Do You Love to Fly?....Hate Flying?....Or??

If I have to travel more than 500 miles, I am getting me an airline ticket. I lived my life in a car for 8-12 hours a day.
 

I like flying, I fly often, probably 5 or 6 times a year. What I hate about the whole experience is the airport crush, and the hours waiting in line at the airport before boarding a plane where you're crushed into tiny seats..hate that with a passion..

I wish, just once I could afford to spil myself flying business class...but I doubt I ever will..
 
I was lucky because my traveling has been with tour groups and they would check us in automatically. One trip I was recovering from a broken arm and requested a wheel chair because I could not handle my luggage. That is the way to go. LOL
 

hollydolly said:
I like flying, I fly often, probably 5 or 6 times a year. What I hate about the whole experience is the airport crush, and the hours waiting in line at the airport before boarding a plane where you're crushed into tiny seats..hate that with a passion..

I wish, just once I could afford to spoil myself flying business class...but I doubt I ever will..
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Get yourself an airline credit card and everything that you now pay for by cash charge it to the airline card. Before you realize it, you will have enough miles accumulated to trade for an upgrade. Flying business or first gives one the true flight experience. When I first started flying, people that sat in business or first dressed very well. By that I mean, what they call "business casual" today or better. Some even wore suits. The ladies wore very nice pant suits or dresses. Today, with the free upgrades and people buying upgrades with their mileage that they have accrued, it is a totally different scene. Many people wear shorts, T-shirts, flip-flops and so on. We have come a long way.
 
oldman said:
Get yourself an airline credit card and everything that you now pay for by cash charge it to the airline card. Before you realize it, you will have enough miles accumulated to trade for an upgrade. Flying business or first gives one the true flight experience. When I first started flying, people that sat in business or first dressed very well. By that I mean, what they call "business casual" today or better. Some even wore suits. The ladies wore very nice pant suits or dresses. Today, with the free upgrades and people buying upgrades with their mileage that they have accrued, it is a totally different scene. Many people wear shorts, T-shirts, flip-flops and so on. We have come a long way.
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We collect air miles and now have an Emirates credit card for even more miles. Flying Emirates business class is like a holiday all by itself.
 
I have met so many wonderful people in business and first class. Not to say the passengers sitting in coach weren't also wonderful, but as the pilot, I really never had an opportunity to get back to that section of the aircraft. Boeing 757 and 767 are big airplanes and especially the 767, which on some versions seats over 300. On the few times that I had sent the First Officer back to the rear of the plane to check on an issue, the passengers become very nervous. Right away, many believe we have a problem, when all it may be is a stopped up toilet in the rear lavatory or a coffee pot that was left on too long may have burned and caused a horrible smell. The pilots try to stay out of the main cabin to keep passengers from over-reacting. We are aware that we do have a lot of nervous fliers.
 
I love to fly, to me it is all part of the adventure of the vacation, it gives you more time to enjoy a new place. I have never flown business, but that's on my bucket list.
 
I too like to experience driving rather than flying. Outside of my fear of flying I always try to make any trip a venture. When it was a requirement to do business travel I would try to take my wife along. We would take a few days prior to my schedule and a few days after. We would get the atlas out and lay out our route. We had purchased a couple books and magazines that listed interesting side trips to wherever we were going.

I had a class in Toronto so we traveled to Yellowstone, then Cody, Wy, then onto the Black Hills and Mt Rushmore. This was before the requirement for passports so we decided to go north of the Great Lakes in Canada. We saw Niagara Falls, the Good and Plenty in Lancaster Co. Pa and visited Boonesboro, Ky. Saw the Arch in St. Louis and returned using 6 days of my vacation time. And it was partially paid for by my company. My way of thinking any trip is more enjoyable when you have someone to help with the luggage and have a dinner partner. I wouldn't have seen any of that from the window seat at 30,000 feet.
 
Son_of_Perdition said:
I too like to experience driving rather than flying. Outside of my fear of flying I always try to make any trip a venture. When it was a requirement to do business travel I would try to take my wife along. We would take a few days prior to my schedule and a few days after. We would get the atlas out and lay out our route. We had purchased a couple books and magazines that listed interesting side trips to wherever we were going.

I had a class in Toronto so we traveled to Yellowstone, then Cody, Wy, then onto the Black Hills and Mt Rushmore. This was before the requirement for passports so we decided to go north of the Great Lakes in Canada. We saw Niagara Falls, the Good and Plenty in Lancaster Co. Pa and visited Boonesboro, Ky. Saw the Arch in St. Louis and returned using 6 days of my vacation time. And it was partially paid for by my company. My way of thinking any trip is more enjoyable when you have someone to help with the luggage and have a dinner partner. I wouldn't have seen any of that from the window seat at 30,000 feet.
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You did all of that in six days? Are you sure you weren't flying or maybe you drive a Boeing 737?
 
Question from oldman - You did all of that in six days? Are you sure you weren't flying or maybe you drive a Boeing 737?

3 days of vacation to drive back + 2 day weekend on the road - 5 days of classes hours paid by company - 2 day weekend again on the road + 3 days of vacation to drive home. My math may be rusty but I add it up to 15 days. Company paid me approx. $950 for mileage and paid for 5 nights (sun -thu) in the motel room (the motel charged me $10 per night for the wife), company gave me $45 a day per diem for the six days. Had a warm bed partner and enjoyable company to travel with. You can comfortably drive 400-450 miles a day and still see the sights. Show me the downside.

Additionally: It's a win/win for both me and the company. They paid a little more than the price of a ticket for mileage. They didn't have to pay me the additional 16 hours of wages (1 hour drive time to airport - 2 hour standing in line and processing time - 6 hour flight - 6 hour return flight - 1 hour drive home time). No Wages, taxes or benefits for those hours and they didn't need me to take vacation at an inopportune time at their convenience.

I didn't have to sit in a cramped seat with no leg room (being 6 ft 3) for an extended period with my bad back, eat unpalatable food hold my bathroom breaks, smell other travelers, or feel like I can't use the arm rest or recline my seat like the ones in front of me because I'm actually a nice person. My wife can read a map and controls our route all I have to do is keep my eyes on the road, drive defensively and stop and smell the roses when I get tired. She helps me with the luggage and if so inclined a little guiltless loving all for the price of a few meals.
 
Hate flying since last trip, have vowed to never fly again!
Had it not been for kind wheel chair persons helping with multiple plane changes, I would still be huddled, weeping, in some corner of a far-a-way airport to-day.
So pathetic!
:zombierolleye:
 
It's good that people have choices. Some choose to take it nice and easy and get there when they get there. I have done all that and seen most of the U.S. from the ground having driven across country three times. Even though I do not like driving to the airport, parking the car, getting on a shuttle and then going through the TSA stuff, which has become less of a pain and then sitting in the boarding area until my plane arrives and then being called to board and finally taking off, only to do the whole thing over again when I land and when I come back, I still prefer to fly.

I am 6'4" and my company (United-Continental) allows us to fly free. However, being that tall does not allow me to sit comfortably in coach, so I pay for the upgrade to business or first class. Sometimes, depending on the ticket agent and if there is ample room, they will give me a freebie to those class of services. I still have not flown on United's Boeing 787-Dreamliner, which is what I am after. Check it out and click through the site to experience this fantastic machine.

http://www.newairplane.com/787/flythedream/
 
I don't know if I would go so far as to say I love to fly, but if I am going on a long trip, I would rather fly for a few hours than drive for several hours. I have already spent about one-third of my life inside of a car.
 
I don't mind it at all. I have flown many, many times and on my many trips to New Zealand and other Western Pacific countries find it the best way to get there despite the 12 to 15 hour flights.
 
I'm a little concerned about blood clots developing in my legs as a result of not moving around. On my most recent trip I requested aisle seats but felt guilty standing in the aisle because so many people were coming and going. The only real plus with flying is watching the country go by from a window seat, but I wasn't in a window seat.
 

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