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Bloodnose posted:I flew United to America this time around because they were shockingly cheap and could route me through SFO rather than horrible LAX. I'll also pay extra for Cathay for this same reason.
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Feb 23, 2014 03:36
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GuestBob posted:It was somewhere in Turkey or Crete I think but I get what you are saying. http://www.counterpunch.org/2009/11/06/inside-the-american-university-of-iraq/ http://www.salon.com/2011/02/16/american_university_iraq/ Was it this school?
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Feb 23, 2014 03:52
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VideoTapir posted:Was it this school? Nope. Not that one. Although it sounds like quite a party.
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Feb 23, 2014 03:58
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I only clap when I do it sarcastically because the pilot was doing a poo poo house job.
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Feb 23, 2014 04:54
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You being somewhat sarcastic? Why I never
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Feb 23, 2014 05:29
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My best experience was Air Canada out of Beijing or Air Japan out of Beijing. The stewardesses are so tiny and speak Engrish in silly ways! The food doesn't suck either! The food is always better going to The USA than coming from the USA. Our airlines are the worst. I'd fly Aeroflot over Delta. Edit: why do airlines make people so angry? What exactly is the cause of the aggression? People don't get angry on trains, generally. Is there such a thing as trolley rage? I've never seen a fight on the subway..
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Feb 23, 2014 17:31
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Worst experience hands down? Air Transat.
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Feb 23, 2014 17:39
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Bloodnose posted:I regret that choice. I wish I had paid $700 more to fly Cathay. United was that awful. How do you do a 14 hour flight without personal televisions in 2014? Get drunk and sleep the whole time, works wonders for jet lag too.
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Feb 23, 2014 18:26
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bad day posted:Edit: why do airlines make people so angry? What exactly is the cause of the aggression? People don't get angry on trains, generally. Is there such a thing as trolley rage? I've never seen a fight on the subway.. Maybe it's that the whole thing is in a different class of unnatural than either ground or sea travel? I have done some sea travel, but never the whole cruise ship thing. I bet you get some delightful behaviors there. Or maybe it is because people take airplanes specifically because they want to get someplace fast and when that expectation is violated people go crazy? It's probably some form of the Duncan principle.
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Feb 23, 2014 19:09
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Feb 23, 2014 21:39
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blinkyzero posted:Wow, what shittastic airplane were they flying that didn't have personal TVs? Every time we've flown United intercontinental (like 6-7 times in the last 3 years) it's been a 777 with all the gizmos. Nice planes. I'd like to see the new Dreamliner when we go home this summer. Well according to that graph up there, you have been. United is objectively the worst airline ever. The shittastic airplane was an old 747, which is apparently standard equipment for their Hong Kong-San Francisco flights.
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Feb 23, 2014 21:59
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Bloodnose posted:Well according to that graph up there, you have been. United is objectively the worst airline ever. Wow, charmed life indeed.
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Feb 24, 2014 00:15
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Airplanes operate with very low humidity in the cabin because aluminum does not play well with water. It's like a desert. It makes people miserable and cranky.
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Feb 24, 2014 00:47
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Arglebargle III posted:Airplanes operate with very low humidity in the cabin because aluminum does not play well with water. It's like a desert. It makes people miserable and cranky. Also it's kind of cold and the seats are bad.
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Feb 24, 2014 00:51
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The whole process of buying tickets, going to the airport, checking in, going through security, getting to the gate, sitting and waiting, shuffling into the crowded plane, sitting for hours, shuffling off the plane, then rushing to get your bags and hoping they're actually there.. the whole thing adds up, too.
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Feb 24, 2014 00:51
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hailthefish posted:The whole process of buying tickets, going to the airport, checking in, going through security, getting to the gate, sitting and waiting, shuffling into the crowded plane, sitting for hours, shuffling off the plane, then rushing to get your bags and hoping they're actually there.. the whole thing adds up, too. I wonder if/how much the TSA and post-9/11 security in general affected the rate of customer complaints about unrelated things on US flights. Things just bother you more if you're in a bad mood.
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Feb 24, 2014 01:33
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VideoTapir posted:I wonder if/how much the TSA and post-9/11 security in general affected the rate of customer complaints about unrelated things on US flights. The TSA stuff isn't really that bad from a time perspective, especially if you get to the airport an hour early like they recommend. Having the airline overbook your flight and then delay you, causing you to miss your connecting flight simply because they can? Now that might be infuriating.
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Feb 24, 2014 04:30
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computer parts posted:The TSA stuff isn't really that bad from a time perspective, especially if you get to the airport an hour early like they recommend. As though increasing the time you had to arrive before a flight is nothing. It's not bad if you don't do anything to get you flagged for additional screening (I somehow got randomly selected 8 times in a row, at that point I'm not sure it was random), and you can overlook how stupid most of it is. But not everyone gets their flight delayed every time. Everyone (at least on the airlines) has to deal with airport security every time. It's raised the baseline level of hassle for the entire flying population. Bringing it back to China...IIRC last time I flew they had a no liquids policy between Beijing and HK. Has that poo poo gone worldwide? Used to be I could look forward to not having to deal with a lot of stuff if I was flying entirely outside the US.
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Feb 24, 2014 04:47
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Each thing by itself is nothing. But the whole process. Having to get up at 4 to leave the hotel by 5 to get to the airport by 6 for a flight that leaves at 8. Then you wait in line to check in and deal with that, but oh we changed our baggage policy and now you have to pay extra for that bag. Fine. Whatever. Then you go through security and it's a line of morons who don't read pushing against you making you feel like you have to strip off your coat and shoes and belt at a million miles an hour and take your laptop out of its case and put it in a separate box and that rear end in a top hat behind you just grabbed the box you were going to use so you grab another box and they make you throw out your travel toothpaste because it's 4 oz instead of 3 and then you get herded through the scanner then you have to gather up all your poo poo again and get your shoes back on and not drop anything or lose anything or have anything get stolen. Then you have to find your gate and you haven't had anything to eat except lovely continental breakfast inhaled at the speed of sound so you go find some food and pay 3 bucks for a bottle of water and $8 for the shittiest breakfast sandwich you ever laid eyes on, then you sit around and wait and hope that nothing goes wrong getting on the flight. Then they call boarding and a bunch of assholes are jumping the line and that motherfucker has a bag you could curl up inside and he's arguing with the gate agent about checking it and those shitlords behind him have a stroller festooned with poo poo that has to get gate checked and then the idiot behind them has another steamer trunk of a carryon but he's getting away with not gate checking it and then you finally get on the plane and there's some rear end in a top hat who's got a seat 15 rows away stashing all his worldly positions in the overhead bin over your seat so you've got to find someplace else for yours and meanwhile traffic is all stopped up. Finally you get to squeeze into the tiny seat and it dawns on you you're stuck in a metal tube full of fucktards for the next six hours. There's a little demon behind you trying to fit his feet up the gap between the back of your seat and the bottom, basically footfucking your butthole, and going "aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa" the whole time and you've asked his mother like six times to talk to him and she looks at you like you're literally hitler. Also the 'food' was nasty, and the optional upgraded meal plan was $12 room-temperature sushi so gently caress that. Your phone battery got critically low about 3 hours in and now you're hoping your ipod will hold out until you land. Meanwhile, Shitstick in front of you has reclined their seat about 15 times in the last half hour and you really have to piss but there's a line for the lav that runs half the length of the plane every so often all the people loitering in the aisles waiting for the toilet have to basically climb on someone's lap to make way for the drink trolley serving its swallows of soda in a plastic cup. Finally, at last, you land, and then you have to deplane, which is all the hassle of getting on the plane in the first place except everyone is rushing rushing rushing and making everything worse. Then you have to -find- the baggage claim except they told you the wrong number and also the B baggage claim is at the other end of the main concourse from the A baggage claim they sent you to and then you finally get there and it takes half an hour before the bags start unloading and then some little old lady starts to grab your bag off the carousel before you can reach it and... The suck adds up.
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Feb 24, 2014 05:29
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People I would not take a trip with: ^^^that guy^^^
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Feb 24, 2014 05:39
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People, I would not take a trip with that guy either
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Feb 24, 2014 06:04
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hailthefish posted:The suck adds up.  Tell us more how you nearly avoided killing a man every time you got on a plane.
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Feb 24, 2014 06:09
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Apparently "Air travel consists of many minor annoyances not encountered elsewhere" = "I NEARLY AVOID KILLING A MAN EVERY TIME I GET ON A PLANE!!!!"
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Feb 24, 2014 06:11
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This chart is hosed up; Delta should be #3 according to the chart, they are weighing arrival times as being more important than complaints and bumped passengers, which is hosed up. It doesn't really matter if the plane shows up on time if you're not on the drat thing.
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Feb 24, 2014 06:15
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bad day posted:This chart is hosed up; Delta should be #3 according to the chart, they are weighing arrival times as being more important than complaints and bumped passengers, which is hosed up. It doesn't really matter if the plane shows up on time if you're not on the drat thing. Yes, it's like when the London bus system after privatizing had trouble with on time routes. They came up with a cunning plan in which they gave drivers bonuses for hitting stops on time. The actual result was buses whizzing past stops full of people waiting in the rain (London and all). Drivers got bonuses though.
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Feb 24, 2014 06:19
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Case in point I really loving hate Delta airlines. I will not pass up any situation to talk poo poo about them, and if they were a person I would punch them in the face. I don't feel this way about any actual human being (other than a certain former employer). I passionately hate them. Just thinking about Delta airlines makes me angry. Their employees are so grumpy, and more often than not they lose my bags. On multiple occasions they have changed my flight at the last minute with nothing but an email to alert me that I have to show up at the airport two hours earlier. I expect it was a mellower profession back in the day when you could just go to the airport, buy a ticket, and get on the plane.
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Feb 24, 2014 06:22
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hailthefish posted:Apparently "Air travel consists of many minor annoyances not encountered elsewhere" = "I NEARLY AVOID KILLING A MAN EVERY TIME I GET ON A PLANE!!!!" Here's how I do it, just for another view. I go to bed early the night before, knowing I have a flight the next day. I make sure to get to the airport early, and always travel light. I have my computer bag with me on the airplane, and maybe another backpack as well, with a few books or something of the sort. I check in, never having once worried if I am going to be bringing too much. Before I go through security, I always look for the nicest known restaurant or food place I can find. Sometimes it is Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Burger King, Wendy's, whatever. If I am in the States, I'll go to whatever pub or brewery is there. I understand I'm paying a bit extra, but the entire day is shot, so I might as well enjoy it. I'll go through security and make pleasant small talk with the person in front or behind me. Maybe it is a guy going to Vegas for the first time, or a woodsmith who is heading back home to Oregon after being in New England for the last three months. I always wish them a safe trip with a genuine smile. After going through security, I make sure to thank the people who are working there for their service. They are usually pretty serious people, but they seem to appreciate that. I go to find my gate, and stop at any bookseller I can find on the way there to see what books may be new. I love buying books at airports. Can't explain it, but I do. If I find another eatery, or at least a place to grab some good snacks, I will. I know my flight coming up will probably be bare bones. I understand that, because I am literally sitting in a seat 30,000 feet above the planet I live on. Anything I get on it goes in the win column. If I am wearing something nice at this point, I will change into sweatpants and a sweatshirt, and probably throw sandals on. When it is time to board the plane, I let everyone rush, push and shove their way to the gate while I sit, sipping on whatever I am drinking and reading my book or playing on my phone. Ideally I have a window or an aisle seat, and if it is not a full flight by the time I get on, I will just go straight to the back and look for an entire row to myself. I can usually put a bag above me at that point, and I will keep my computer bag under the seat in front of me. When I first get on I will inquire as to the drink service and see if I can get a beer, smiling. Usually, that's no problem. I'll read my book until the plane takes off. I have my own headphones and will watch whatever is on in front of me, or watch something on my computer. I will have been charging my computer and my phone while I wait at the gate, so I am not worried about it running out of power. I will take absolutely as much as they will give me, which I've learned the longer the flight, the more likely they are to give something. I'll sleep, I'll watch a movie, I'll look out the window, I'll read the book I just picked up. I will lay back in my comfortable clothes and realize I have no other choice but to simply enjoy my life inside this airplane. The plane is moving, and I am inside of it, and I will not be going anywhere anytime soon, so I take what they will give me and live my life happily in my own little row of seats. The plane will land and I will let everyone push, shove and obnoxiously try to deplane all at the same time. I will almost always be the last one out of the plane. I have no bags that I checked, but if I do, I casually make my way there. I don't mind waiting in lines at immigration, in fact I find it rather interesting to see the people who are waiting, trying to guess where they are from, what they do for a living, and wonder all kinds of interesting things about them. I leave the airport quite refreshed after having a really great and relaxing trip and enter the city or country, wherever I am, with a smile on my face, knowing that I have just traveled an extremely far distance that 100 years ago would probably have been impossible in this time frame. I wonder what technology the world will bring us in the future. I hope to myself that I am alive to see it when it arrives. I take a deep breath of air as I leave the airport. I have arrived safely, and I am grateful for that, just another place to explore, another adventure to be had, another aspect of my life for me to experience. Life is good, and I am happy.
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Feb 24, 2014 06:55
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This is 99% similar to what I do as well, except I'm not as sappy about it or as optimistic about the future.
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Feb 24, 2014 07:23
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MeramJert posted:This is 99% similar to what I do as well, except I'm not as sappy about it or as optimistic about the future. If you're going to have an entire day literally shot with absolutely nothing to do and everything is out of your control, I think it is best if you try to be optimistic and sappy.
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Feb 24, 2014 07:35
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A lot of that assumes you can sleep on an airplane.
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Feb 24, 2014 08:04
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synertia posted:A lot of that assumes you can sleep on an airplane. And I can't. But if it is a 13 hour flight I pass out eventually for a little bit, in my own row, laying down.
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Feb 24, 2014 08:09
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I too dislike long flights.
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Feb 24, 2014 08:41
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goldboilermark posted:I take a deep breath of air as I leave the airport. I have arrived safely, and I am grateful for that, just another place to explore, another adventure to be had, another aspect of my life for me to experience. Life is good, and I am happy. Ah, that explains it. I just figured out how you can be so happy about flying. You wouldn't be taking a deep breath of air if you just landed in, say, Beijing. In this example, you have just flown out of China. This makes everyone happy.
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Feb 24, 2014 09:56
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Haha you buy actual books. In the 21st Century.
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Feb 24, 2014 11:18
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goldboilermark posted:I'll go through security and make pleasant small talk with the person in front or behind me. Maybe it is a guy going to Vegas for the first time, or a woodsmith who is heading back home to Oregon after being in New England for the last three months. I always wish them a safe trip with a genuine smile. Speaking on behalf of British people everywhere, please don't do this. You have no idea of the horror we feel when this sort of thing happens. GuestBob fucked around with this message at 12:31 on Feb 24, 2014 |
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Feb 24, 2014 12:23
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I am so jealous of people who can sleep on planes. I literally wanted to kill myself the last time I was on a long flight by about hour 14.
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Feb 24, 2014 13:06
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GuestBob posted:Speaking on behalf of British people everywhere, please don't do this. The real reason for the British Empire was to subjugate the entire world so that the British could force everyone to shut up and not talk to them.
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Feb 24, 2014 13:09
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blinkyzero posted:The real reason for the British Empire was to subjugate the entire world so that the British could force everyone to shut up and not talk to them. Look at it this way, if your average Empire builder enjoyed talking to others more then half of us wouldn't have jobs now would we. Everything would be in Urdu or somesuch gibberish. [edit] Oh Jesus, God! It's just struck me. I am not helping at all, I'm just making it worse! :weep: GuestBob fucked around with this message at 13:33 on Feb 24, 2014 |
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Feb 24, 2014 13:22
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GuestBob posted:Speaking on behalf of British people everywhere, please don't do this. I like random conversations, and am also British. I just don't want to seem imposing if the other person doesn't want to converse, so I never try to start them.
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Feb 24, 2014 14:06
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simplefish posted:I like random conversations, and am also British. I just don't want to seem imposing if the other person doesn't want to converse, so I never try to start them. If one ever started you'd probably change this opinion.
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Feb 24, 2014 14:16
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