Airline complaints: Which bothers you the most?

Saturday 04th October, 12:06 PM JST

Latest 15 of 41 Total Comments Show All

chibaman at 03:41 PM JST - 7th October

Wow, this thread is really going downhill...

Especially for those who don't understand it.
Sarge at 03:45 PM JST - 7th October

I see that the bitter chibaman is stalking me now, following me from thread to thread. So, you agree with timorborder here, who just dissed most airline passengers?
Pukey2 at 09:25 PM JST - 7th October

triple888:

Instructions on the sick bag: after use, wrap it up and hand it in to a staff which will be appropriately disposed of.

But staff goes, "eeew yuk..." with both hands making a wall "put it over there" pointing at a nearby toilet and covering her mouth with other hand.

Unless you were half dead and unable to move, good manners dictate that you throw away the sick bag yourself. Yes, the flight attendant didn't react very nicely, but she's not there to spoon-feed you and wipe your backside.
Weasel at 10:48 PM JST - 7th October

The whole flying experience is what seems to bother everyone. Andy Rooney (an old cranky man on an American weekly news program called 60 Minutes) seemed to best summarize why traveling by air is such a hassle: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/17/60minutes/rooney/main4023256.shtml

You can tell Andy must typically fly with the American airlines when he made this statement, "I like to get up and walk around when I fly but they've made the aisles narrower to get more seats in so they don't want you to move around anymore. And there isn't room for two people to pass anyway and the flight attendants aren't as thin as they used to be, either. "

Classic ranting by Andy
temporaryVisa at 10:55 PM JST - 7th October

Noisy babies and children. Infact, anyone taking children on an airplane should have to pay at least the double fare for their children so the people sitting in their proximity can receive a reduction in their fare. It's the least airline companies could do to compensate the victims.
badge123 at 12:59 AM JST - 8th October

Others: Coach seats seeming to get smaller and smaller, and less service on planes these days too. Many domestic flights in the US you have to buy your own food now.
MrDickMorris at 01:05 AM JST - 8th October

The answer is to travel first or business class. ,aybe afew bucks more, but it sure is worth it.

You don't get the annoying people either, a much better level of politness and courtesy.
motytrah at 01:23 AM JST - 8th October

The old 747's have some of the worst coach pitch. Both JAL and Northwest have poor coach pitch on the 744. However, on the newer A330s that Northwest flies to NRT there's a bit more room.

For the most part the flight/cabin attendants are pretty good. Though I admit that in the last couple years I've only flown first and business class. Service tends to be way more attentive and the meals/booze is way better on JAL/ANA. Terminal and Gate Agents tend to be the weak link for me however no matter what airline I'm on.

JAL and ANA blown US airlines away when it comes to service and amenities in the business and first class cabins. The only thing I wish was that the JAL and ANA Flight Attendants weren't so shy about speaking English.
sabiwabi at 01:54 PM JST - 8th October

Fat flight attendants, who seem to be only on US airlines. They can barely squeeze through the aisle and they always bang on my shoulder or elbow when they pass by.
the_sicilian at 10:10 PM JST - 8th October

Fat flight attendants, who seem to be only on US airlines. They can barely squeeze through the aisle and they always bang on my shoulder or elbow when they pass by.

Well, that and the mandatory AARP membership (American Association for Retired People). All 55 and older, plus their service is not really that good. And I fly primarily business class. When I fly coach, their vocabulary is more than one word. Two: Chicken or beef.

I say the US airlines are the worst. At least on the international flights. Inside the US, Skywest (a small regional airline based out of Salt Lake City, Utah) is by far the best. The flight crew is pleasant, the pilots are courteous, and talk quite a bit about the journey. If you are flying on United on the west coast of the US, chances are you are on one of their planes.

Oh, I forgot the really big pet peeve of mine: People that do not comprehend what the "one carry on item and one personal item" definition is. I fly with a small backpack. It holds a laptop, some magazines, and my business papers. Maybe 46x38x20 cm. It can fit anywhere (even overhead on a small turboprop). I see a lot of passengers with one roll on (that does not fit on a 777 overhead), a duffel bag, a purse/computer bag, then the obligatory duty free bags. Plus lunch/Starsucks that has to be slurped/eaten before we get off the ground. Oh, and don't get me started on people who do not fit into one seat, and they have to "ooze" over onto my seat. GRRRRRR.... And I fly next week to the US. Lovely.

Addiu
pizzaboy at 11:36 PM JST - 8th October

tetsud95: thank you for your post. Just so you know, after flying for JAL, any other western flight service usually SUCKS in comparison. Bowing, smiling, great-looking, polite, etc, all displayed all the time by the Japanese. Western usually: older, grumpier, rude, apathic, overweight, bang into your shoulder with their trey-cart and never bother to apologize, this list goes on...
motytrah at 12:18 PM JST - 9th October

The oldest Flight Attendant at Northwest Airlines is over 80. Seriously.
nandakandamanda at 05:23 PM JST - 9th October

In the (pre-war) Imperial flying boats the passengers could wander up and down stairs, go to the dining room or the lounge, and even have their own cabins to change for dinner, sleep, etc., I believe. Flights to South Africa would stop on Lake Victoria to let the passengers enjoy the scenery. A different pace of life.

Have we really 'progressed' in our fabulous modern age?

Now it's hell. Constant body and luggage checks, pressure selling, bad air, cramped conditions, fiddly paperwork, restricted movements. Terrorists in their mistaken idealism have guaranteed that everyone's lives are a misery. Sometimes I imagine that convicted criminals could be condemned to fly constantly round the world for a period of several days. That would drive them mad. They might even make the resolve to go straight. Much, much worse than prison.

The blatant rudeness I have experienced by KLM staff pales by comparison.
MichaelJP at 09:52 PM JST - 11th October

Being put next to fat and obese people when I am traveling alone. I am thin and invariably get shoved between some fat passengers who overflow their seats since two fatties often can't fit side-by-side in economy class seats.

They should be charged by weight and have a separate section with larger seats.
Weasel at 01:54 PM JST - 12th October

They should be charged by weight and have a separate section with larger seats.

Fly SouthWest. If you don't tow the line, you'll be off that plane in less than a New York minute.