entails.
Well...yeah. Kinda the point. What is the idea of having an efficient means of traveling great distances if only a small percentage of people can afford to use it?
I think folks (honestly, like me) who remember the "good old day" - do indeed find flying annoying for all kinds of reasons (pajamas and bare feet, anyone?) - but if you're the half of the US population that grew up unable to travel because "that's for rich people" - then this a great time to be alive.
Re: baggage comments - bags are free on SouthWest - people still pack the overhead / do not check bags. Re: Seat size - shrinking in width has been debunked many places, gets the airlines nothing in return. Shrinking pitch - front to back - a real thing - but average over the last 30 to 40 years on mainstream airlines is 1 to 2 inches. Sorry. It seems much worse because people are bigger. They are. No point in debating it.
I just flew SW and AA - both "in the back" - and I'm not too small - I had zero problems*, even with the seat in front of me fully tilted. Many of you just have unrealistic expectations. If you want a living room sensation on board - spring for first class. Otherwise, accept it's a bus, nothing more, nothing less. You can decide for yourself of riding the (air)bus is a value or not.
I had a problem on one leg of the journey - as my "seatmate" was every bit of 300 wide pounds. And tall. And in the center seat. Kinda overflowing the arm rests. No seat since the advent of coach class has ever been big enough to accommodate that person AND a seatmate. This is why I think folks think the seats are too small - but your rage is misguided. The passengers are too big. I just flew in first class last week - and PLENTY of people barely squished into those seats. How big do you think the airline should go? Real answer please. How big?
For all new commercial aircraft, establish a minimum seat width of 18 inches and a minimum seat pitch of 33 inches. Existing planes grandfathered unless they go in for a cabin refurbishment. There you go.
For all new commercial aircraft, establish a minimum seat width of 18 inches and a minimum seat pitch of 33 inches. Existing planes grandfathered unless they go in for a cabin refurbishment. There you go.
For all new commercial aircraft, establish a minimum seat width of 18 inches and a minimum seat pitch of 33 inches. Existing planes grandfathered unless they go in for a cabin refurbishment. There you go.
Agree. I'm generally not for lots of regulation but if every airline is in a race for the bottom (mostly because of fighting for customers bent on the lowest price) it seems reasonable for the FAA to step in and define what the bottom is. Then, you get somewhat of a level playing field.
For those who state deregulation brought prices down I seen a chart air fares had been dropping year to year since the 1960s and the year to year drops it was actually steeper than the years following 1978. What’s up with that?
For those who state deregulation brought prices down I seen a chart air fares had been dropping year to year since the 1960s and the year to year drops it was actually steeper than the years following 1978. What’s up with that?
There were many rules under regulation. All fares were the same for the same route, the reservation systems were not accessible to customers, airlines were forced to serve certain cities whether the routes were profitable or not, etc.
Interesting, though I am guessing the difference is that one wouldn’t get dirt cheap cross country airfares between major cities however routes between smaller less traveled destinations would be cheaper. Nowadays it can be more expensive to fly between Fresno and LA than LA to Boston.
I am now 'forced' to fly first class because of my husband's long legs, and I hate it (flying). It was much more luxurious flying coach 45 years ago than it is now flying first class, imo -- and you pay almost an obscene amount for the "privilege". Also, the airline personnel (stewards, baggage helpers and travel desk workers) were, generally speaking, much better in EVERY way back then (but, then, I think the passengers were, overall, much more polite and pleasant back then, too!) Also, passengers weren't treated like potential terrorist scum 45 years ago, either!
For those who state deregulation brought prices down I seen a chart air fares had been dropping year to year since the 1960s and the year to year drops it was actually steeper than the years following 1978. What’s up with that?
Airfares likely dropped in 1979 as immediate reaction to deregulation as airlines got their footing.
Fares rose substantially in 1980 and 1981 likely as result of 1979 through much of 1980's economic jolt (recession) that hit USA. This would have included effects of late 1970's energy crisis that drove up fuel prices which of course airlines would have to charge higher fares to recoup.
I am now 'forced' to fly first class because of my husband's long legs, and I hate it (flying). It was much more luxurious flying coach 45 years ago than it is now flying first class, imo -- and you pay almost an obscene amount for the "privilege". Also, the airline personnel (stewards, baggage helpers and travel desk workers) were, generally speaking, much better in EVERY way back then (but, then, I think the passengers were, overall, much more polite and pleasant back then, too!) Also, passengers weren't treated like potential terrorist scum 45 years ago, either!
Well - you could always sit in coach and let him fly first class. Think of the money you'd save.
I've not flown in something over 15 years, and it wasn't bad then. I don't have any travel plans now that involve flying.
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Think of the money you'd save. 