Frequent Flyer Tip

[deanwebb]

If the owner of the airline tells you to get off the plane, you WILL get off the plane.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/04/10/523275494/passenger-forcibly-removed-from-united-flight-prompting-outcry

And that is but one reason why they're nicknamed "Uninvited Airlines". Guy had paid for his ticket and United selected him at random to get off the plane so their staff could have a seat. Guy refused to get off, so the hard men beat him senseless and dragged him off.

[wintermute000]

That's a paddlin' (and a lawsuit surely)

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[Dieselboy]

To be fair, he paid for his seat and he got his seat. Why should he get off?

Now, if they had stopped him from getting on and said sorry, plane is full. You'll be on the next one. Then fair enough.

I can only imaging the scene on that plane was a bit like this video at 20 seconds in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNkpIDBtC2c
(ps. saw this on fb this morning about the incident  )


Being "forcibly removed" without justification like this seems, is assault. I'm not sure if I would have fought back but I probably would have advised them my rights, their rights and why I dont have to move. I am British after all.

EDIT: Just read that article, says the airline was nice about the whole thing. Except once security guy who chose to assault the passenger. May be the passenger was being a [you know what]and the security guy lost it. It doesn't excuse that at all, though.

[deanwebb]

Actually, in the USA as well as the UK, as soon as you do not follow the instruction of a member of the airline crew, you're a disruptive passenger and they can legally go medieval on you.

Not good for PR, but 100% legal.

[icecream-guy]

Tip Don't fly,  that way you won't die falling out of the sky from 35,000ft (10,660m).

[Dieselboy]

Actually, in the USA as well as the UK, as soon as you do not follow the instruction of a member of the airline crew, you're a disruptive passenger and they can legally go medieval on you.

Not good for PR, but 100% legal.

Assault is never usually illegal in the UK. They lead you to believe they have the upmost power over you but it's not always the case. This is why it pays to keep up to date with laws, your rights and your legal powers. I admit I don't do this as much as I'd like to!

[Dieselboy]

Tip Don't fly,  that way you won't die falling out of the sky from 35,000ft (10,660m).

Plus, by not flying the air which you breathe is normally a bit fresher 

[LynK]

at least when you are falling it is a nice view.

[NetworkGroover]

Actually, in the USA as well as the UK, as soon as you do not follow the instruction of a member of the airline crew, you're a disruptive passenger and they can legally go medieval on you.

Not good for PR, but 100% legal.

Assault is never usually illegal in the UK. They lead you to believe they have the upmost power over you but it's not always the case. This is why it pays to keep up to date with laws, your rights and your legal powers. I admit I don't do this as much as I'd like to!

I have enough stuff I have to keep up with.  So I just keep it simple and make a mental note to go straight eyes and ballsacks if something like that happens to me....

[NetworkGroover]

And I boycotted United a long time ago anyway for an almost 100% rate of cancellation or delays screwing with my personal/business plans.  Done with them.

EDIT - Nothing like having a flight cancelled and going from First Class on your Anniversary trip to the back god damn seat that has even less space than the regular seats.  And let's just say the hotel they put us up in my wife slept on top of the bed, with her clothes still on.  F#@k United.

[LynK]

for those of you who fly, who are your recommended airlines?

[icecream-guy]

for those of you who fly, who are your recommended airlines?

skyuber?

[deanwebb]

for those of you who fly, who are your recommended airlines?

Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines (JAL) - FANTASTIC service, great food, even in coach.

My experience has been that any national carrier from a developed nation is more likely to have complimentary in-flight meals, a bit more legroom, cheerier stewards/stewardesses, and other nice things.

Mexicana was also pretty dang awesome, although they went bankrupt in 2008. But both those guys and Rossiya (Russian) served a nice meal even though the flight was just under 3 hours. American gives a soda for 3 hour flights and half a can on 2 hour or less flights. Rossiya gave me a full-on HAM SAMMICH (fresh bread, even!) and a soft drink on the short flight from Moscow to St. Petersburg and Mexicana had molletas (cheese, meat, and beans on fresh bread) for everybody flying DFW-Mexico City. Neither carrier was on the level of the big boys mentioned above, but they still had enough to eat and plenty of legroom on their flights.

For undeveloped countries, local carriers can be the biggest source of air transportation disasters. Avoid, especially in the former USSR. I've seen interviews with stewardesses from Central Asian airlines where they pointed out the scars they got in the *crashes* (note the plural!) that they've survived. NOT WANT.

In the USA, I pretty much go with American and resent it. All the majors are trying to squeeze in as many seats as possible, preferably by squeezing out as many other nice things as possible. When you look at air travel in the 1970s, before deregulation, seats were big enough for big people, leg room was comfortable even for tall guys, bags were checked for free, meals and drinks flowed freely. Even in the 1990s, I could still count on more legroom than today, more than just occasional flights that weren't 100% booked, and some pretty substantial snacks inflight.

AND ZERO PEOPLE BUMPED OR REMOVED FROM FLIGHTS BECAUSE THEY WERE OVERSOLD. ZERO. It wasn't even a thing until after 2001, when the industry decided the best way to operate was to be so damn crowded that a potential hijacker wouldn't even get to the bathroom, let alone the cockpit. Total number of flights was reduced and consumer-hostile practices such as add-on services, overbooking, and "preferential upgrades" where you had to pay for where the good seats were instead of just knowing from experience, and other stuff like that, began to enter into the exec's calculations about how to make more $$$ in a tighter economy.

This is why I like road trips for family vacations.

[mlan]

for those of you who fly, who are your recommended airlines?

Virgin America, but not sure if Alaska Airlines will ruin it now.