Comments on: Don’t go there! 6 things you should never do when you’re away

By: Behaving on the Road - International Travel | Top Trips

Behaving on the Road - International Travel | Top Trips — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:22:25 +0000

[...] things don’t go your way when you travel? Consider what happened to Gary Zeune before you do. Read More Do you like this? Not Yet Rated Related Tags: international, travel [...]

By: barbie45

barbie45 — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 10:01:22 +0000

Lady Siren; I completely ignore other passengers on a flight; I am couteous to the flight attendant, that is the only person who matters; also the gate manager; anyon who takes a complicated schedule like this to save a few bucks is bound to have difficulties; If everone ignored each other we would all have more pleasant flights; I was delighted with Southwest decision to toss a mother and her screaming 2 year old off the plane last week; and Southwests decision to force obese passengers to purchase an extra seat.

By: smartascii

smartascii — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:10:41 +0000

I work in customer service, so I can appreciate the perspectives of the people behind that airline counter. What’s important to remember, as a customer, is that while this is the only interaction you’re likely to have with the airline today, the gate agent has probably already interacted with dozens (or hundreds) of customers. Depending upon the rules in place at the airline, that agent has a specific set of guidelines s/he has to follow, and while there may well be room for negotiation, the rules are in her favor. If your flight is cancelled or delayed, there’s a limit to what HAS to be done for you. What MAY be done for you is, therefore, up to the agent. Remember that when you ask for consideration, and behave with consideration and compassion. I bend over backwards to satisfy polite, patient, reasonable people by asking supervisors for exemptions, finding ways around the rules, etc., because 1) they make my day better, and 2) those are valuable customers as advocates for our company.
Put differently, if there are only 4 first-class seats available on the plane and 80 people in line, make the agent want to give you one of them.

By: LadySiren

LadySiren — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:59:24 +0000

Wow, Barbie – way to show your true colors as a selfish, self-centered human being. How do you know that this was a child and not a college student? Being tired and traveling a complicated flight plan can frazzle anyone’s nerves.

I suspect you’re one of the loud-mouth passengers that make it hard for the rest of us who do try to be courteous to our fellow travelers. “It’s-all-about-me” attitudes like yours are one of the primary reasons air travel has become painful. Next time you fly, rather than indulging your elitist attitudes, how about you try a little kindness and graciousness instead? Those of us tired of listening to your entitlement-driven whining will thank you.

PS: Lay off the caps and get a book on remedial grammar and punctuation, please?

By: barbie45

barbie45 — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:13:19 +0000

WELL GEOFF YOU HAVE A HECK OF A NERVE; WHY YOU LET A CHILD TRAVEL ALONE ON SUCH ACOMPLICATED SCHEDULE WHICH ALLOWED FOR SO MUCH CHANCE FOR ERROR; MY HUSBAND AND I WERE ONCE STUCK WITH ANOTHER CHILD FLYING ALONE WHAT A NIGHTMARE ; THE KID WAS A PEST TALK TALK TALK; I DO NOT CONSIDER OTHER PEOPLES KIDS CUTE ; GOT A FIRSTCLASS BECAUSE OF A STUPID PARENT AND WHO WANTS TO BE BOTHERED WITH THEM; YOU SEND A KED NON STOP MEANING MAYBE ONE STO NOT SEVERAL TO SAVE MONEY; SHAME ON YOU CHEAPIE.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:10:23 +0000

I fully believe that all of your scenario’s were airline / airport related. Guess what. the airline aindustry is in the dumps! The rare times that you see a smile while flying, is when the kids are on the way to see Mickey Mouse. The Airlines are creating a seathing atmosphere with their total incompetence and indifference. They thinned their ranks of the Senior, knowledgable agents to save their millions.

In Jun, my daughter was flying USair Jacksonville, NC – LaGuardia – Pittsburgh. NY was stacked (too many airplanes), she missed her connector, and the Usair agent said “tough luck”. She called me as I was meeting her at the airport. I told her to ask the agent for a hotel voucher and food voucher for dinned and breakfast. I heard over the phone “USair does not do anything for this in NY”. Not my daughter started crying, I told her to calmly tell the agent that she wished to speak to a suspervisor that had a “considerably higher paygrade”. Meredith was given a flight LGA – Chalotte – Pittsburgh first class.

Her day ended up Jacksonnville BWI (For fuel) LGA CLT PIT 9a – 11pm. Yes the airlines deserve what they get from the passengers!

By: Connie M. Bauer

Connie M. Bauer — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:06:18 +0000

Hi Elliott….So glad to get your emails…and this is all Common Sense…duh?..(sorry I couldn’t resist doing that cliche.)
I have done all of the above Good Things..and have never done the Bad..(Little angel me)…tho’ once I fumed ,(yelled)? at Shannon Airport at Ryan Air…at their bogus charges on my luggage…$30!!
So, yes, it all pays off…and in life…choose your battles, carefully.
Blissings, Connie(

By: CGallagher

CGallagher — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:36:20 +0000

My girlfriend and I found ourselves waiting on an overbooked flight to San Francisco. We calmly sat near the ticket counter waiting for the news while other passengers acted like total jerks, shouting at the ticket agent. When time came, the ticket agent boarded us and bumped us both to first class. We were drinking champagne and eating an arugula salad with raspberry dressing even before the flight left the ground! It pays to be nice!!!

By: SirWired

SirWired — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:31:27 +0000

This is completely off-topic, but on what planes do you have to worry about a seat being jammed on your knees? I have pretty darn long legs (as in, I have to mail-order pants because no store stocks them long enough) and I’ve never run out of legroom, on any plane. I’ve traveled in everything from 12-seat puddle jumpers to 747’s, and have always found that simply scooting backwards in your seat seems to work ok. There may not be enough room to work, but I’ve always had enough room to sit if I didn’t slouch.