Originally Posted By Mr X To put that four hours into perspective, by the way, I'm assuming the actual flight time is around two hours (I think that's fair, since my flight from Detroit to Orlando years ago was a little over two hours in the air). But add to that the amount of time you are required to spend checking in. Also driving to the airport (always on the outskirts...likely train terminals would be found mid-town). Picking up your bags on the other end, and ground transportation (again, into the city)... All told, the train and plane would be equal time-wise... And SO much less stressful on a nice big train without seatbelts and warnings and no-blankets and "sit DOWN sir!", and all the rest of that crap. And no security checks either, or at least not such invasive ones (doubtful you'd have to remove your shoes and put up with TSA agents hassling you). Sounds nice to me!
Originally Posted By mawnck >>I think America CAN get over the need for flights<< ... and health insurance companies, and trillion dollar bailouts, and wars in the Middle East ...
Originally Posted By Mr X ***>>I think America CAN get over the need for flights<< ... and health insurance companies, and trillion dollar bailouts, and wars in the Middle East ...*** YES! (I'm an optimist...I see a bright future for America!)
Originally Posted By mawnck >>(I'm an optimist...I see a bright future for America!)<< Easy to do if you live elsewhere. :-(
Originally Posted By ecdc >>As long as they ARE "the only game in town", the abuse will surely continue unabated.<< And that's just it. For all those who blather on about capitalism and how competition drives innovation, it just goes to show how little they know about the modern corporate landscape. It's illegal for a foreign airline to come in and conduct domestic flights in the United States. So if a really successful airline wanted to come in and start doing that, offering cheaper flights, better amenities, etc., they couldn't. So much for competition. And that's how it is in almost all industries these days. Giant corporations have just lobbied everything so that it overwhelmingly benefits them so competition can't happen or won't be a threat. The insurance industry is exempt from anti-trust laws. Shell and Mobile have made it illegal to undercut their prices. So if I wanted to start up Joe Shmoe gas station and have a big promotion with 99 cent gas per gallon, it would be illegal. How's that for capitalism and competition?
Originally Posted By Mr X You know, I don't need that kind of crap. If America came up with a functional health care system and had safer cities and improved infrastructure and decent schools, then MAYBE I could consider moving back home. In the meantime, what's wrong with me being hopeful?
Originally Posted By Mr X ***The insurance industry is exempt from anti-trust laws.*** Why? ***Shell and Mobile have made it illegal to undercut their prices*** How?
Originally Posted By DAR <<***Shell and Mobile have made it illegal to undercut their prices*** How?>> Because they were there first? (Shrugs) The only answer I can think of and admittedly pretty weak.
Originally Posted By mawnck >>In the meantime, what's wrong with me being hopeful?<< Not a thing. I wish I could do that sometimes. I just don't seem to be constitutionally inclined toward it. All this "news" stuff I keep hearing isn't helping.
Originally Posted By gadzuux >> It's illegal for a foreign airline to come in and conduct domestic flights in the United States. << >> It's illegal for a foreign airline to come in and conduct domestic flights in the United States. << I was bumped once from a United LAX/SFO commuter flight. Several of us were hustled on a golf cart to another terminal and put onto a Lufthansa 747 that had just arrived at LAX from europe, and had a continuing leg to SFO. They told us at the time that it was "irregular" but it was the next flight out and it was roomy. The problem was that the plane itself was trashed - just like any plane that's coming off a twelve hour intercontinental flight. I didn't much care, I just wanted to get home.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss <<It's illegal for a foreign airline to come in and conduct domestic flights in the United States>> FWIW, I believe it's a two-way street; American airlines can't conduct domestic flights in other countries either. Regardless, even foreign flag carriers are struggling to turn a profit.
Originally Posted By Mr X Yes, that's true. There are some weird "international carriage" laws that all airlines (and I believe ships too) must follow. Like, you can have a flight from New York to London continuing on to Madrid...but you can't run a flight from London to Madrid only (unless you're an English or Spanish carrier).
Originally Posted By Labuda In all honesty, this doesn't bother me much. If I'm flying coach and want a blanket, I'll bring one. Usually I'm only in coach for the first leg of my flight, though, and move to first for the longer portion since I fly American and pretty much ALWAYS have a layover in Dallas before I get on to the 2+ hour flight to my final destination.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< When I go on trips I tend to take the chartered airline route. >>> Unless your trips are all package tours to Mexico, where exactly are your trips to that you use chartered airlines?
