How quickly they turn...

Hey kids...I'm back (I hope). It's been a little while since I shared a few thoughts with you -- hope I'm not too rusty!

Have you seen the fallout that jetBlue is getting over it's poor decision to keep passengers on airplanes for upwards of nine hours? Now Congress, in it's infinite wisdom, is pushing "passengers' bill of rights" legislation. I have no problem holding the airline COMPANIES responsible of passenger gripes, especially in this era of $39 fares from Long Beach to New York City.

By all means, sue them for $7 million dollars because Mother Nature decided to unleash the four winds and mechanical dlying machines simply cannot get enough lift on their wings to take off. They don't have the ability to stop on a dime if conditions get any much less than ideal. They can fly in windy conditions, as long as the winds are blowing counter to the direction the runways are actually laid out. But heaven forbid anyone actually try to build a more modern airport in this country...no sir, not in MY backyard!

It seems that we are "entitled" to get everything we want when the planets don't align the way we want them to. And the airlines are the fault and cause of every single problem that we face in modern air travel! GIVE ME A BREAK!

First of all, I truly believe that jetBlue made a bad error in judgment. Didn't anyone learn anything from the blizzard that hit Minneapolis a few years back when passengers were stranded on airplanes for 10+ hours? Why weren't there any contingency plans made after THAT fiasco? But here's the rub...this storm had been predicted for several days. It wansn't a surprise to anyone, not even those folks stuck on those planes, that there was a risk of problems. Yet they are willing to take that chance because no one expects to be "held hostage" (as the media portrays it) because the F.A.A. can't clear planes for take-off, taxi or even to get them moved to unoccupied gates.

It may sound like a simple solution to have gotten those planes emptied and what not, but you need manpower to do that and these days, the airlines have had to cut drastically back on manpower -- they have outsourced tons of jobs and the simple fact of the matter is that there simply isn't a human being available to fill in the gap when all hell breaks loose.

Back in the day when air travel was in it peak (during the dot-com decade) there were 3-4 gate agents to check passengers in, another to greet the plane and direct passengers to connections, baggage claim or help them with other needs. On the ground, there were 4 guys to load and unload bags, another to marshall the planes in and out of the gates, yet others to service the mechanical issues and a team of people who actually cared for the passengers to clean the lavs and the seats.

Welcome to 2007.

You are lucky if you have TWO gate agents when you check-in for a flight. Most of the time, there is only one person there, and they are wearing several hats all at once. They have to greet the plane, answer passenger questions, direct them to baggage claim and connecting flights and bathrooms and myriad other questions. They have to do seat assignments, mis-connects and do it all, while trying to turn the planes quicker because the airlines are trying to save money by utilizing the aircraft more hours in the day. The number of ramp guys handling bags has decreased and a lot of delays are being taken because people are checking 3-4 bags per passenger for a weekend trip.

I have ranted on this subject before, but I really have to let out an exhauted laugh when I read how the media portrays the airlines. To the reporter, he's referring to the corporation. To the reader, they interpret the front line employee. Why? Because they don't have access to the corporate muckety-mucks who are slashing services here and there but wouldn't dare show there faces at the airport and explain it to the family of four who's vacation has just been ruined because of scheduling conflicts or a single hiccup in the system that causes nation-wide chaos.

And Congress has the audacity to lay the blame on mine and others' companies, when they aren't willing to spend a dime to redesign and modernize a quickly failing air traffic control system. Let's give the passengers a means to cripple the airlines financially, so they will get off Congress' back and not have to deal with it! And all this fuel by some prima donna reporter was on a flight that was delayed beyond reason and therefore missed his/her assignment -- those pilots and flight attendants will PAY for this!

If you think that sounds ridiculous, well although it is, that is my reality. I've had my job threatened innumerble times over a $3.00 first class meal! I've been told that my CEO will hear about the fact that I ASKED a one million mile flier to take his seat because the seat belt sign was on and we ourselves are seated because I can't get my balance enough to think straight!

Poor little jetBlue. Five years ago, they were the star -- the media darling! Now they are the new Great Satan!