For the casual traveler, there are a lot of frustrations that can take away from a trip, but for the "seasoned" traveler like myself (15-20 trips a year), the decline of the airline's customer relationships has been constant, and at least, annoying.  I've learned that getting upset does very little good, raises my blood pressure, and simply makes indifferent airlines personnel become grumpy.

Many flights are now run by airlines' commuter associates, with smaller aircraft, often more uncomfortable.  Worse, they are nearly always full.  That translates to a profit center for the airlines, but have one flight cancelled, as is happening more often, and there is no spare capacity to absorb the now seatless travelers.  In the past year, I have had to cancel two business trips because a flight was cancelled, and no available seat could be found for 2-3 days - not hours, days.  Since the extra bag charges have just been initiatied, I haven't had to face that, but I travel light - usually a carry on, maybe one checked bag for trips over 5-6 days.

Personally, I think the loss of free airline meals is a positive step.  I do resent being charged $8.00 for a mediocre sandwich, but United Airlines has really good salads on longer flights for $5.00, and American has some decent snacks.  You can always buy food in the terminal and take it on board.  I haven't been charged for a movie in years...you might have to pay a couple of bucks for  aheadset, but you can now keep it, or bring your own.  The audio systems are pretty much compatible with most headsets.

Sadly, flight delays are far worse than in previous years.  When deregulation hit, airlines started planning flights so close ot others that even the casual observer would know they couldn't meet such a tight schedule.  Look at any Departing Flights info board, and you'll see that 10-15 flights may be scheduled for departure within a couple of minutes of each other.  On the best flying days, there is at least one minute between takeoffs, far more in bad weather.

Many of these delays are caused by the inability of very busy airports to handle disprution of operations due to weather or other problems.  At many airports, once the aircraft leaves it gate, it has no way to get back to it.  Once, in Philadelphia, thunderstorms disrupted take-offs, so planes were held at  the gates (I was lucky enough to still be inside the terminal) while incoming flights were landed.  Over the next three hours, I watched at least 15  airplanes get stranded on the taxiways because there were no gates for them to unload.

Whatever the air transportation system is doing, it isn't doing it right.

There is no such thing as a free lunch.  You will either pay for it in the ticket price or only pay for it if you want it.  You can always pick up a sandwich before you get on the plane.  You get a better choice and only pay what you want.  As long as you know in advance what to expect you have choices.

My wife and I have been on 2 flight in the last 5 months.  Last September we flew to Hawaii using frequent flyer miles that we have accumulated.  We flew Syracuse – Chicago – Honolulu.  All flights departed and arrived within 10 min. of the schedule.  On a 12 hour trip I don’t think you can get better that that.

3 weeks ago we went to Mexico.  The flight down was perfect.  The return flight experienced some major weather delays.  There were bad rainstorms around Charlotte all day.  All planes out of there and into there were delayed.  We ended up arriving is Syracuse about 3 hours late.  You can’t do anything about weather.

The biggest problem was trying to get a cab home from the airport @ 2:00 AM.  We had to wait nearly an hour.  Even though we paid for the cab first they let 2 aircrews go in front of us.  

I am flying my daughter and her family here in June for a week.  I intentionally booked them to lay over in Washington DC so they could see the capitol from the air.  Last week I received notice that the flight has been eliminated and their layover is now in Philly.  I called to see about it and was told I could receive a refund and rebook at the same price but it would take 3-4 "business cycles" before it was credited to my charge card.  That's 3-4 months of paying interest on $1200.  So I kept their new booking and let it go.  They have a way to get what they want.

Can anybody explain why any credit transition should take 3 – 4 months?  It sure doesn’t take them that long to charge your card.  

dtaylor4....I'm with you!  Yesterday I returned an item at Walmart that I had bought with my debit card and they said they could give me cash instead of putting it back on my card since it would take 4-5 days for it to be credited to my card.  I took the cash.  What's up with that?  It's all done by computer...all it takes is a good computer programmer and the will to do it.

It doesn't even take that.  I work part time at a place that takes credit cards.  If I make a mistake I can go right back in and issue the credit to the account.  I guess it only works for small business that doesn't try to float the customer's money.