Add USAir to the list

[NC Pilot]

Upon sitting down on my return trip today I opened the USAir magazine to see the CEO sending the same message as United and NorthWorst airlines. All the same talking points were there, but the bit about GA not paying it's fair share was at the end of the editorial, instead of the beginning.

Yes, a letter will be sent to him as well.

 

[wsuffa]

After last night's debacle on AA trying to get back to SA from DC, I am more opposed than ever to user fees.

The airlines don't provide customer service, they don't provide information (we sat at the gate for over 30 minutes after boarding last night, with nary an announcement as to why... the problem was a lack of baggage loaders, meaning that they didn't even start to load baggage until after we boarded). The airlines forget that they're in a "customer service" business.

Thank goodness for my wireless internet card so I could get SOME information after we diverted to OKC and sat on the ramp (away from the gates) for an hour. Nope, they refused to let us off the plane.

We are fast becoming a third-world country in terms of transportation.

 

[SkyHog]

After last night's debacle on AA trying to get back to SA from DC, I am more opposed than ever to user fees.

The airlines don't provide customer service, they don't provide information (we sat at the gate for over 30 minutes after boarding last night, with nary an announcement as to why... the problem was a lack of baggage loaders, meaning that they didn't even start to load baggage until after we boarded). The airlines forget that they're in a "customer service" business.

Thank goodness for my wireless internet card so I could get SOME information after we diverted to OKC and sat on the ramp (away from the gates) for an hour. Nope, they refused to let us off the plane.

We are fast becoming a third-world country in terms of transportation.

"You obviously don't understand the inner workings of the airline."

 

[wsuffa]

"You obviously don't understand the inner workings of the airline."

I $$ure do understand the workings of airline management....

 

[NC Pilot]

After last night's debacle on AA trying to get back to SA from DC, I am more opposed than ever to user fees.

The airlines don't provide customer service, they don't provide information (we sat at the gate for over 30 minutes after boarding last night, with nary an announcement as to why... the problem was a lack of baggage loaders, meaning that they didn't even start to load baggage until after we boarded). The airlines forget that they're in a "customer service" business.

Thank goodness for my wireless internet card so I could get SOME information after we diverted to OKC and sat on the ramp (away from the gates) for an hour. Nope, they refused to let us off the plane.

We are fast becoming a third-world country in terms of transportation.

I honestly believe this is part of a grand plan to point to GA and say "see how much they are costing us? - We need to make them pay their fair share." Thing are going to get much worse before they get any better. People won't take a stand on things unless it is affecting them personally and the airlines are making it just as bad as they can on the traveling public right now.

 

[wsuffa]

I honestly believe this is part of a grand plan to point to GA and say "see how much they are costing us? - We need to make them pay their fair share." Thing are going to get much worse before they get any better. People won't take a stand on things unless it is affecting them personally and the airlines are making it just as bad as they can on the traveling public right now.

I think the airlines have enough of their own troubles that this can't be pawned off on GA. Not that they wouldn't try, but that even if they did succeed in grounding GA the problems in air travel would not get any better.

That's not to say that the FAA doesn't need improvement: Robert Crandall has been heard to say recently that the ATC system needs overhaue - and Crandall is currently chairman of one of the VLJ/air-taxi ventures.

I find it absolutely amazing that we have so many stifiling rules imposed by the FAA on the airlines that are there to ensure safety of passengers, yet there are zero rules with respect to passenger welfare. It's perfectly legal to leave a plane full of pax sitting on a taxiway for 5 hours with no food, water, or restroom facilities, but the airline would be breaking an FAR if a passenger got up from his seat when the seatbelt line is on, even in smooth air.

I think most passengers see the race to the bottom, and will typically blame the first person in sight.... and that's the airline.