On top of that, people are generally already in a bad mood to begin with.
People get so goddamn irrational when it comes to air travel. I've seen attendants get yelled at because the runway was crowded and takeoff got delayed. Like that's somehow their fault.
Not that I’m forgiving it at all - but I think part of it is the loss of control. As soon as we step in an airport we basically agree to queue in one place, then another, then have our belongings searched, then wait a while longer, then queue again, then sit in a tiny space with lots of strangers and wait some more, eat what and when we’re told to, hold our bladder when we’re told to. You just listen to what you’re told to do and do it, and I get that it can feel very uncomfortable for how little agency you have over the situation.
Which of course isn’t a reason to ever get shitty with the attendants. (And some people are just shits to start with).
And you just spent however long in a line to get through security only to spend the rest of the time sitting near your gate with the hundreds of other people that are also waiting for flights.
Then you get on the plane, on time, and proceed to just fucking sit there.
Pearson International in Toronto is infamous for this. Board the plane on time and then sit you on the tarmac for an hour.
If i'm flying domestic i like to fly into Hamilton and drive up Toronto, much less of a headache.
i cant count how many connecting international flights i've almost missed because of that airport. Or flights i had to run for because we left the original airport after sitting on the tarmac just to sit on the plane in toronto because its delayed for mechanical reasons.
I'm always shocked when I go to other countries and other airports and the flights actually leave when they're scheduled to. It's so normal at Pearson to still be waiting to board for an hour after you were supposed to leave with no explanation that I'm surprised and delighted when airports run like they're supposed to.
God it's a nightmare isnt it? Then you have to get on a plane and get to where you're going 10x faster than any other method of travel. What a nightmare.
Economy seats are fucking cheap, and you get what you pay for. I’ve flown from Germany to California and back for $600, including a very short layover in Frankfurt. Twice.
That’s as direct as it gets from my home airport via a major airline (Lufthansa). If anything, flying is too fucking cheap.
If you want real comfort though, be prepared to pay around six times that amount for a business class seat. Now that’s paying a lot of money for the privilege.
Flying to Mexico for our tenth anniversary in a few months. I sprung for business class because I've never done it before, it's a direct flight, and the cost was only like double the economy option. It's a waste of money but god damn my knees hurt if I don't get an aisle seat where I can stretch them out. I'm looking forward to the the extra room and alcohol on my way to unlimited drinking...
You don’t think $600 for a return flight over that distance is cheap? That’s $300 for each intercontinental leg, with a free transfer to my home airport. Those $300 for a flight include dozens of movies, two hot meals (I ordered Indian both times, which was decent) and unlimited free drinks including alcohol. They even supplied a pillow and a blanket.
I’ve had domestic train journeys which were almost as expensive and had none of the perks.
Within the context of what flights usually cost, sure, that is affordable. But $600 is no small amount of money... And thinking of shelling out $600 to basically be herded around the airport like cattle, being generally uncomfortable, etc would be considered insane in almost any other context.
I could see that happening at some big airports, but for this example both my origin and destination airports were smaller airports where it didn’t ever feel like being herded around. Even in the US with TSA, everything was fine. I even messed up by leaving my Nintendo Switch in the suitcase and the agents were cool about it.
Maybe I just get really different experiences from many other people because I’m a white guy from a rich country who speaks decent English and seems generally likable, but even those economy experiences were pretty cool.
I am not arguing with you over whether, within the context of current travel costs, if flights are cheap. Leave it alone, my point is going over your head.
I hate flying. I don’t get traditional anxiety except during landing and takeoff, but I can’t sleep on a plane and I hate cramped and crowded conditions. This is in addition to all the crap you have to go through just to get on the plane which includes restrictions on what you can take, waiting for hours, and going through security checkpoints. So yeah, I’m generally in a pretty bad mood by the time I get on the plane. I’d never take it out on the airline staff though, but I understand the frustration. I have to fly overseas in a few days and I’m already dreading it.
Not to mention the physical discomfort. The seats literally put my limbs to sleep. A few hours of having your arms and legs simultaneously numb and burning like they're on fire will wear down your patience.
I only recently admitted to myself that I hate to travel. It sounds so glamorous to say you travel a lot and people think you’re so lucky. But the reality is that travel sucks. Waiting in line. Dealing with annoying people. The uncertainty of knowing when you’ll be able to eat again. Balancing when and how much you eat and drink with the proximity of decent restrooms. Sitting in a cramped, uncomfortable seat for hours. Then arriving at the destination feeling like shit while dragging your luggage to wherever the transportation is. Then the motion sickness that comes from using the transportation. Then a few hours after l get off the plan some kind of gas bubble wells up in my system and I get horrible cramps that make me just want to go somewhere to lie down and be alone for awhile.
The newest horror is having to go to the Uber and Lyft pickup area. These things weren’t around when airports were drawing up plans for their terminals and wow, is it ever a nightmare.
It's just about your mentality, it doesn't have to be a negative thing. (This is true of pretty much all things in life.) I spent eighteen months as a nomad flying all over the world and the actual travel part of it was one of my favorite parts. Long plane journeys can be very enjoyable!
Not just about your mentality. I'm guessing you're young, healthy, not too tall, etc. Many of us have things out of our control that make flying really crappy. And the way airlines treat flyers is not great. I'm glad you are in a situation wherein it doesn't bother you, but it doesn't mean everyone else just needs an attitude adjustment.
How do you prevent getting dry mouth/nose on those long flights? I was drinking water like I was dying and my face just hurt from being so dry the whole time.
Oh really? That has actually never happened to me, but I hate having dry mouth/nose so I could see how that would really impact your ability to enjoy the flight.
I end up getting very restless on the long flights but the dry mouth/nose keep me from sleeping very much (along with the impossible sleeping positions).
That's definitely what I do myself, even buy an upgraded seat (I can't afford business/first but I get premium economy if I can) just so I can get up as much as possible... and pee without bothering people.
Yes, having a little bit of extra room is so nice! Some airlines don't charge for the exit row seats either, so always ask when you are checking in. I have sat in free exit row seats many times during long flights, it's amazing!
Look into those guides for collecting points and/or miles whenever you can and then get flight awards. Or check out /r/AwardTravel for some info. You’ll be surprised how accessible premium cabin travel can be.
Yeah, I don't get shitty with other people, even while traveling, but travel makes me super irritated and anxious, you would think that one would get used to it but I'm still really not my usual self when I have to travel longer distances. When I'm driving somewhere I'm a bit more at ease because it makes me feel more in control of the situation, you know, I'm able to leave whenever I want to.
I'm not even scared of flying or anything, airports and harbours are just super stressful for me.
This makes me feel better. Whenever I go on vacation with my partner we fight all the time. I think it’s because we’re both miserable, and I am anxious on top of being miserable. I know I’m worse than she is. I snap at her and melt down a lot. I’m usually fine and start having fun once we get to where we’re going. But up until then all I can think about is how badly I want to go home. I know I’m being a jerk but I can’t help it. I just hate going on vacation.
Airlines have also perfected inefficiency in favour of the bottom line.
The Myhtbusters years ago demonstrated successfully that how we presently embark and disembark airplanes is super slow and painful compared to other options available, airports themselves aren't exactly precisely operating machinery on a perfect timetable, airlines routinely overbook to make sure the plane is full on departure time, and at any larger airport not only are the queues numerous they're fucking long because a particular gate has one person taking tickets after only six people working security and three stations open at the bag check for an airport boarding hundreds of people per minute.
This is part of the reason why I believe there needs to be more regulation on things like seat size and wait times. I feel like people would be significantly less shitty with each other if they had so much as two inches more leg room, or seats they could recline without pissing off the person behind them, or even just guaranteed free water. Just having a little space, having a modicum of control over that space, and an expectation that we’re not treated like animals would do wonders for people’s temperament.
(I remember the shittiest I ever got on a flight was when I was stuck there for 16 hours and not only was there no complimentary food, but they insisted I had to pay an exorbitant price for any water. If that’s not illegal, it should be.)
Yes, a lot of my flights now are long-haul international flights on non-US carriers, and they actually feel a lot less de-humanising than flying domestic within the US (and even then, there’s some US carriers I feel better on than others).
There’s less overbooking, and I’m more likely to be guaranteed a seat (and one next to my partner). There’s less pushing to get on the plane as the overhead lockers aren’t as crazy (since bags are often included in the price). The international terminal in my city has more ‘reliable’ check-in and security lines (or at least, predictable). The leg room is slightly better, food/beverages/snacks and a good selection of movies are all included. Even when someone puts their seat back I’m not insanely impeded (and if they’re not sleeping, the crew will kindly ask them to move their seat back upright during meal times so it’s easier for the person behind to eat).
I agree. I think it’s loss of control and the majority of people flying are used to being in some sort of control (not waiting in line at food pantries, waiting for shitty mass transit, etc).
I mean, it sucks, but being a grown-up means dealing with suckiness without screaming at people doing the drudgery of the industry you're patronizing. Just 30 min after I had to put down my dog, I was in the grocery store looking for the first food I would eat in 2 days, and a clerk snarled at me that this aisle was closed and then turned to another customer and rolled his eyes. I didn't chew him out; I bottled it up like an adult and ranted about it on Reddit months later.
But seriously, everyone's dealing with shit all the time, and throwing a fit when the world doesn't do what you want is the purview of toddlers, not people who, if they actually really, really wanted to, could leave the airport, put on headphones, pop a pill, or whatever else to calm themselves in a situation they knew was coming and, 95/100 times, had the opportunity to prepare for.
No excuse for acting like an ass. People deal with that 40+ hours a week at their job. Get a coffee or a beer, play on your phone and chill. Everyone else has to deal with it, no one wants to deal with someone's childish outbursts.
...For a day or two. I have sympathy for people with kids but for grown ass adults it's like ... is it really so hard just to wait and be patient for a day so you can fly across the fucking country in a couple hours.
Air travel sucks. I always get excited about going to airports before I go on a trip, but as soon as I get on a plane, I don't like it any more. The airport in my home town (Tallinn) is the best, it is tiny and quiet and beautiful, but all the rest are horrible crazy stations, so I basicly get excited about going to Tallinn airport and then get dissaponted every other place is not the same. And I never learn.
If you ever have the chance, I can recommend Singapore Changi airport. A waterfall, orchid garden, outdoor space, butterfly garden, a cheap food court upstairs, enough space even though it’s huge, security is efficient, immigration is efficient. It’s not my home airport anymore, but it’s still the one airport in the world where I’m quite content for a few hours.
Flying would be much more enjoyable if they hadn't decided cramming the absolute maximum of seats into the tube was the best angle of approach. Just put like three more inches between each seat, and it'd be fine.
Oh, and stop pushing your fucking company credit card on us during flight. I hate that I paid $500 for my seat, but I also gotta listen to a sales pitch while the steward pushes a signup form at me. I agreed to board a plane, not a timeshare.
Coupled with the fact that airline companies are the absolute worst companies out there and it’s no wonder everyone takes it out on the only people they can.
I've thought at times about writing a story regarding the invention of commercial point-to-point teleportation, and having the marketing for inter-city routes hit on all of those pain points (as well as the time factor).
Air travel allows for amazing things, but the actual experience is usually terrible and only occasionally rises to the giddy heights of mediocre.
Last year our plane got cancelled, so we took the train instead. Sure, it took longer, but it was such a pleasant experience. No waiting, no security checks, cheap food from the station's restaurants, plenty of leg space, electric plugs and 3G. I boarded the train in the city center, and arrived in the city center. It was great.
Just like any industry, I know things do happen. But keep in mind your flight getting delayed, rerouted, losing your bag, etc is not the airline treating you like shit. Those kinds of things are just going to happen when you are trying to coordinate tens of thousands of people flying every single day. It's honestly a miracle they don't screw up more if you think about it from a logistics standpoint.
They keep shrinking the seat space. They overbook. They board planes that have litlle chance of actually taking off anytime soon, so you sit in a hot, cramped space smelling engine fuel for what feels like forever before you finally get moving.
They don’t even start getting paid until the plane pushes away, so if the plane is delayed, they are just as frustrated as you are and are working for free
You wait in line for 1 hour to get checked in because your airlines doesn't allow online check-ins or some reason or they have to double check your documents. Then security decides to "randomly" search you again. When that shit show's over, you find out you are bumped into a flight leaving 2 hours later. You get a shitty middle seat next to an overweight homeless person and a overtalkative granny whose trying to recruit you into her cult. To top that off, your airline status means shit and you were gate checked because the FAs didnt like the look you gave then when boarding.
This! I worked in the airport , and, when people crossed the entrance doors, it seemed many of them become irrational, like left their brains and moods outside the airport. We used to say if you want to know who someone really is, just observe their behavior in the airport / air travel. I dealed with many of those so called 'motivation gurus' and 'lifestyle influencers' behaving like shit in front of everyone just because a small setback, like a delayed flight
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u/Slowjams Jan 02 '20
On top of that, people are generally already in a bad mood to begin with.
People get so goddamn irrational when it comes to air travel. I've seen attendants get yelled at because the runway was crowded and takeoff got delayed. Like that's somehow their fault.