Has flying become a least reliable mode of transportation?
 

It seems over the years flying has become the go to mode of travel.

We have gone through the airlines growing offering more and more of (_ _ _ fill in the blank _ _).

Then the trend started going the other way with less and less....but still a relatively reliable way to travel.

The last 24 months? An industry disaster.

Or are we victims of media/government/industry manipulation?

I believe there have been too many freebee $$$$ made available to the industry that have created the most serious of business sins.....they have taken the needs of the almighty customer out of the equation.

Billions of $$$$ spent winding up with an unreliable product.

No major study or sourcing.....just how the every day public/customer is being affected.

___________________________________________

:censored:

Like my golf game….lower expectations, less frustration…if you have to be somewhere via air leave day or two earlier….have seen too many disappointed families headed to Disney stranded at airport.

Once upon a time they got you to your destination in a timely manner without many flight cancellations.

Used to be when flying to Florida for cruise we would be ok getting in same day as the cruise leaving.

Now we always get in a day early.

this just in:

It is a mess along with super expensive rental cars if you can get them. If I am within 1,000 miles I drive. I only fly if absolutely necessary and then prepare for the worst.

we drive two days from MA to TV as its not worth the cost and the rental car or the planes, trains and automobiles method of getting back and forth to TV. . . pus we visit family along the way. . win win

Pus? Yellow or green?

:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl::boom:

Now that’s my kind of family visit, a quick stop by squeezed into a two day drive between MA and FL.

Wife and I from UK and are compulsive travelers, but have given up flying in Europe now.
High prices, delays and cancellations, wait for an hour at least for hold bags to reappear, it is really stressful.
We have made a new travel rule.
If we can't get there by car. We're not going!

At the moment we do up to 840 miles by car to avoid planes.

Wonder if the airlines care that so much business is being lost by them.

Couldn't agree more. There are so many layers of paying extra for this and that, so you get the credit card to get a free bag checked in, then you sit in a seat that is made for a child (I'm not a large woman at all), we are so crushed together that the armrests are 1/3 as wide as they used to be, so it hurts to use them. You pay extra for 6" more of legroom, which is still 12 inches too tight. You pay extra for the benefit of boarding early, not taking your shoes off, "free" carry on. You can't even turn around in the bathroom. The aisles are so narrow, you have to turn your carry on sideways. We just came back from Italy and a beautiful vacation was topped off by the worst airline/airport conditions that it was hard to remember what a great time we had. Thank goodness we took a lot of photos! Yes, I'm still a little ****ed.

Thanks
 

Great catch by the grammar and spelling police.. Some people just have no life

not flying anywhere until the mess is straightened out. I'm afraid I'll end up in jail if they delay and then cancel
my flight. I ran a dependable responsible business for 35 years. Not going to put up with the current BS going on now
in the airline industry!

It's just an easy target for the media to catch viewers

Who really knows? I have plenty of complaints about TSA procedures, dirty airports, treatment of passengers by airline and airport personnel, but cancelled flights (or even significantly delayed flights) are not among those complaints. Then again, I fly Sun Country almost exclusively and as of July 22 they're in second place among all American-based airlines in cancelled flights with exactly zero cancellations, tied with Hawaiian Air Lines, Silver Airways and Pacific Coastal for that honor.

One thing I've noticed: It is not uncommon on Sun Country to see less than full flights--something that you rarely see on flights by other airlines (Delta, Southwest). My last trip, MSP to MCO, was maybe only 2/3 full though with the number of raucous kids infesting the plane you'd have sworn it was standing room only. I've heard allegations that there are airlines that will find some excuse not to fly if the number of seats sold for that flight does not reach a certain percentage.

Who knows? In our present win-at-all-costs country I could imagine that happening.

I do agree that airlines will cancel flights if occupancy is under a certain level. They could care less if passengers are inconvenienced

Returned from Ireland in June , landed in Newark. United told us our connection to Orlando was cancelled; they re-routed us to Denver, expecting us to wait there for 4 hrs & then fly to Orlando. NO WAY!! We spent another $400 or so on American, flew into Charlotte for a quick stop & then onto Orlando. I went onto Flighaware or something like that & discovered that for the previous 2 weeks, United had cancelled the same flight from Newark to Orlando. They knew it would likely be cancelled yet sold us a ticket anyway. Now we travel in the Prius.

We're from the upper midwest and it was perhaps 6 yrs ago we opted to fly up and rent a vehicle as friends and family live in 2 states that we'd criss-cross to visit. Then came c-19 and all the "rules" in varying places. Add to that the prices they've implemented. Rental cars are extreme. So a visit for a week would entail the cost of flight, car-rental, motels and eating out. We're older now (some would say elderly but that's perspective) with some health and mobility issues. Oh and not to add to all of the above, but I will, the stress of flights being cancelled or delayed. NO thank you! We'll stay home and let those folks up north come here if they so desire.

Wow talk about lack of concern for their passengers

I used to love to fly in my younger years. I even got my pilot's license. Now I hate to fly. The airports are a cluster, the seats in the planes are getting smaller and smaller and the prices keep going up. It feels more like hearding cattle around now than anything else. Honestly if I never had to fly again it wouldn't bother me.

Not just not reliable. Also, not dependable, uncomfortable, stressful, and a litany of other negatives.

Not worth the aggravation
 

If I never fly again it will be too soon. You can almost take a five hour bus trip and get to your destination as quickly as if you fly. Definitely beat the plane if you leave your home the same time you would leave for the airport and drive the 5-8 hrs yourself especially if you have to stop and change planes.

There should have been only one period (.) after “police.”

A month ago Delta dumped us off at Melbourne Airport with no way to get Orlando. No access to luggage which could only be picked up in Orlando when it finally arrived there. Passengers with carry on only were lucky. But there were a number of families with small children on board, some from outside USA that spoke little English. To add insult to injury the airport was actually closed with no food or transportation available. Great job Delta, your customer service sucks!!!!

Other than that how do you enjoy flying?:bigbow:

Beats riding a tricycle from Fla to Cal, at least I think it does. 😯

I don't know which is worst, flying or having a colonoscopy. On second thought, you can sleep through a colonoscopy.

I retired in 1996.
A million mile member of more than one major US airline.
In "the day" flying was one of the best travel options.

Today it is totally the opposite.

I spent too much of my working life traveling from airport to airport, domestic and international.

Since retiring we have since enjoyed what is between those airports.

I have not been on a plane since the day I retired (January 1996).

_____________________________________________

:censored:

With both you take it up the @$$. But with the colonoscopy, when you wake up you are cleansed and ready for a good meal!

Just flew in from Budapest & Amsterdam and seeing the Passion of Christ in Oberammergau with Gate 1 Tour, paid for it 4 years ago. The tour was fantastic but the trip home was a nightmare. Delta cancelled flights at 8 pm just as we were ready to board in Atlanta for MCO. No warning, they just cancelled and told us to come back at 7am the next day. Traveling now is tough and the airlines blame it on Covid