Disgruntled: A Day Full of Hatred

Note: for the weak hearted: no, “hatred” is not too strong of a word!

I am not quite sure what will take for airlines to get they crap together? For someone to miss a really important world summit where they’re voting against blowing up the whole world because of their delays? Or for someone to miss a surgery that could save their lives? Or … for what??

Can we sue these people for emotional distress, if they cause us to miss our parents’ funerals? Our siblings weddings and christenings?! Can we?? ‘ Cause, boy, am I ready!

I am hardly one of those people who wants to sue somebody left and right, but I swear to you: airlines should learn a thing or two about customer service from Third World countries they’re so bad! And I come from such a country! To make people wait for a flight for a whole day or more should be illegal. Sure, you can redirect them! But did they ever think about the fact that sometimes people pick a certain connection for a reason? Or a certain amount of layover? Or a direct flight?! A certain reason which is personal and cannot be toyed with!

If I go to David’s Bridal Shop and I want a white wedding gown, they cannot possibly force me to buy a pink one, just because they don’t have white ones on stock. They will order me a white one! You can order a custom car. A custom house. A custom dinner. Not so with a flight! At the flight, you beg at the Almighty Gate of the Airlines!

Maybe someone hates a certain airport, because of the poor layout and organization which has caused them to miss several flights before (like I am with IAD, which, in Romanian spells HELL), or maybe someone has a baby, and a stroller to go with the baby, and a carry-on, and wants a direct flight because they don’t feel like running through airports with a 20 minute layover with all that baggage! Maybe … Just a thought!

But to think of people’s needs would actually mean that you’re thinking of people – which I am convinced airlines are not in the business of! They are in the business of moving bodies (at best) while making the most money with the least resources (I know: the tune of the times). All that at the cost of the consumer’s respect, nerves, and patience. Sometimes, even health! Because, as a buddy of mine would say “they’ve got us by the b^lls”! We will travel. We will use them. This country is so darn big that we have no choice! So, they don’t care.

Things are different in other places. I know, I have seen it on my own, and my family has experienced it plenty! All my relatives live abroad, in various countries, but they all dread dealing with any American airlines! They don’t mind anyone else in the world, but any American airline you pick has left a bitter taste in their mouths at some point in time! They all dread coming to visit because they loathe what they have to put up with: crowded airports and planes, delays over delays, cancellations, poor service, poor or no food or drinks, crappy connections, and the list goes on.

It is really sad when you think we teach others what civilization is all about in this world! We should, as always, start in our own back yard, don’t you think??? Back in school, “Transportation” was a chapter in the study of the geography of a country. It was the chapter that showed how advanced that country was: if you had roadways, train tracks, how many airports, etc – it showed how advanced you were. And if you built your airports, the customer service was sort of implied. But the slow functioning of American airports, and most often the non functioning leaves me wondering: how advanced we really are?!

And just on a personally bitchy note. Or maybe two. When a plane has a “technical problem” because of which it cannot take off, please cancel the darn thing and rebook the people! Do not post it as delayed for a whole entire day, or even half of a day for that matter! If it takes you that long to fix it, you think it’s a good thing to fly it?! And for the life of me why you cannot find another aircraft for that flight, if you are truly trying to delay it and not cancel it, violates, again, all the logics rules in my book!

And secondly, you, flight status websites out there trying to post the correct information on every flight in the world – I thank you for the intention, but honestly, if it goes past an hour, a delay should be posted in hours not minutes! You risk someone who’s already PO’ed because they’re not seeing their family to hate you, because now, they have to do math too! Seriously people: 765 minutes???? This is a flight. Not the Thanksgiving turkey!

I know: who’s listening, right?!?

The "only minutes away" delay at a certain website ...