Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Flying is overrated (AKA: Northwest Airlines YOU SUCK!)

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Topic: Flying is overrated (AKA: Northwest Airlines YOU SUCK!)

Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-28-2007 10:39 AM

I heard on the radio the other day that some airlines are actually now making you buy two seats if you're too big to fit into one.

Jerry Seinfeld had an intersting take on first class vs. coach. He said, "First Class is really like 'normal' for most of us. Comfortable seat, all the booze you want, plenty of choices for food. So in reality, the choice on an airplane is between 'normal' and ... well, slavery, I guess."

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William T. Parr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 823
From: Cedar Park, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 08-28-2007 11:04 AM

Brad,

Do you ever travel anywhere that Amtrak might be an alternative? They will not set any speed records getting you there but it is nice and relaxing. Just dont try to take 3 boxes of unused 70mm reels on trip with ya. That can be a pain in the ass. [Big Grin]

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Louis Bornwasser
Film God

Posts: 4441
From: prospect ky usa
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 08-28-2007 12:56 PM

I understand the U S gov. is measuring people right now to determine size of seats etc. The FAA, in anticipation of the final result, has alreadyy added 25 pounds (I think) to the average weight of a human with baggage. I think it is now 225 lbs.

This may not only make Southwest a 4 or 5 seat wide plane, but it will reduce the number of rows in pitch as well.

I also sell theatre seats; I think we are OK with 48" wide aisles on stadium seating and 21-24" wide seats.

The airlines are NOT OK. Louis

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Joel N. Weber II
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 115
From: Somerville, MA, USA
Registered: Dec 2005

posted 08-28-2007 01:28 PM

By the time you account for the extra time you have to arrive early at an airport to go through the checkin procedure, and traveling between the airport and the center of the city (the train stations are in the center of the cities, the airports aren't), Amtrak's Acela Express may not be any slower than a plane for Boston<->New York City, and something similar may be true for New York<->Washington DC.

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Paul Mayer
Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under!

Posts: 3836
From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Feb 2000

posted 08-28-2007 03:13 PM

Southwest went through the same ordeal as Ryanair a couple of years ago regarding fatsos needing to buy two seats. Southwest has had a "person of size" policy since 1980 though they didn't start to really enforce it until 2002. Yes, they get complaints and yes they have been sued. But the complaints run 9-to-1 against the fatties, i.e. customers complaining about having to squeeze in next to one. And Southwest has prevailed in court every time thus far. So on Southwest the rule is if you can't get the armrests down around you, you must buy two seats. And they discount it (like a child's fare). A refund on the extra seat is available if the flight operates with open seats.

US Airways and Northwest both have similar policies but don't enforce them as much as Southwest does. Apparently United and Delta have no such policies, so if you're prodigiously proportioned, those are your US airlines of choice.

25% of the US population is obese and the numbers (both mass and quantity) are increasing. The FAA has indeed raised the average pax weight numbers a couple of times since I've been flying (the numbers are used to calculate weight and balance on transport category planes). And yeah, a 17" (Southwest) or 19" (average) wide seat is pretty small, even for a normal size person. Maybe we should change the pricing formula and charge pax like we do for cargo - the more weight and/or the more cubic you take up the more you pay. Hell, I still like the idea of stand-up flights (like on a bus or commuter train) for trips of an hour or less. Pack 'em in like they do in Japan and there's no need for either seats or restraints.

Last week we had the 11th annual BBW (Big Beautiful Women) network bash here at the Flamingo. And of course it drew protesters from the NAFBR (National Association For Body Responsibility) in front of the hotel wearing t-shirts that read, "Please Do Not Feed the Fat People." Only in 'Vegas.

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Paul Mayer
Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under!

Posts: 3836
From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Feb 2000

posted 08-28-2007 03:17 PM

Deleted.

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Rick Raskin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1100
From: Manassas Virginia
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 08-28-2007 03:38 PM

quote: Joel N. Weber II
...something similar may be true for New York<->Washington DC.

I always used Amtrak from DC to NYC rather than fly. Three hours from city center to city center. Airport check in and hassles made the flying option unattractive in addition to it taking longer.

quote: Leo Enticknap
...she refused, pointing out that the overhead bins were all full. I called the stewardess...

Simmilar experience on a flight from France to the US. My bags flew in first class while I had to endure 8 hours of close contact with the jerk.

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Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 08-29-2007 03:18 AM

About the one good thing about the 'one piece of hand luggage only' rule that was imposed here after the attempted liquid bomb plot is that it's done away with that sort of crap. You don't need to worry about being at the front of the queue to board in order to be sure of a slot in the overhead bin, because the chancers who'd try to take two large suitcases and an enormous laptop-plus-overnight bag on have been stopped in their tracks.

I can understand people's anxieties about luggage getting lost in the system, but if you've got adequate travel insurance and pack sensibly, there's simply no need to take more than one item onto the plane. Mine contains a spare shirt, two sets of underwear, a fully-charged electric shaver, laptop, bits of paper with important info (travel insurance certificate, contact names and addresses, that sort of thing), any work-related stuff needed during the first couple of days at the final destination and a shit lit novel for the plane. Along with stuff you can buy anywhere and cheaply (e.g. a toothbrush) that's all you're going to need to survive being separated from your hold baggage for two days if needs be. OK, if you've got a baby or a child you're going to need a little more than that (an AK-47, maybe?), but I really can't understand the morons who feel that the world will end if they can't take three large cases on.

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Phil Hill
I love my cootie bug

Posts: 7595
From: Hollywood, CA USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 10-18-2007 07:55 PM

Hey Grand-Poopie-BAH, I'm totally amazed you didn't bitch about your trip/flight to ShowEast in Orlando. [evil]

I guess you wore your Bose noise-cancelling headphones...even in the terminal, huh? [beer]

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 10-18-2007 09:56 PM

Well the flight out there was almost 3 hours delayed, does that count?

Oh and the flight back was delayed by half an hour too!

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 10-18-2007 11:38 PM

My flight today was pretty good. No real problems anywhere except that the plane was the smallest one I've ever been in (low cost carrier). A baby started crying for about a minute and a half as we began our decent to land, but someone shut it up. I had an aisle seat. I much prefer window seats.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 10-19-2007 10:03 AM

We went to Orlando and back last week. 6 flights total, no problems on any. (Northwest)

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Louis Bornwasser
Film God

Posts: 4441
From: prospect ky usa
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 10-19-2007 10:56 AM

Remember:

Fly early-in-the-day and never during the last 3 days of the month...crew problems, especially if there are many delays earlier in the month.

My tea-leaves forecast for NWA is that pilots will time out for the year during November/December. Louis

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System Notices
Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi

Posts: 215

Registered: Apr 2004

posted 04-03-2012 09:25 PM

It has been 1628 days since the last post.

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Paul Mayer
Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under!

Posts: 3836
From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Feb 2000

posted 04-03-2012 09:25 PM

Bringing back this ancient-but-fun-to-read thread to post this news (Airliners.net civil aviation forum thread) - (note: "Y" means economy class, "J" means business class, "F" means first class): [Smile]

quote:
Kids Not Allowed On Malaysia A-380 Upper Deck Economy Class

Remember this thread?

Infant Not Allowed On Malaysia 747 First Class (by HeeseokKoo Jun 19 2011 in Civil Aviation)

Well, this is part 2 and much weaker version. Upper deck economy class on MH 380 won't allow kids under 12 years old, include infants. This is to protect business-purpose travelers in economy class from kids-related noise (or many things else). I bet many of you will actually like this policy.

MH will have 70 Y seats on upper deck and 350 Y seats on lower deck. MH 380 has 66J on upper deck and infants-blocked 8F on lower deck. MH will start 380 operation from this summer, one daily each to LHR and SYD.

Source (Korean only):
]http://info.topasweb.com/BBS/BBSView...bbs_kind=2&info_div=1&info_code=mh

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