Delta and United and......

I am bemused and amused at the kerfuffle regarding the airlines over the past week.  First, l'affaire United.

I really haven't followed this as closely as much of the rest of the nation apparently has, bur from what I've read.....

Why is there any sympathy for this guy who was hauled off the plane?  OK, he was upset at having to give up his seat.  He didn't want to take a later flight.  The airline policy, like most corporate airline polices, was not endearing to consumers/customers.  But the guy acted alike a jerk!  He was belligerent and petulant, throwing a tantrum like a little kid.  He refused to leave the plane.  I'm sure the airline personnel on board were pleasant enough in trying to explain to him the reason(s).  But, of course, like so many people today, to this guy it was all about him.  He couldn't be inconvenienced.  That hundreds of other people might be inconvenienced if the last-minute seating of the pilots and/or crew hadn't taken place is not important.  His inconvenience is.  And like a little kid, he forced the issue by requiring he be physically removed from the plane.  I wonder, before he was carted off, if he stamped his feet and said, "No!"  I hope he's put on a no-fly list......

That said, United doesn't get off Scot-free (Is that an ethnic slur?  I don't know nowadays.) either.  For a long time, airlines have overbooked.  I don't know if this was such an instance or if it was the pilot/crew issue.  Still, airlines overbook.

In the first place, why wasn't a bidding war started?  Why didn't United offer, say, $500 for ceding a seat?  OK, $500 doesn't work, try $600.  Keep going up until people begin to bite.  They will, eventually, and my guess it might be sooner than one would imagine.

I understand the overbooking.  It's all about money.  I'm not sure I've ever been on a flight when there weren't offers like this, to give up seats in return for money.  OK, the airlines want to make money.  But haven't they made record amounts of money in each of the past several years, esp since the price of fuel took a nosedive?  They still need to overbook?  What about customers?

And those who are "bumped" are not "bumped" on the basis of when they purchased their tickets.  Nope.  Those who paid more for their tickets, even if they bought them months after others did, are given seats.

Could the disregard for customers stem from the monopolistic/oligopolistic status of the industry?  If so, aren't there regulations regarding that?  If the free market has been curtailed, then......

Delta doesn't escape some criticism here, too.  The storms in the Southeast last week played havoc with air schedules.  But it seemed after a couple of days all of the airlines were pretty much back on track, well, all except Delta.  And after last summer's computer debacle that threw Delta (or its consumers/customers) for a loop, one would think the corporate-types running the show would have learned a few lessons and have the company better prepared.  One would think wrong(ly!).  Karen's flight from Jacksonville, connecting to Columbus, was a horror of horrors.  (Columbus, instead of Detroit because it was more than $500 cheaper!)  She arrived home a day late, which might not have been too bad.  But her luggage arrived her today, Wed.  Sat to Wed for the luggage to be found and delivered.

Coincidentally, we were caught up in last August's mess, too, stranded at Detroit Metro for about eight hours--with all three kids!  Our flight was delayed, delayed, and delayed again.  First, there wasn't a pilot; then one arrived.  Then there weren't enough crew members; by the time the crew was filled, the pilot had "timed out."  When an off-duty crew member offered to work our flight, allowing our flight to take off only four hours late, he was rebuffed for some reason by his superiors--he tried at least!  Three other regularly scheduled flights left on time--before ours!  Instead of making us wait eight hours, why not bump and have just an hour or two (at most) of inconvenience for all of the customers?  By the time we arrived in Las Vegas we had lost a whole day; landing left room for a meal for the kids and then bed time at the hotel.  I must admit we did receive some "Sky Miles" for enduring the debacle, but I'd have preferred getting there on time.

Throughout, though, the personnel were very cordial, friendly, and understanding, in the face of some pretty hostile customers--esp when they discovered other Las Vegas flights were proceeding as scheduled while we waited and waited and waited.  The only problem came when a supervisor arrived--who either refused to confront questions or didn't know the answers.  Hey, he was a supervisor; shouldn't he know the answers?

Aren't their laws against "gouging?"  Parking lots on opening day for the Tigers were gouging.  Michael paid $40 for a parking spot in a lot that we normally pay $10.  Of course, a slice of pizza runs more than $6 doesn't it, a single slice?!?!?!

Airline prices.  Overbooking.  Parking.  Ball park eats.  Once again the little guy seems to take hits.