Flyers Beware

Just when you think it couldn't get worse. Well, guess again, it has.

I don't know what is going on. The airlines' upper management slashed jobs and t was blindsided by the pent-up demand for air travel by the Covid entrapped populace. The airlines are now struggling to refill positions that they laid off two years ago. As a result, the airline staff is putting in extra hours. As a result, summer travel in 2022 has already beaten 2019's record.

Oh, by the way, China and Russia were closed for travel. China was in lockdown mode for the second or third time, and the international sanctions against Russia have shut off the Russians' summer travel.

Everyone is fed up and sick of being quarantined for over two years. They want to get away. People are ripping off their masks. I don't blame them. Here take my mask and put it on the top of the pile. Light a match and set the stack of masks on fire. Burn baby burn.

Is part of why customer service is at its lowest because people are fed up with working long hours and at low wages with half the staff and double the work? It does not help that fuel costs are rising. Inflation is out of control. Airfare tickets are at historical prices. Something has to give. You guessed it — our patience with one another.

Flight crewmembers are ruder to their passengers. That's because the passengers are tired and upset. Airfares are rising. Fine, most people can deal with that. But what gets people angry is that they paid extra for a better flight. The traveler paid extra for shorter flight durations for direct or one-stop flights. Passengers have paid for flights that leave later in the morning and arrive at their destinations in the early evening. Now, passengers arrive at the airport and see that their flight has been over-booked, delayed, rerouted, or worse, straight out canceled. Instead of several flight attendants behind the counter, they have kiosks that can't handle the flood of questions and cancellations. The Kiosks freeze and become worthless. Why aren't there more flight attendants? And the line of stranded passengers disappears down the long, long hall of the terminal. On a good note, Security check-in is empty…..because the passengers are waiting for alternative flights.

Horror stories of passengers stuck at airports or taking two or three days to return from their vacation are now commonplace. Being stuck at the airport for 24 to 36 hours, no wonder there is a surge in covid cases. Airport terminals are becoming human Petri dishes. Oh, I forgot there is a surge in monkey-pox too. I've seen angry passengers waiting in line for airline hotel vouchers because they missed their connecting flight. It's 10:00 PM. and thirty people are waiting patiently in line for information on tomorrow's connecting flight and their hotel and meal vouchers. Passengers are exhausted, sleep-deprived, and hungry. One passenger wanted to check his luggage on his rerouted flight, but he needed a new tag for his luggage. He waited so long in line; that his connecting flight left without him. In frustration, he rolled his checked baggage from the back of the line to the attendant at the counter. The attendant feels threatened. She got up and left.

Luckily, I just finished with her with my hotel and meal vouchers. I get to my hotel at midnight. I've got 4 hours of sleep to look forward to because my flight leaves tomorrow at 5 AM. I forgot that the airline booked me in a 2-star hotel 44 minutes from the airport. Thank God, I've got my hotel voucher — -sic. I have meal vouchers, but it's midnight, and all the restaurants are closed. Stock tip number one; buy hospitality stocks.

I have a Lyft voucher, but the link to my Lyft voucher doesn't work at 5 AM, and a default banner advises me to call customer service. I have a teleprompter menu for Allianz insurance that can't direct me to Lyft, and the recording endlessly repeats itself. It's now 5:30 AM, and my flight leaves at 7:50 AM. I call an Uber. Stock tip number two, UBER is a BUY; LYFT is a SELL.

I catch my flight, but it's delayed for an hour. But we board, and everything seems to be going well. Our two-hour flight is smooth as silk. We land early. My wife and I have 2 hours until our next flight. We wait at gate B17. It's an hour-long flight, and we will be home before 8 PM. Spoke too soon.

A storm front moves in and grounds our plane. The runways are closed for an hour. Another gate change is announced after waiting for our flight to check in at our gate. There is a different plane. Hooray, we are going to take off soon. Spoke too soon again. An announcement is made. We have a new plane, and it is at Gate B29. All the passengers rush to the new gate like a herd of gazelles. We wait at the new entrance. The departure time gets pushed back. Finally, the pilot arrives and makes an announcement. He reassures us that we will be boarding soon. We are just waiting for the crew that was on the delayed airliner. We wait. Our departure time is pushed back. Our pilot disappears. I panic. Our plane is now scheduled to leave at 12:45 AM. This is beginning to smell like a canceled flight. I panic some more—no attendant at the gate. I can't believe it now, I've waited at the airport for ten hours for an hour flight. I should have rented a car. I wonder how much an Uber would cost from Atlanta to Chicago. I'm not stupid; I'm desperate.

It's late, and I can't type. I'm still waiting for my flight. No, wait! There is a new announcement. The other flight was diverted to Macon. Now we are waiting for the crew to fly in from Macon. The flight hasn't been canceled…yet. Sorry guys, I'm not making this 'schtick' up. Like I said earlier, I'm dead tired; I can't type anymore.