Wednesday, June 27, 2007

good ol' American air, koff-koff


(click on cartoon to see it in larger form)
(You can see Boyonastick cartoons from Steven L. Cloud HERE )

IN MY HUMBLE OPINION ...

...the airline industry in America is one of the worst industries ever. Does this make me a poor citizen? I know that some people think that if you criticize anything about the country you're practically a traitor. Well, if detesting the US system of straining people through a nightmarish tunnel, and then throwing them across the country, be treason, make the most of it!

Everyone who flies or even flies occasionally on the airlines in this country has a story about being abused and neglected, or about lost luggage, or damaged luggage, or being bumped, or being delayed, or some other travesty. The sad fact about these things is that they're everyday occurrences and when you mention them, people think, "Oh, pooh, that's nothing, wait'll you hear what happened to me."

This is why I wish the government would stop supporting our airlines with billions and billions of dollars and let them go broke. Then, invite in Lufthansa or Air France or Korean Airlines, and run the system properly. The worst that could happen is that tons of American managers, trained in the Beavis-and-Butthead School of Business, would be unemployed and have to live off their fat bank accounts for awhile.

I see that people were trapped on another airplane for four or five hours. I see that another plane was grounded because another child threw a tantrum. CLICK

And, our friend from Carolina, Marsha, was bamboozled by Delta (this time). I sincerely hope she writes at least briefly about her experience. Her last words to me on the subject were: "The flight that was supposed to get me home at 6:30 last night actually landed in Columbia at 12:18."

You are invited to tell the world about your experiences, if you wish. We all want to hear them. Then I'll tell you about being bumped from a flight we booked 6 months in advance, in Miami, then getting put on the same flight by going on "stand-by." Of course someone else had our seats, and we had to sit nowhere near each other, and our luggage went on another plane.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

When I wanted to fly to Lubbock, Texas from Saginaw a few years ago, I found that Continental Airlines flew out of here and into Lubbock. I spent to months trying to arrange a ticket. Best I could get out of Saginaw was $1,200. I could go to Detroit and fly for just under $500. Which I did and boarded the fight which originated in Saginaw. Continental closed their Saginaw services a few months later citeing low customer useage. Alice