The prices:
I have always resented airfare pricing structures. 3 week advanced purchase, saturday stayovers required, ect. The airline would rather fly the trip with a nearly empty plane thatn sell me a ticket at the last minute for a fair price.

The passangers:
People try to carry to much stuff on the plane and then take too long getting off the plane. One carry-on should mean one carry-on. If your a woman, your purse is that carry-on! If your a business traveler, your laptop or briefcase is your carry-on! I constantly see business travelers carrying 5 or more items/bags.

The food:
you get two choices for lunch, unless you are in the cheap seats in the back of the plane, then you get whatever is left over. "I'm sorry sir, we are out of the chicken breast, but we have a bannana and a slice of meatloaf left for you."

The FAA rules:
It's a major pain in the ass bringing firearms in checked baggage. When you fly with firearms you are usually going to be dealing with panic or confused airline employees who have no idea what to do.

Knives;
Used to be anything under 4". Then they said no serrations, now no knives period. I carry a knife everywhere.

So until the airlines lower their rates, enforce the one carry-on rule, improve service, and allow us to carry pocket knives again, I'm not flying. I'll drive everywhere.


Notice my reasons have nothing to do with terrorism or "safety". Yet the Airline executives will assume that's why I'm not flying anymore.

Yeah I'm with ya. I am not flying anywhere, cancelled all trips that I can't drive to. But the govt will bail out the airlines anyway, so what incentive does the airlines have to make it any better for us? I think it will just get worse. The thing that really pisses me off is that all this new security is aimed towards us, the customer, instead of the thousands of ex-cons that work at the airports, the ones that handle the luggage, service the planes and handle the security and have the most access to allow guns/knives/bombs/terrorists on the planes. My local news did a story about all the ex-cons at our local airport and found 22 with extensive criminal records, and they still work there, some were even security guards. I have lost all faith in our president, our govt, and the rest of the imbeciles that govern and protect us (more like tax and harass us).

This is the reason I will no longer fly. I carry a swiss army knife since I was 10 (33 now), and I [b]NEVER[/b] leave home without it. This little knife has helped me through life more than anything else I have ever had. Even on airlines, I have had flight attendants ask if someone has a knife while in flight to fix, cut something. I have always raised my hand and offered my knife to assist.

So, until they allow me to bring my knife back on a plane, I will never fly again.

glad I'm not the only one who thinks this way. I'm having a bad time trying to decide whether to attend a conference next month or not.  If I do, I have to put up with the fascists, if I don't, I'll miss out on networking opportunities.

And I used to think the inane "your bags are subject to search at any time" announcements were bad.

Well, it's only 1200 miles to Minneapolis from here...I guess I can start out a day early and drive it.  That's what Henry Bowman's uncle would do.  And I can even bring a gun for protection!

So, you guys are NEVER going to Europe or Hawaii? I'm flying to Hawaii this summer for a cruise around the islands and I'll be damned if I'm going to drive there.[whacko]

I have been to Hawaii twice, by boat.

Screw the FAA:
I'm up for a road trip !!!!!

Jay
[img]http://www.commspeed.net/jmurray/images/iroc-cop.gif[/img]

I told my wife that I'm not flying anywhere this year for our vacation, we are definitely driving. I hate being electronically striped search.

Don't give up on flying, give up on airlines. I have my certification for VFR and I can't even buy a gun with out my parents yet. It's a whole different world when you fly yourself, fun too! Also it's faster alot of the times because you can fly into regioanl general aviation air ports colser to your final destination.

Join a club, Buy a Cesna, or Build a kit plane, but general aviation is the way to go!

PS I have never had any sort of setback or hassle checking a gun, even and 'evil assault weapon' (an AR-15)

This is just the begining of the end of our personal freedoms, disguised as, "the war against terrorism".

Here's what I don't get.

I can fly to London from Dallas direct for $350 round trip(one of them trip specials). However, CA from Dallas for $350 or more and I get a stop over either in Houston or El Paso. WTF is that all about.  

I won't fly again due to a close call a few years ago...

I was enroute from Philly to Phoenix, with a brief layover in St. Louis...

When the plane was accelerating down the St. Louis runway, it started to veer off to the right of the runway...The pilot immediately aborted the takeoff, slammed on the brakes, and made a hard left into the hanger area...I thought the damn plane was going to flip on it's side...
The pilot got on the intercom, and said calmly "one of the engines wasn't accelerating properly, we're 'gonna have a mechanic look at it "

After the mechanic had the engine panels opened, we were asked to leave the plane to "stretch our legs"...
Myself and all the other passengers were quite vocal about wanting a DIFFERENT plane to continue to Phoenix...
We were given another plane at the opposite end of the airport, but it was leaving very shortly...Those that were able(myself included), had to RUN to catch the plane, the elderly were shuttled on a few shuttle carts...  

It scares the hell out of me to think I just flew from Philly to St. Louis on a plane that was grounded because it was unable to take off due to engine trouble...

I had a bad feeling when I saw the plane first pull up to the terminal in Philly...
I saw all the riveted patch plates, and chipped/peeling paint, and remember saying to my Dad...
"I sure hope I'm not flying on THAT plane !"
If I had to guess, I'd say the plane was 20+ years old...
Very poor appearance...


NEVER EVER AGAIN...


What if ???
What if ???
What if ???

We;; there is always charter flights...
Ive never taken one but ive heard thier nice according to the Disc channel and from the net.
I think you get what you pay for. And you get to fly from smaller airports with less people.
Then there is Amtrak which takes as long as driving but your not driving. And as always someone here has to know more than I do on the subject and could maby shine light on the subject of charter flights

Good - Cheaper flights for me!

I wouldn't fly, but my mother works for Alaska Airlines, and as long as I am a student I get to fly free. It is so much easier to deal with the hassles when you don't pay a dime for the flight.

As for carry-ons most airlines have a policy of one carry-on and one personal item (i.e. purse, backpack, laptop, etc.).

Kyle