What it's like to fly an airliner.
- Thread starter Astro14
- Start date
Well, I like to think so... I've flown over 800,000 miles as a paying passenger on United, and over 100,000 on Delta, when I was on Active Duty. I was a regular passenger for all those miles.
Here's how to be a good passenger:
Be nice, smile, say "good Morning/afternoon/evening" and "please" and "thank you" to every person with who you interact. Every. single. one.
Don't over-pack. Don't hog the overhead bin. Put your big bag in the overhead, put your smaller bag under the seat in front of you. Step out of the aisle once you've put your bag up and let people pass you. Follow the crew instructions, be seated when you're told. Ask, or at least warn the person behind you before reclining your seat.
If you see an elderly passenger struggling with a bag, or a mom with a ton of bags trying to corral the kid(s), man up and help out. The flight attendants aren't allowed to help load the bags in the overhead, because they used to get hurt all the time lifting outrageously heavy bags (see my caution on over-packing above), so they're not likely to help. Take a lesson from the Boy Scouts. Someday, you'll be that mom, or elderly person.
If you need to get up often, book an aisle seat, not the window. If you want to be seated next to someone and the gate agent wasn't able to make that happen, ask, politely, if a person will swap with you. The person from whom you're requesting that favor may have booked that seat for a reason, and it probably cost more than your seat. Don't ever sit in someone else's seat, assuming that they're fine with it, or they're jerks if they're not fine with it. That's presumptuous and rude. I'm serious.
Leave your shoes on. I'm serious. Personal grooming should have been done before you got to the airport, it has no place in the cabin, inches away from other people. I'm serious.
Be polite to your seat-mates, they might be nervous flyers, or they might have had a rough day. Give them a bit of slack. IF they want to talk, fine, but not everyone wants to hear your life story. If they put on headphones, that's a huge hint that they're more interested in relaxing than conversing. Respect that.
Allow people in the row in front of you to de-plane first. Orderly passenger flow is faster for everyone and yes, EVERYONE has a connection as important and tight as yours. If there are some folks who are critical connections on a delayed flight, follow the crew's instructions on that one, too and let those folks rush off.
Download the airline's app and use that for information. United's app updates in flight, constantly, for free, over aircraft wifi, and you can see gate information, connecting flight information, and baggage claim information. Be informed, have a plan. You see that elderly passenger, or that mom, that you helped earlier, looking confused, time to man up once again and get them pointed towards their next flight, airport facilities, baggage claim, whatever.
If you decide that this is all too much, go back to what I said at first: Be nice, smile, say "good Morning/afternoon/evening" and "please" and "thank you" to every person with who you interact. Every. single. one.
There are decent airlines in SE Asia. Your bad experience with Air Asia should not be equated to airlines like Singapore Air, Thai Airways and Philippine Airlines.
I spent a number of years in that region and I will say that Air Asia is not a airline I will fly on. There are some others as well, mainly low cost carriers.
Well, Yeah, I'm able to get there on world class carrier like Japan Air, Singapore, etc.
Garuda and their City-Link has higher quality rating and they don't stall the plane.
When I said SE Asians, I meant the people mostly, and as for the Airlines most ALL regional airlines like Air Asia, Lion, and Defunct Adam who flew plane into Java sea while looking for another avionics short.
I had some guys come over to help my house guard move some branches off the electric service line. They were pushing branch with a aluminum ladder while I told them to quit. Apparently their God is different over there. It's refreshing to see relax of Americas over controlling rules, but some things aren't negotiable.
Garuda and their City-Link has higher quality rating and they don't stall the plane.
When I said SE Asians, I meant the people mostly, and as for the Airlines most ALL regional airlines like Air Asia, Lion, and Defunct Adam who flew plane into Java sea while looking for another avionics short.
I had some guys come over to help my house guard move some branches off the electric service line. They were pushing branch with a aluminum ladder while I told them to quit. Apparently their God is different over there. It's refreshing to see relax of Americas over controlling rules, but some things aren't negotiable.
twouvakind
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In the news you hear the likes of Delta and American looking to furlough tens of thousands of employees. Just how many employees do these carriers have? Will we see some domestic carriers fold as a result of the pandemic?
Hi Astro.
I would describe what you write as just common decency and good manners. Unfortunately a lot of people are just plain ar** holes.
Tikka.
It occurred to me, after posting all that, that I may have completely misunderstood your question.
I responded with “how to be a good passenger”.
But, if the question was, “are you comfortable being a passenger?” the answer is: absolutely. I’m relaxed. Not worried.
I generally read, relax, even snooze, on a flight.
I responded with “how to be a good passenger”.
But, if the question was, “are you comfortable being a passenger?” the answer is: absolutely. I’m relaxed. Not worried.
I generally read, relax, even snooze, on a flight.
Actually, I enjoyed reading what you wrote. I believed I knew what it is to be a good passenger, but certainly got great benefit from reading the perspective of a pilot who lives in that crowded aluminum tube every day. Thank you for the post!
According to Wikipedia, American Airlines had around 130,000 and Delta around 90,000.
I do the same as well. It used to be called common courtesy. The attendants have a tough job and a smile and thank you goes a long ways.
I do the same with everyone I encounter at the airport and onboard.
Might be interesting to someone (?) that the 767-300 and 767-400 are handled differently at other airlines. For example, at Delta the 767-400 is a totally separate pilot “category” than the 767-300.
If you’re on the 767-400, that’s the only plane you fly.
767-300 pilots are in a category called the “7ER” where they fly the 757-200, 757-300 and 767-300.
If you’re on the 767-400, that’s the only plane you fly.
767-300 pilots are in a category called the “7ER” where they fly the 757-200, 757-300 and 767-300.
We’ve already seen a couple of smaller airlines fold. They’re not coming back.
The big airlines will survive, though in some cases, they will be smaller. Delta and American have permanently retired about 30% of their fleet. Even when the industry recovers (and it will): those companies will be 30% smaller.
Southwest has not retired any airplanes, they plan to recover to the same size, and interestingly, they are accomplishing short term staffing cuts through voluntary programs. Their superior cash position has enabled them to weather the crisis without plans for involuntary layoffs, at least, so far.
United hasn’t retired any airplanes, either, but is planning furloughs beginning the same time as AA and DAL. United is taking a different tack from AA and DAL, with the stated intent to exploit the opportunities created by the pullback of its principal competitors, and keeping all of its airplanes to enable that.
Yeah. Talked about that in a post a few years back, copied above. Two ways of thinking.
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When you are a passenger do you subconsciously pay attention to the start up and push back sequence? I catch myself doing it.
I pay very close attention - I can't help it.
My wife and I were on a flight from PIT to IAD one afternoon, coming back from skiing, on a CRJ-200. We had just reached cruise altitude when I felt the airplane yaw. I heard the RPM decrease on the left engine. I woke up from half-dozing and said, "that's not good". She asked what was going on, and as I was saying that the crew had shut down the left engine, I felt the descent and turn.
She asked why the crew hadn't said anything, and I replied that they were busy and would get to us in about another 10-15 minutes, to tell us that they had shut down an engine and would be (my best guess) returning to PIT.
About 10 minutes later, the Captain came on the PA to let us know that the left engine had a low oil pressure indication, that they had shut it down, and we were returning to PIT.
Landing was uneventful and when we got off, she said that she hadn't felt anything, and that it looked like I was asleep.
I was halfway there...but the feeling of a yaw and RPM change was more than enough to awaken me...
Hi Astro
I could have phrased it better so my fault entirely for the misunderstanding. You are a Naval officer, so i can presume you are a Gentleman and conduct yourself accordingly.
You answered my question really with your post about being a passenger on the aircraft that had to shut an engine down. You are perfectly relaxed but always have one ear and one eye open. Is that fair?
Many thanks.
One of my friend who worked for United would taxi the planes under power and really liked it . He went through the training of course and said He thinks he could take off a jet liner under optimal conditions but landing would be best left to the pros . That has always stuck in my mind.
OK, where that puts you?
A dramatic reduction in my pay and job satisfaction...
757/767 Captain to 787 FO. 30% pay cut. No longer a Captain. No longer a Check Airman.
We will see how long it lasts. I’ve got eight years to go until I retire. The above cut exists on paper. CARES II would delay implementation of that job change for me, as well as the furlough of 30% of our pilot force.
I have to keep it in perspective.
I’ve got friends, good friends, and colleagues who are facing a 100% pay cut.
