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jk the sooner fan
2/8/2006, 06:53 PM
so my job requires me to travel to houston now and then......so this morning i venture to love field to experience the "southwest commuter flight"

let me say this......there is nothing that comes as close to perfection in air travel like what southwest airlines has....it could not be any simpler

ok, so explain to me why people are unable to get their fat asses out of airplane seats without grabbing on to the seat in front of them (mine) and pulling on it till my back is parallel with the floor........how the EFF do these people get out of their chairs at home?

so i'm done with my meeting a little after 1pm and i'm reserved to come back on the 5:30 flight.....i walk into the terminal at 2 and at 2:30 i'm seated on the next flight back waiting for us to back up from the terminal

no wonder SWA pwns all the other airlines

so then mr important business commuter is sitting next to me talking on one cell phone while looking up stuff on his blackberry.....the flight attendant has to tell him 3 DAMN TIMES to turn off the damn thing

geez louise mister, i know how important you are, but rules are rules......and im sure you'll be ok for the 40 minutes that you have to turn off your damn cell phone....

C&CDean
2/8/2006, 07:00 PM
Southwest is pretty much meh. But I guess if you're just commuting between Dallas and Houston it's the way to go.

Flying from OKC to Seattle, or NY, or Boston on SW can be done. If you don't mind going through KC, Las Vegas, Phoenix, LA, and Sacramento on the way.

I'm an AA guy. When you die and go to hell, you still gotta go through Dallas on the way.....

mdklatt
2/8/2006, 07:03 PM
so then mr important business commuter is sitting next to me talking on one cell phone while looking up stuff on his blackberry.....the flight attendant has to tell him 3 DAMN TIMES to turn off the damn thing



There was jackhat on my flight home from Atlanta last week that had to have his Blackberry taken out of his hands and stuffed into an overhead bin by the flight attendent. :rolleyes:

I thought those things didn't work anymore? :confused:

jk the sooner fan
2/8/2006, 07:03 PM
oh i like AA as well....but from dallas to houston, you cant beat love field to hobby

if i had to go thru D/FW this morning, would have been much more "painful"

i did think it was funny as we were flying into dallas this afternoon, we went right over the "American Airlines Center"....lol...right in the flight path of Southwest!

GottaHavePride
2/8/2006, 07:03 PM
I've actually had the best luck with United, but I mostly travel to the Chicago/New York area, and Southwest doesn't seem to go there much.

mdklatt
2/8/2006, 07:05 PM
I've actually had the best luck with United, but I mostly travel to the Chicago/New York area, and Southwest doesn't seem to go there much.

Southwest flies to Chicago, and they fly near New York City.

GottaHavePride
2/8/2006, 07:09 PM
Yeah, but it's not usually any cheaper than United.

mdklatt
2/8/2006, 07:16 PM
Yeah, but it's not usually any cheaper than United.

But SWA employees don't have sticks up their asses like most other airline employees. The drawback to flying on Southwest used to be that they skimped on the in-flight food, but everybody does that now.

Hey airline executives, I'll gladly pay an extra $1 if you give me a normal size bag of pretzels and the entire damn can of Coke.

AustinTXHorn
2/8/2006, 07:31 PM
Being able to check in/print out your boarding pass at home was the best invention of all time. Especially when you don't have to check any bags.

jk the sooner fan
2/8/2006, 07:32 PM
here's the other thing

what is it about being on a 40 minute flight that makes people feel THEY MUST have a small drink of soda?

seriously.....is the free coke that big a friggin deal? are you dying of thirst? you've barely got room to cross your arms and now you want to unfold that damn tray and hold onto a 4 ounce plastic cup until she comes around with the trash bag

really, its ok to say "no thanks" when they ask you if you want something

you can get a grown up size drink when you land

Harry Beanbag
2/8/2006, 07:35 PM
I've preferred United and America West for a few years now. I haven't flown since AWA merged with USAir yet so the jury is out on them again. I do know that I once vowed to never fly USAir again.

jk the sooner fan
2/8/2006, 07:36 PM
northwest is the airline that i'll avoid at all costs

Sooner_Bob
2/8/2006, 07:57 PM
here's the other thing

what is it about being on a 40 minute flight that makes people feel THEY MUST have a small drink of soda?

seriously.....is the free coke that big a friggin deal? are you dying of thirst? you've barely got room to cross your arms and now you want to unfold that damn tray and hold onto a 4 ounce plastic cup until she comes around with the trash bag

really, its ok to say "no thanks" when they ask you if you want something

you can get a grown up size drink when you land


I've thought that several times myself . . . especially on an AA flight from OKC to DFW.

mdklatt
2/8/2006, 08:02 PM
I've thought that several times myself . . . especially on an AA flight from OKC to DFW.


Atlanta to OKC, Houston to San Diego--give me the whole damn can!

Sooner_Bob
2/8/2006, 08:09 PM
Atlanta to OKC, Houston to San Diego--give me the whole damn can!


That I can understand and have often asked for the whole can . . . especially on a Delta flight from ABQ to Salt Lake then on to Anchorage.

TUSooner
2/8/2006, 08:23 PM
I like SWA, but I keep thinking I'm about to see someone bring aboard a live chicken in a cage, like on a Mexican bus. (Sorry if you've heard that before.) I really do think that some folks either need to travel lighter or check their stinkin bags.

OUHOMER
2/8/2006, 08:48 PM
I used to hate all the carry on baggage. used to just drive me crazy. until contenintal(SP) put my bag on a later flight. That was not cool. i was on my way home and my trucks were in the bag.

Sooner_Bob
2/8/2006, 08:52 PM
What I hate is the dude who sits in 27F and puts his bag above 12F.

OklahomaTrombone
2/8/2006, 08:57 PM
But SWA employees don't have sticks up their asses like most other airline employees. The drawback to flying on Southwest used to be that they skimped on the in-flight food, but everybody does that now.

Hey airline executives, I'll gladly pay an extra $1 if you give me a normal size bag of pretzels and the entire damn can of Coke.


Continental is now giving out a little half sandwich and bag of chips if you are on a flight that is during dinner or lunch.

Its pretty good.

GottaHavePride
2/8/2006, 08:58 PM
I really do think that some folks either need to travel lighter or check their stinkin bags.

I usually check everything but my trombone. Last time I checked my trombone, the airline baggage handlers managed to crush the bell - I had a concert the next day; it cost serious bucks to get it fixed in a hurry. After that I shelled out $400 for a case that's streamlined enough to go in the overhead bins, and if it won't go there, they put it in the coat closet.

TUSooner
2/8/2006, 10:20 PM
I usually check everything but my trombone. Last time I checked my trombone, the airline baggage handlers managed to crush the bell - I had a concert the next day; it cost serious bucks to get it fixed in a hurry. After that I shelled out $400 for a case that's streamlined enough to go in the overhead bins, and if it won't go there, they put it in the coat closet.
Good thing you don't play the cello. I never flew with my trombone, except in Navy planes, but we loaded our own gear so we knew everything would be OK, even in those occasional sideways landings.

BeetDigger
2/9/2006, 12:01 AM
What I hate is the dude who sits in 27F and puts his bag above 12F.


Major spek.



It's like, carry your own freaking bag back to your seat and leave the overhead above me free for my bags.

Jimminy Crimson
2/9/2006, 12:04 AM
Especially when you don't have to check any bags.

Terrorist Alert!

;)

Sooner Born Sooner Bred
2/9/2006, 12:05 AM
What is the best airline to travel to Cozumel on?

BeetDigger
2/9/2006, 12:05 AM
I get tons of free booze, including free bottles of wine to take home, from flight attendents just by being nice to them. Most folks act like freaking morons to them. When you act like a decent human being, they are taken aback. It's amazing what a good attitude will get you when dealing with the airlines. Hey, it's not the woman at the service counter's fault that the flight was late or canceled. But she sure as hell has the power to get you home on the flight leaving in 45 minutes or the one leaving in 3 hours. Your attitude determines which flight she finds "availablility" on.

Jimminy Crimson
2/9/2006, 12:06 AM
What is the best airline to travel to Cozumel on?

Air Mexico! :texan:

prolly AA

GottaHavePride
2/9/2006, 12:12 AM
Good thing you don't play the cello. I never flew with my trombone, except in Navy planes, but we loaded our own gear so we knew everything would be OK, even in those occasional sideways landings.

Actually, the School of Music is searching for a new string bass professor right now. I had to pick up two of the three candidates from the airport. The last guy that came in had some travel damage and had to play a recital and teach a masterclass on a borrowed bass. (didn't hurt him, though - I think they offered him the job.)

Mjcpr
2/9/2006, 08:58 AM
The beer on airplanes is cheaper than at the Cotton Bowl.

By about half.

Sooner_Bob
2/9/2006, 09:50 AM
I get tons of free booze, including free bottles of wine to take home, from flight attendents just by being nice to them. Most folks act like freaking morons to them. When you act like a decent human being, they are taken aback. It's amazing what a good attitude will get you when dealing with the airlines. Hey, it's not the woman at the service counter's fault that the flight was late or canceled. But she sure as hell has the power to get you home on the flight leaving in 45 minutes or the one leaving in 3 hours. Your attitude determines which flight she finds "availablility" on. I remember this story about a guy who was traveling and was in line at the ticket counter behind a crazed traveller who was berating the counter clerk like you wouldn't believe. Blaming her for mechanical issues, blaming her because he missed a flight, you know the drill. Well when he was finally satisfied that he had knocked on her enough he left. The guy in line behind him stepped up and pretty much apologized to the lady for the way the other dude acted. She said, oh if you think he's mad now, you should wait to see how he acts when he gets back to Dallas and learns that his luggage went to Detroit.

fadada1
2/9/2006, 10:15 AM
there's something about the soda on airplanes that makes you pee. i swear i could fly from philly to NYC, get a cup of coke, and pee 4 times while in the air.

we flew to punta cana last month (3 1/2 hours from philly). i bet i visited the head 7 times on the way down - with one can of coke.

TexasLidig8r
2/9/2006, 10:17 AM
Southwest is usually the bomb for local flights.. but... I was invited to their big, annual party celebrating employees who have been there 10, 20, etc years. Problem is.. I'm in San Diego. My date, a SW employee said.. I'll fly you back. Her assistant emails me the ticket information.

To get back in time for the festivities on Saturday.. it was.. San Diego to Albuquerque... then.. to El Paso.. change planes.. then.. to San Antonio.. change planes... THEN.. to Love Field...

Flying succs.. I can't wait until they perfect those Star Trek matter descrambler transporter thingies.. and NOT like in The Fly.

TheHumanAlphabet
2/9/2006, 12:38 PM
so then mr important business commuter is sitting next to me talking on one cell phone while looking up stuff on his blackberry.....the flight attendant has to tell him 3 DAMN TIMES to turn off the damn thing...

If he was sooo important, then he would be flying a major scheduled airline and sitting in First from all the miles he has accrued because of that automatic upgrade. Can't think of a reason I would fly SWA, err, cattle car airline. I have never found their fares that good (CO usually equals them). Airline was not very flattering to them, IMO.

Joke airline names...

Northwest = Northworst
US Airways = US Scareways
Delta = don't know...
Continental = used to be Crapinental, don't know now (no complaints here)
United = don't know (people call the first class product employee elite)
AA = anti-airline
America West = America Waste

Sooner_Bob
2/9/2006, 12:49 PM
I thought America West = America Worst :D

mdklatt
2/9/2006, 01:08 PM
To get back in time for the festivities on Saturday.. it was.. San Diego to Albuquerque... then.. to El Paso.. change planes.. then.. to San Antonio.. change planes... THEN.. to Love Field...




http://www.fightwright.org/

mdklatt
2/9/2006, 01:25 PM
Can't think of a reason I would fly SWA, err, cattle car airline.

If you've never flown on SWA, what makes you think they're any worse than any other airline?

Other airlines are all scrambling to match Southwest's fares, not the other way around. The problem is that, unlike SWA, they can't make money with fares that low. So where exactly are they cutting corners? Food and beverage service, obviously. Squeezing every last minute of duty time out of the flight crews, and trying to get regulation changes to squeeze out even more--and all the while the flight crews are taking pay cuts. I don't even want to think about maintenance.

On a dark and stormy night with an approach to minimums on the fourth or fifth leg of a day that started at 4:30 am, I'd rather have pilots that weren't preoccupied with furloughs, pay cuts, and losing their pensions. But that's just me.

jk the sooner fan
2/9/2006, 01:28 PM
i had just as much room on the southwest airlines plane that i have on any american airlines flight

a seat on an airplane is what it is.....

i guess the "sit wherever you want" thing is what bothers people.....but really, what difference does it make?

the left side gets there same time as the right side

1stTimeCaller
2/9/2006, 01:32 PM
In my experience SWA has the best turnaround time at the gate. They get off, you get on the pilot pushes some buttons and away you go. I've never had a bad experience with any airline but I'm pretty easy going, get there early and have learned to stand in line.

Sooner_Bob
2/9/2006, 01:32 PM
but the front gets there before the back. :P

Partial Qualifier
2/9/2006, 01:48 PM
http://www.soonerfans.com/forums/image.php?u=36957


I usually check everything but my trombone. Last time I checked my trombone, zee airline baggage handleurs manage to crush zee bell - I had a concert the next day; it cost some serious bucks to get it fixed in zee hurry. After that I shell out $400 for a case streamlined enough to go in zee overhead bins, and if it won't go there, zey put it in zee coat closet.

TheHumanAlphabet
2/9/2006, 02:17 PM
If you've never flown on SWA, what makes you think they're any worse than any other airline?



I want upgrade to First...

I want to be able to redeem my miles for international travel...

I want a club to relax in while at the airport...

I want a guaranteed seat that I can preselect and change as I desire...

I want a network affiliation with other airlines that I can book desired desitination to...

BTW, I have flown SWA, once. Not bad, but didn't like the boarding procedure. I have checked fares and on short flights, they were not in the better price to take than CO league...

mdklatt
2/9/2006, 02:30 PM
I want upgrade to First...

I want to be able to redeemmy miles for international travel...

I want a club to relax in while at the airport...



Does Bruce Air give you frequent flier miles when you gas up the Yukon with your credit card?

:D


You've illustrated part of why other airlines have a much, much higher cost structure than Southwest, but yet they don't charge any more for their product. This is why they somehow can't make any money despite selling out almost every flight. As critical as the airline industry is to the economy, the government should think about re-regulating it if the dimwits running things now don't pull their heads out of their asses.

Mjcpr
2/9/2006, 02:31 PM
What would be the harm in letting a couple of them fold? It's survival of the fittest isn't it? If the market can't support the number of airlines, then something has to give.

TheHumanAlphabet
2/9/2006, 02:58 PM
After speaking with Larry Kellner (CO President) at a recent Frequent Flyers Advisory council meeting, he stated the very same thing. They fully expect one of the 5 majors to fold/merge into 4 mainline carriers. Odds are that Delta/Northwest would merge. The Main line carriers most likely would be Continental, American, Northwest/Delta, United/US Airways. Possibly United could make it on its own. The new US Airways seems to be doing okay with its pared down schedule.

Mjcpr
2/9/2006, 03:07 PM
After speaking with Larry Kellner (CO President) at a recent Frequent Flyers Advisory council meeting, he stated the very same thing.

If any airlines are looking for a President and are offering a 7 figure salary (or 6), I'm available.

:)

mdklatt
2/9/2006, 03:20 PM
What would be the harm in letting a couple of them fold? It's survival of the fittest isn't it? If the market can't support the number of airlines, then something has to give.

When other businesses start cutting corners they're less likely to kill their customers and innocent bystanders on the ground. In an ideal world airlines would never go so far as to do something unsafe to save a buck. Do think we live in an ideal world? Exactly. Airlines are more akin to utilities than a regular business, and protecting the public is one of the few things the government should be doing.

I will stand behind the US airline industry as being the safest in the world by far, and I would not hestitate to fly on the most cash-strapped airline. But you can only have so many airlines scrounging for pennies for so long before something happens. Hell, there have already been accidents where cost-cutting may have been a factor.

BeetDigger
2/9/2006, 04:29 PM
but the front gets there before the back. :P


Heh. But actually, it doesn't if the terminal has the dual jetway configuration. I love those. I'm not sitting there forever waiting for the front passengers to get off of the plane.

For commuter flights, SWA is the bomb. I love their system.

For long flights, I have no problem with the others, as long as it is a direct flight.

colleyvillesooner
2/9/2006, 04:37 PM
I'm thinking of using SW for the OU/Mizzou game this year since they now fly to Kansas City.

mdklatt
2/9/2006, 04:43 PM
I'm thinking of using SW for the OU/Mizzou game this year since they now fly to Kansas City.

The game's at Arrowhead?

NormanPride
2/9/2006, 04:54 PM
Has anyone used Ding? That little thing is amazingly cool. I bought a flight to San Antonio from Tulsa, then found a better fair on Ding and saved about $100. Their pricing structure is sheer genius. Basic economics at its very best!

C&CDean
2/9/2006, 05:02 PM
If any airlines are looking for a President and are offering a 7 figure salary (or 6), I'm available.

:)

Sorry, but Gay Air went bankrupt.

colleyvillesooner
2/9/2006, 05:26 PM
The game's at Arrowhead?

No, but I'll stay there. I'll drive to Columbia. I think it's under 2 hour drive.

mdklatt
2/9/2006, 05:30 PM
No, but I'll stay there. I'll drive to Columbia. I think it's under 2 hour drive.

I think Columbia is closer to St. Louis, but not by much if it is.

colleyvillesooner
2/9/2006, 05:31 PM
I think Columbia is closer to St. Louis, but not by much if it is.

yeah, I mapquested it and it was pretty much equal from each place, plus the gf likes Kansas City.

OUTromBoNado
2/9/2006, 07:35 PM
When I flew to down to Houston a couple of years ago for a wedding, SWA was awesome. Except, I had a commuter flight that went from Tulsa-Love Field-Hobby. And it was early. Neither leg was long enough for me to get much sleep.

But I did have a non-stop going home.

That was the first time I'd flown since 1997. I don't get to travel much.

jk the sooner fan
2/25/2006, 05:59 PM
so i'm in the D/FW airport last week, headed to atlanta.......the gate next to us is boarding a flight for San Antonio

the gate attendant announces "this flight is EXTREMELY full"

ok, there are X amount of seats on the plane, once they are all obligated, the flight is simply FULL

it cant be anymore fuller than full......

TheHumanAlphabet
2/26/2006, 06:14 AM
I'm not so sure about that...I bet if you had waited for a while, you would be hearing the announcement for volunteers to be bumped. My last flight from Paris CDG, I was speaking with an FA and I was discussing with her how many flights internationally in BusinessFirst have been completely full. She mentioned their load has gone up and that they have been involuntarily denying boarding to BizFirst customers. Amazing! depending on destination those seats go for $4-7K. Somebody is doing a lot of business and the economics in the U.S. ain't so bad as some press wants to make it out to be... My last flight from Paris was full in BisFirst and my trip to Korea, both ways is full in BizFirst, in fact I am waitlisted for first on my leg to Pusan from Tokyo.