Let’s talk airline travel: What pisses you off?

[Quint]

I'm convinced someone in Atlanta gets a big kick out of this everyday.

It’s similar at DFW, except you can get anywhere in 20 mintues or less with the train. Atlanta doesn’t always work like that.

 

[2010sarenevercomingback]

We gonna talk about how Southwest is getting rid of free bags?

 

[Cornicator]

I thought it would interesting to read comments about which airports you thought were surprisingly nice and which ones you felt were a total dump.

For instance, Detroit's airport is much nicer than anything else in or around Detroit. On the contrary, Miami's Airport was surprisingly shitty.

 

[Quint]

I thought it would interesting to read comments about which airports you thought were surprisingly nice and which ones you felt were a total dump.

For instance, Detroit's airport is much nicer than anything else in or around Detroit. On the contrary, Miami's Airport was surprisingly shitty.

Detroit’s was a surprise, especially since I’d flown through prior to the expansion/remodel…when it was a dump.

Charlotte Douglas is a shit hole. There are decent sections of it, but they’ve been working on the damned thing since the Wright Brothers first flight and it’s still jacked up.

 

[SlumpBuster]

I thought it would interesting to read comments about which airports you thought were surprisingly nice and which ones you felt were a total dump.

For instance, Detroit's airport is much nicer than anything else in or around Detroit. On the contrary, Miami's Airport was surprisingly shitty.

Agree on both. Miami is AWFUL. Detroit is one of the best in the country.

 

[Ext. 55]

We gonna talk about how Southwest is getting rid of free bags?

Nobody cares about the poors and their problems.

 

[huskermack]

It's bad enough when you have to take a shit on a plane, but I really hate it when I sit on those little toilets and accidentally sit on my nuts.

 

[TampaBaySkers]

It’s hard to compile enough points for upgrades, preferred boarding etc when all your miles aren’t in one basket. I fly every week, hit 260k miles last year on American and still don’t get upgraded on every flight.

You can flip to delta where Diamond doesn’t mean shit anymore. I’ve been upgrade to first just once out of my last 16 flights.

 

[Quint]

You can flip to delta where Diamond doesn’t mean shit anymore. I’ve been upgrade to first just once out of my last 16 flights.

I'm guessing Delta is a lot like American where if you're flying into Atlanta, you better have a shit ton of miles in addition or you're not getting upgraded. When I don't get upgraded, it's pretty much always flying from Charlotte to Dallas on the way to somewhere else.

Just got back from DC and got upgraded on the way up and back. Doesn't mean much for a 55 minute flight, but I'll still take it.

 

[Seaofred92]

As an AA Exec Platinum living in Charlotte, the upgrade flow typically is as follows:

Monday morning/early afternoon outbound from CLT: Nonexistent (< 25%)

Monday evening outbound from CLT: Decent (~25-33%)

Tuesday outbound/inbound: High likelihood - 75%+

Wednesday inbound/outbound: Moderate likelihood - 40%+

Thursday outbound/inbound: Nonexistent

Friday outbound/inbound: Moderate likelihood

Saturday outbound/inbound: High likelihood

Sunday outbound/inbound: Moderate likelihood

Also a lot of this just depends on the aircraft type and your destination. When I was flying to Westchester, NY Monday evenings for work, I was getting upgraded pretty regularly. But I never got upgraded on my Thursday flight from HPN back to CLT. We wind up in J more often than not flying on the 8:30pm from CLT to Omaha (typically leave Wednesday night) whenever we go to NE for football games or whatever.

If you’re going hub to hub from CLT to DFW or something your upgrade likelihood is small.

In conclusion, a lot of this comes down to expectation setting. If you’re expecting to get a free upgrade every single flight you’re on regardless of departure date and destination, you’re in for a rude awakening.

The benefits of status now are really the priority boarding, free Main Cabin Extra seating (on AA) which includes free alcohol, and free checked bags. Given this, I personally would never really chase status beyond Platinum Pro if I didn’t travel for work as much as I do.

 

[TampaBaySkers]

I'm guessing Delta is a lot like American where if you're flying into Atlanta, you better have a shit ton of miles in addition or you're not getting upgraded. When I don't get upgraded, it's pretty much always flying from Charlotte to Dallas on the way to somewhere else.

Just got back from DC and got upgraded on the way up and back. Doesn't mean much for a 55 minute flight, but I'll still take it.

Used to be, but now I don’t even get upgraded TPA to LAX. I’m 0 for 10 so far. 0 for 2 TPA to SEA. These are direct flights ( no atl) which I used to get upgraded 50% +

I fly a lot to Chicago and Dallas which is a huge pain in the ass on delta. Not worth spending $28k + to rarely get upgraded.

AA just matched me to ExP. I’ll see if they are better. It’s nice being able to use status on Alaska Airlines as well .

 

[Seaofred92]

Used to be, but now I don’t even get upgraded TPA to LAX. I’m 0 for 10 so far. 0 for 2 TPA to SEA. These are direct flights ( no atl) which I used to get upgraded 50% +

I fly a lot to Chicago and Dallas which is a huge pain in the ass on delta. Not worth spending $28k + to rarely get upgraded.

AA just matched me to ExP. I’ll see if they are better. It’s nice being able to use status on Alaska Airlines as well .

Quick spoiler on AA - not better than Delta for anything operationally. May be better for you from an upgrade competition standpoint from TPA but AA truly sucks. No free WiFi btw which is a huge PITA (thankfully my company expenses it for us).

The airlines have gotten smart about offering in-app post purchase upgrade options which kills a ton of the potential upgrade inventory. AA will offer upgrades as low as $49 depending on the aircraft type and availability. It’s pretty ridiculous.

 

[TampaBaySkers]

Quick spoiler on AA - not better than Delta for anything operationally. May be better for you from an upgrade competition standpoint from TPA but AA truly sucks. No free WiFi btw which is a huge PITA (thankfully my company expenses it for us).

The airlines have gotten smart about offering in-app post purchase upgrade options which kills a ton of the potential upgrade inventory. AA will offer upgrades as low as $49 depending on the aircraft type and availability. It’s pretty ridiculous.

Thanks. I’m aware that delta is better than aa. admirals clubs are no sky clubs from what I hear - how bad are admiral clubs?

I can expense wifi so no big deal.

To me status is all about the upgrades. Those trump everything else. If AA sucks then I’ll just stick will delta platinum and use a secondary airline for chi/dallas

How successful have you been using systemwide upgrades for international travel?. Delta’s global upgrades are pretty good

 

[Seaofred92]

Thanks. I’m aware that delta is better than aa. admirals clubs are no sky clubs from what I hear - how bad are admiral clubs?

I can expense wifi so no big deal.

To me status is all about the upgrades. Those trump everything else. If AA sucks then I’ll just stick will delta platinum and use a secondary airline for chi/dallas

How successful have you been using systemwide upgrades for international travel?. Delta’s global upgrades are pretty good

Will be curious to hear whether you have more success getting upgrades on AA from TPA than Delta - circle back on this in ~5-6 months if you don’t mind

The systemwide upgrades are a nice touch and late last year they finally introduced the ability to redeem them online (previously had to call AA customer service which was ridiculous). Unfortunately it only applies to one leg of your journey if you’re connecting, so if you are going TPA-CLT-CDG as an example you’d want to choose CLT-CDG as your “systemwide upgrade” leg and then hope you get upgraded at the airport from TPA-CLT.

The real “hidden” benefit that I pray they don’t take away is the ability to get Main Cabin Extra at booking for no added costs. It essentially has the same perks as business on some flights (especially on the regional jets like the CRJ-900).

Also - the meals are truly “fine” in business - sometimes they are great and sometimes not so much. Have you had Delta’s new in-flight Shake Shack burger in business?

 

[Quint]

As an AA Exec Platinum living in Charlotte, the upgrade flow typically is as follows:

Monday morning/early afternoon outbound from CLT: Nonexistent (< 25%)

Monday evening outbound from CLT: Decent (~25-33%)

Tuesday outbound/inbound: High likelihood - 75%+

Wednesday inbound/outbound: Moderate likelihood - 40%+

Thursday outbound/inbound: Nonexistent

Friday outbound/inbound: Moderate likelihood

Saturday outbound/inbound: High likelihood

Sunday outbound/inbound: Moderate likelihood

Also a lot of this just depends on the aircraft type and your destination. When I was flying to Westchester, NY Monday evenings for work, I was getting upgraded pretty regularly. But I never got upgraded on my Thursday flight from HPN back to CLT. We wind up in J more often than not flying on the 8:30pm from CLT to Omaha (typically leave Wednesday night) whenever we go to NE for football games or whatever.

If you’re going hub to hub from CLT to DFW or something your upgrade likelihood is small.

In conclusion, a lot of this comes down to expectation setting. If you’re expecting to get a free upgrade every single flight you’re on regardless of departure date and destination, you’re in for a rude awakening.

The benefits of status now are really the priority boarding, free Main Cabin Extra seating (on AA) which includes free alcohol, and free checked bags. Given this, I personally would never really chase status beyond Platinum Pro if I didn’t travel for work as much as I do.

I was Platinum Pro for a few years thinking Executive Platinum was going to be the magic bullet. Like you said above, it’s not, but it’s better. Aside from the Group 1 boarding, which is nice, the rewards that pop up for loyalty points are usually decent. I don’t remember which level it was (200k or 250k) but a years membership to the Admirals Club was one of the rewards. I fly weekly and having that is a nice perk. Of course it’s earned by spending too much time on planes and in airports, but I have to do that anyway.

I don’t necessarily think an upgrade should be an automatic for every flight, but I’d like to get one for a CLT to DFW or DFW to CLT flight. Just once wouldn’t suck. It’s particularly nice on longer flights, or when I’ve got a tight connection. The planing/de-planing process is mind numbing to wait for and I’ll always take a seat closer to the front of the plane when I can get it.

 

[Seaofred92]

I was Platinum Pro for a few years thinking Executive Platinum was going to be the magic bullet. Like you said above, it’s not, but it’s better. Aside from the Group 1 boarding, which is nice, the rewards that pop up for loyalty points are usually decent. I don’t remember which level it was (200k or 250k) but a years membership to the Admirals Club was one of the rewards. I fly weekly and having that is a nice perk. Of course it’s earned by spending too much time on planes and in airports, but I have to do that anyway.

I don’t necessarily think an upgrade should be an automatic for every flight, but I’d like to get one for a CLT to DFW or DFW to CLT flight. Just once wouldn’t suck. It’s particularly nice on longer flights, or when I’ve got a tight connection. The planing/de-planing process is mind numbing to wait for and I’ll always take a seat closer to the front of the plane when I can get it.

Yeah it’s a massive benefit when connecting to know you’ll get off almost as soon as you land. And despite every other part of air travel turning into an absolute nightmare the last few years, people actually still respect the first class/business overhead bin space which is really nice

I realized I didn’t answer the question about Admirals Clubs v Sky Clubs, Admiral clubs are just no nonsense if that makes sense. Nothing about it feels elevated but nothing about it feels in poor taste- it’s typically a smaller bar with a few self serve food options (that usually aren’t great - quality pales to a Centurion Lounge as an example) and some self serve non-alcoholic drink options

The one nice part is they usually are great with charging ports there and I never have difficulty finding a seat, so it’s essentially “reliable” if that makes sense. But probably a half tier down from Sky Club and full tier from Centurion Lounge.

 

[ShortSideOption]

Curious people who travel more than I do for work/leisure the thoughts on this. I'm usually a couple flights per month for work, and then my wife and I (plus two kids) will usually do a trip once a quarter. We have a companion pass with Southwest, and are about to get a second one so basically our two kids fly for free with us, or if it's just my wife and I one of us go for free. I hate nearly everything about Southwest, but that was a pretty big savings. The bag fees and traveling a bit more, as well as the awful boarding process, is there a better option than 2 companion passes? My father-in-law has Delta and used to swear by it, but as many have said, it's starting to change for him and he doesn't get as many upgrades.

 

[TampaBaySkers]

Will be curious to hear whether you have more success getting upgrades on AA from TPA than Delta - circle back on this in ~5-6 months if you don’t mind

The systemwide upgrades are a nice touch and late last year they finally introduced the ability to redeem them online (previously had to call AA customer service which was ridiculous). Unfortunately it only applies to one leg of your journey if you’re connecting, so if you are going TPA-CLT-CDG as an example you’d want to choose CLT-CDG as your “systemwide upgrade” leg and then hope you get upgraded at the airport from TPA-CLT.

The real “hidden” benefit that I pray they don’t take away is the ability to get Main Cabin Extra at booking for no added costs. It essentially has the same perks as business on some flights (especially on the regional jets like the CRJ-900).

Also - the meals are truly “fine” in business - sometimes they are great and sometimes not so much. Have you had Delta’s new in-flight Shake Shack burger in business?

Yeah will do. My first flight with AA is in a couple weeks. TPA - ORD. I havent had shake shack since my upgrades have been nonexistent. I’m flying DL to LAX next week and burned some regional upgrades so I’ll let you know if it’s available, otherwise I’ll stick to the always reliable short rib.

I doubt AA gets rid of the main cabin extra for free. All the big airlines offer this perk. Is it true you get free food like a fruit and cheese plate as an ExP?

Looks like to keep ExP you need to spend around $18k on flights. Delta Diamond is better, but have to spend $28k which is very difficult when you only fly domestic coach

 

[TampaBaySkers]

Curious people who travel more than I do for work/leisure the thoughts on this. I'm usually a couple flights per month for work, and then my wife and I (plus two kids) will usually do a trip once a quarter. We have a companion pass with Southwest, and are about to get a second one so basically our two kids fly for free with us, or if it's just my wife and I one of us go for free. I hate nearly everything about Southwest, but that was a pretty big savings. The bag fees and traveling a bit more, as well as the awful boarding process, is there a better option than 2 companion passes? My father-in-law has Delta and used to swear by it, but as many have said, it's starting to change for him and he doesn't get as many upgrades.

SW is changing their boarding procedures so will be assigned seating in the future. I think they are also adding premium seating so as a companion pass member I think you will get those for free.

That being said if you were thinking about making a switch, now would be the time. Delta is matching A+ preferred and up free platinum status. Then if you spend $3,750 within the next 90 days you’ll keep that status until Jan of ‘27.

Plat comes with free comfort plus (more leg room, free booze and elevated snacks on longer flights). You’ll also get one choice benefit. I recommend choosing the four regional upgrades - these will get you first class on North American (a few South American) flights. You aren’t guaranteed to get first class but it greatly increases your odds.

 

[BluesBucksNHuskers]

I'm convinced someone in Atlanta gets a big kick out of this everyday.

Just realized I have a 42 minute connection in Atlanta on Thursday that will involve going to the international terminal.

This should be fun