OP
OP
RiverDog
Well-known member
Ahh, OK. Sorry for the misunderstanding. It makes a little more sense now that you've straightened me out.
I'm pretty neutral on the overall air travel experience. I wish they would allow one checked bag for free like they used to as it has resulted in longer boarding and de-boarding times as everybody brings their carry-on to store in the overhead. And I agree with all the nickel and diming for stupid stuff like choosing your seat or boarding early. They're doing it to lower their fares. So as far as the flying experience goes, I agree with you.
But on the other hand, as far as I am concerned living in the Tri Cities, I have lots better options for a better price than I ever had before. When I first moved here in 1989, you could drive to Seattle or Portland, pay to park your car, and fly Southwest vs. flying out of Pasco on Alaska. Alaska and Delta had monopolies: Alaska for everything on the west coast, Delta for anything east of the Rockies. All they flew direct to was SEA and SLC. Now, they've added United and American along with the el cheapo Allegiant and Avelo, giving us direct flights to SFO, DEN, MSP, LAX, LAS and PHX. Today, both Alaska and Delta fly into SEA. And, due to the increased competition, the prices are very close to what it costs to fly out of SEA or PDX. So, from my POV, the service has improved tenfold.
I wish the airline industry would get together and agree to some minimum standards, like allowing one checked bag, forcing all the airlines to bake into their fares the cost of handling the additional checked bags. However, from my POV, I'm lots happier with the service we get vs. what it was 25-30 years ago and is worth the relatively minor inconveniences like the cluster phuck boarding and deboarding process.
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