NBC Article on airline industry

I just finished reading this article.

https://www.nbcnews.com/specials/airplane-mode

True, flying is not much fun anymore. Seats are smaller and amenities are generally extra cost.

However, having flown in the past, air travel is far cheaper than in the past.

By and large, far more accurate than most reporting on the airline industry. But, a few errors:

And the experience is even faster if you’ve paid $179 for an annual membership in Clear, a service that allows members to shortcut security checkpoints using fingerprint scanning.

This makes it seem that you don't have to go through the WTMD or X-ray scanners. Nope, it just means that machines scan you into line rather than a TSA agent checking your BP and ID. The main reason why it is faster IMO....fewer people have ponied up for Clear rather than Pre-Check/Global Entry.

A standard Boeing 767 that had 34 inches of “legroom” in the 1980s now has 31 inches...And a seat on the same jet, once measuring 20 inches wide, is now just a smidgen over 17 inches.

Nope. 767s have been 2-3-2 since introduction. And are 2-3-2 today. How that seat supposedly shrank over time is a good question. Same with 757 and 737. Now, had they been talking about 747 seats, that's a different story.

The story about the woman wanting a weekend with her parents? Again, it's the old "How can it be weather when it's sunny outside?". She got caught in weather that affected the system, including aircraft and crews. But somehow she wants Delta to miraculously fly her - she acts like she's entitled just because.

But otherwise, pretty good.

For those who don't have time, and would like a condensed version of this article:

"Flying Sucks."

Thanks for sharing this article.

Keith

I still remember how expensive air travel was in the past. I lived in Germany in the late 80s and early 90s and paid to fly my son from Atlanta every Summer. I paid more then than I do now for most of our transatlantic flights, and the value of the dollar was a lot stronger back then. Also, my income was about 1/4 of what it is today and I am retired.

Everyone yearns for the good old days.. Really -- flying has never been fun.

Remembering a 707 and how packed it was

Remembering when there was no business class. Everyone flew in the back.

Fairchild Turbo props

Remembering Southern Airways, Piedmont -- and milk runs in the South and Delivering the mail on Texas International when stopping in Waco, Big Springs, Lubbock and finally getting to my final destination (Clovis NM).

We know of at least one frequent poster who always seems to have good things to say about the US Airlines.....and we hope that person will comment on the article :). Personally, we have no time for American and United and tolerate Delta. Southwest, JetBlue and Alaska seem to be among the best of the domestic airlines. When booking international flights we always try to use foreign carriers...quite a few of which still have some understanding of service and a little comfort (if there is such a thing on a plane.

Hank

Don't know if I'm that "one frequent poster" or not. For all the complaints about USA airlines, I will say this. No other set of competing carriers moves as many people to as many destinations with as many flights as DL, UA, AA and WN. You like BA - they fly to only half the destinations of AA/UA/DL. Ditto for Emirates. Cathay - About 1/5 the destinations. Singapore - about 1/6.

They have optimized their operations to match the demands of the flying masses (cheapest tickets and who cares about the service) and the needs of businesses to move people around the country efficiently.

Are there "better" airlines? Yep. Are there "worse"? Yep. Is it fair to compare the Etihad Residence with a CRJ going from LAX to Tucson - nope.

I am far from a "defender" of USA carriers - they often do things that I wouldn't. And sometimes they are maddening. But it is still an amazing piece of coordination to move (in Delta's case) 800+ aircraft around the world, synched with 80,000+ employees, on 5000+ flights daily, and moving over 120 million people a year.

Wow. The author simply sounds bitter at the fact that there are ways to have a better travel experience if you can pay a little more, be it for first class, for PreCheck or Clear, or whatever, and makes general inflammatory statements that aren't accurate, just to make the article sound better (i.e. make flying sound worse. Ex. talking about how regular pax have to shuffle through first class to board and see others enjoying cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and warm towels in the process. Nope. If you are on a flight where pax up front are getting hors d'oeuvres and warm towels, you aren't walking through their cabin to board, because on that aircraft the entrance is behind business class, not in front of it.

The article started with a question and I can say:

I LOVE TO FLY!!!!

I actually disagree with Paul in one respect in reference to his comments about Southern and Piedmont. Neither were as horrific as Eastern or Agony. Back then, one could actually fly and get to a lot of destinations they can't today. Now it's often fly to the nearest city and rent a car and drive and drive. The government does subsidize some smaller airlines, Cape Air for example, to provide service to some smaller markets, but even that service is limited. I totally understand the economics of the situation and the advantages of deregulation for that industry. Just saying I wish there was a better midpoint between what we had in the 70s and were we are today. We frequent flyers are just trapped in a world wherein the overwhelming majority only fly once per year and they only care about price.

Had a great uncle who flew China Clippers for PanAm, now that was long haul luxury out of LaGuardia.

We know of at least one frequent poster who always seems to have good things to say about the US Airlines.....and we hope that person will comment on the article :). Personally, we have no time for American and United and tolerate Delta. Southwest, JetBlue and Alaska seem to be among the best of the domestic airlines. When booking international flights we always try to use foreign carriers...quite a few of which still have some understanding of service and a little comfort (if there is such a thing on a plane.

 

Hank

I would rate the three major US airlines

1)Delta

2)United

3)American

We have traveled on foreign airlines as well and I am fond of Air France. Of course, I never was flying into Paris where there was a strike either.

We found Virgin Australia and Korean Air Lines to be excellent.

Lufthansa was pretty good.

Don't know if I'm that "one frequent poster" or not. For all the complaints about USA airlines, I will say this. No other set of competing carriers moves as many people to as many destinations with as many flights as DL, UA, AA and WN. You like BA - they fly to only half the destinations of AA/UA/DL. Ditto for Emirates. Cathay - About 1/5 the destinations. Singapore - about 1/6.

 

They have optimized their operations to match the demands of the flying masses (cheapest tickets and who cares about the service) and the needs of businesses to move people around the country efficiently.

 

Are there "better" airlines? Yep. Are there "worse"? Yep. Is it fair to compare the Etihad Residence with a CRJ going from LAX to Tucson - nope.

 

I am far from a "defender" of USA carriers - they often do things that I wouldn't. And sometimes they are maddening. But it is still an amazing piece of coordination to move (in Delta's case) 800+ aircraft around the world, synched with 80,000+ employees, on 5000+ flights daily, and moving over 120 million people a year.

You are so right! I still get a little thrill each time that huge plane breaks free from earth and takes me to my vacation starting place 16 hours away. Even the richest prince could not have done that at the start of my life-time (getting old).I took my first flight at about 22 years of age. My grandchild got her first passport at 5 weeks of age and took her first flight somewhere around 5 weeks of age! She has been to 8 foreign countries by age 2 years -- can't do that without the very crowded planes we now have. I saw my grandparents maybe once every 2 years. My sister sees her grandson by flying from Florida to California maybe every 6 weeks. It is her first priority for her "extra" $.