Airline Ticket Purchase (small rant)

[G-Man]

Purchased tickets via kayak, which put me right on Delta's website where I found the flight I wanted in coach.  Just before making the purchase I was asked if I wanted to upgrade to a coach plus thing for $50 a ticket which would guarantee we sit together, able to choose seats, make changes, etc.  Since this an international flight, I bit.  Make the purchase and then asked if I want insurance.  Never went int'l before and each flight does have a layover so I bit again for $127.  Then I got to choose my seat.  EVERY SEAT HAD A FEE !!!!!  After choosing the least expensive seats with the most amount of legroom I was bitten this time with a fee of $240.  I paid $100 for the opportunity to spend $240.

Insanity.

[ridingron]

I'll bet dollars to doughnuts if you bought 2 seats at the same time they would be separated.  
So you paid more for the add-ons than for the ticket?

[..]

Algorithms aren't your friends in this instance.

It can only get worse.

I haven't flown in years. I'd like to but I'm not willing to put up with the BS from the point of seat purchase onward.

[Jess from VA]

I have not flown much since 911 (once).  But I've flown a lot.

I don't know if this still works (regarding getting seats), but I always showed up extra early (and sober and perfectly fit) and did not do curbside check in, went through the line in the terminal, and requested an exit row (claiming my Air force background ensured I would help people get off the plane in any emergency) (and yes, I know I cannot order alcohol in an exit row seat).

Exit rows always have the most leg room in coach.  They may not have the best view from the window (I always take isle), and they may be noisy over/near the engines.  I dont' care, I just want more room.

Even if you can confirm seats online, I don't think they ever confirm exit row seats, except at the airport where they can visually check you out in person as (physically/mentally) qualified to man the emergency exits.

PS, I had a lot of rough rides, but never actually had to get off a plane via the emergency exits.

Another thing is to carry both ear plugs and shooting muffs.  Wearing both together helps you not hear all the screaming babies and children, and lets you sleep.  Depending on luck, these plugs and muffs can come in handy at motels too.

Standing up and offering to buy red wine for everyone on board age 2 or under doesn't work, and makes some people boo you (but others enthusiastically cheer you).  

It's really something when sitting in the toilet (even with the smells) is a better seat than any seat in coach (except maybe the exit rows).  But if you stay in the toilet too long, they start banging on the door asking what you are doing in there.  

BTW, jet lag is far worse going over than coming back.  All overseas to Europe flights leave in late afternoon, and if you try to get as much sleep as possible, you will minimize jet lag.  Otherwise, your first two days over there are like walking around hung over.

[Oss]

shooting muffs !!  Great idea Jess

Wish I thought of that, I only brought my earplugs and earbuds which did not cover the screaming babies

The stuff I learn here.............

Oss

Yeah we always volunteer for the emergency exit rows but that sometimes means no playing poker on the screen in front of you

[Jess from VA]

BTW, on the shooting muffs.  Do not use the $2 ones that came with your power tools, it may stop some noise, but it will squeeze your head to painfulness in under an hour.

Spend the $20 or so on shooters muffs with soft ear cups, if you plan to wear them for hours on end (or all night on the plane).

I like these.   https://www.amazon.com/Peltor-Sport-Ultimate-Hearing-Protector/dp/B000PW98WO

Be prepared for the stew to tell you you have to take off your music for landing and takeoff.  These don't make music, but they think they do.

[sandy]

Buy ear buds with noise canceling. You don't have to plug them into audio, just turn on the noise canceling feature. They work great on flights and don't take up much space.

[..]

Everyone says screw you to air passengers

https://www.npr.org/2018/07/05/626090518/faa-to-scrunched-passengers-sardine-seats-won-t-be-regulated

[RainMaker]

No worries.  It's Delta so they will probably kick you off the flight and then have to apologize and give you first class tickets to the same destination. 

https://abcnews.go.com/US/family-kicked-off-delta-flight-refusing-give-seat/story?id=47215021

At least it's not United where they drag you off the plane.

[Jess from VA]

For every mile in commercial, I did 5-10 miles in military airlift.

Sometimes, they carted in blocks of commercial-like seats (old and worn and none to clean), but most of the time you got web seating.  It's not luxurious, but you always had more room to yourself, than sardine can commercial.  Often cold, so you carried a jacket, and found a blanket.  And slept good.  And you could usually build a bed/pallet over or under cargo strapped down in the center.







However, the USAF box lunch of a baloney and wonder-bread sandwich was a ripoff at $2.50.  So you waited until you were really hungry and wolfed it down.  



I've decided not to fly commercial again, unless I really have no choice.  The harassment starts in finding a parking lot/space, and continues in outrageous food prices in the terminal, and with homeland security in the que to get on; inspections, shoes, keys, anal probes, strip searches, don't do this, don't do that, you can't have this.  Just like cattle.

I started to baaaa like a sheep, and they didn't like that either.

[John Schmidt]

Jess, we used to call the 141 a cattle car. Going to/from monthly drill it was packed so full there was no way to stretch out on that webbed rigging. Probably did more damage to my back than the accident I was in while on active. I recall the very front had some good seats, not the webbing, but you had to be one of the first ones to board. So, when the bus came to take us to the flightline I used to run for it so I could get a bus seat up front. That let me be the first one off the bus, hence the first one into the plane so I could get one of the good seats. Was kinda funny.....the loadmaster wouldn't let anyone pull rank for one of those seats on his plane. He was in charge, like it or not. After they got to know you and saw how you worked the system, they'd play along. Still got stuck in the webs a few times though.

[Jess from VA]

John, most all my travel was duty (on orders go first, then space A, then retired) all over Europe (and all over Turkey a lot).  C141 to Germany, Spain, Italy, and C130 inside Turkey, Greece and Sicily.  Most of my planes had just a few to maybe 15-20 people, and I could almost always lay down somewhere.  I used the floor more than the webbing.  Except when they installed the blocks of seats (and you could sleep in those). 

When defense counsel (overseas) (my own 2-man shop), I gave myself permission to do all travel in civies.   Qaddafi was blowing things up and shooting people (and after travel in uniform, you could not wear that uniform in public anymore upon arrival.  Everyone wasn't wearing battle dress like now.).  I had several senior officers give me crap about it and then ask to see my orders when I explained I was authorized.  They were just jealous (or numb nuts).   I always wondered if a Capt could figure out to do it, why couldn't a Col figure out how to do it. 

Sleeping on the floor in civies was better than uniform (no one gave you crap about wrinkled khakis and polo  ).  The best bed I ever made was under a chocked giant F111 engine.