MD and I are caught up in airline hell with our favorite airline (right!) screwing up once again. I’m posting this on my Treo at the airport. I’ll report on the whole fiasco later. Avoid U.S. Airlines unless you have no other choice, and then think seriously about avoiding them even then.
(Click here to read about our previous experience with the same folks. America West is now U. S Airlines.)
The official website of Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades, low carb pioneers and authors of Protein Power.
Hi Mike–sorry about your hassle–I absolutely detest flying, for all the reasons you have written about, plus the fact that these days you can’t even take food on board (so I am told) unless it is purchased at the terminal (e.g. inflated prices for junky food). I drive whenever I can!
Hi Paul–
Now that I’ve spent over 12 hours on what should have been about a 3 1/2 hour flight, I pretty much detest it myself. Especially when flying U.S. Airlines.
Best–
MRE
Penn Jillette described an experience with the airport security folks in Las Vegas at–
http://www.pennandteller.com/03/coolstuff/pennifile/roadpennfederalvip.html. Don’t worry, there
are few words which might disturb your delicate sensibilities.
Your fan,
Norman
Hi Norman–
I couldn’t get the link to work. Could you double check and resend. I would love to see it as would many readers, I’m sure.
Thanks–
MRE
here is the correct URL:
http://www.pennandteller.com/03/coolstuff/penniphile/roadpennfederalvip.html
Hey George–
Thanks for the URL. Too bad everyone doesn’t have the disposable income and/or the luxury of being readily able to take a later flight and work these swine over every time something like this happens.
I had my own run in with one yesterday. I was wearing a tee shirt and a light fleece shirt over that. The troll standing at the gate told me to take of my “outer garment.” I said it’s a shirt; it’s not a jacket. She snarled, “Take it off, sir, and put it through the X-ray.” Then I went through the metal detector, which didn’t make a sound. After our flight got canceled we went to a restaurant to cool our heels and wait for the next flight. At the appointed time, back we go. I see that the same troll is manning the metal detector so I take off my outer shirt, shoes, and all the same stuff I took off four hours earlier. This time I walk through and the metal detector goes off. They send me back and I walk through and it goes off. I was wearing exactly the same clothes as I was earlier when I went through without a hitch. So then I had to go through the indignity of the search. What a pain.
Cheers–
MRE
Great. I have to fly this week with America West. I wasn’t really looking forward to it, but now I’m dreading it.
Hi Amy–
I”ll pray for you.
Cheers–
MRE
Dont ever accept the free voucher to travel if you get bumped from this airline. I accepted and there are so many blackout dates that I cant fly anytime I want. They advertise it at the time of your bump that you can book a flight anytime within a year. But if you want to fly anytime within a month of a holiday, forget it; blackout dates. They dont tell you this at time of bump. You should demand cash, if bumped
Hi Dr. Eades: I thought of you when I read this from The Washington Post site last Sunday. Were you the Santa Barbara friend who told this author: “Don’t do it. It’s the worst airline in the history of aviation.” Sad article about an outrageous airline.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/12/AR2007101201887_pf.html
Hi David–
Thanks for the link. No, I wasn’t the friend, but I can certainly second the warning. I’ve got four flights ahead of me on US Air over the next week, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed. If they screw up, maybe I’ll try the small claims court method of revenge. Like the people in the article, MD and I too have done the taxi trip to LAX when we were bumped from a flight in SB.
Cheers–
MRE