POZ Community Forums
Off Topic Forums => Off Topic Forum => Topic started by: mecch on January 08, 2012, 04:02:37 am
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Did anyone else fly over the holidays?
I just got back home. I have flown European airlines for 25 years for New York to Europe but this time I took Continental, which was labeled as such on the way over and United on the way back.
The bad: being out of the loop for American companies, I had no idea it was standard in transatlantic flights to have only 1 free checked suitcase in coach. And the weight now is only 50 pounds! Gee I have pulled off 3 full size suitcases many times with Swiss, and even once with KLM.
So arriving before xmas, I was surprised that my second was out of line.
The good: the Continental counter checkin PERSOn in Geneva noticed my surprise and comped the bag. And then on the flight, I wanted to detress after the backing and end of week. So I had a scotch, then wine with my disgusting coach dinner and then another scotch.
The good: Newark security was much more seemless, fast and confident seeming then even just a year ago. Also, on the way beck the flight turned into United. United electronic check in at the counter was impressive. The bad: well the computer charged me for the extra bag for the return trip. The good: the website said it would be 200 but the computer charged me 60 -- I guess thats not horrible.
The bad: I paid more than 100 bucks extra each way for "extra leg room" in coach and it sort of made a difference but really, it was a matter of inches and expensive at that price. The worse: ALL coach seats are so freaking narrow now, its impossible to do anything constructive - correct papers. Cut your dinner. And I am slim to normal. Its a challenge to turn pages of the newpaper!
The sad: United's food was even more disgusting than on Continental, and they wanted MONEY for cocktails. This was the first time in my life I have seen that.
Well, I'll switch back to a European company next time. Maybe they are all making such cuts, too. But I can't imagine Lufthansa or Swiss denying a coach passenger a little cocktail in a plastic glass. Come on...
The best coach ever were the few years Qatar flew to New York from Geneva. Seat were generous, food was good, etc etc etc.
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Did anyone else fly over the holidays?
I just got back home. I have flown European airlines for 25 years for New York to Europe but this time I took Continental, which was labeled as such on the way over and United on the way back.
The bad: being out of the loop for American companies, I had no idea it was standard in transatlantic flights to have only 1 free checked suitcase in coach. And the weight now is only 50 pounds! Gee I have pulled off 3 full size suitcases many times with Swiss, and even once with KLM.
So arriving before xmas, I was surprised that my second was out of line.
The good: the Continental counter checkin PERSOn in Geneva noticed my surprise and comped the bag. And then on the flight, I wanted to detress after the backing and end of week. So I had a scotch, then wine with my disgusting coach dinner and then another scotch.
The good: Newark security was much more seemless, fast and confident seeming then even just a year ago. Also, on the way beck the flight turned into United. United electronic check in at the counter was impressive. The bad: well the computer charged me for the extra bag for the return trip. The good: the website said it would be 200 but the computer charged me 60 -- I guess thats not horrible.
The bad: I paid more than 100 bucks extra each way for "extra leg room" in coach and it sort of made a difference but really, it was a matter of inches and expensive at that price. The worse: ALL coach seats are so freaking narrow now, its impossible to do anything constructive - correct papers. Cut your dinner. And I am slim to normal. Its a challenge to turn pages of the newpaper!
The sad: United's food was even more disgusting than on Continental, and they wanted MONEY for cocktails. This was the first time in my life I have seen that.
Well, I'll switch back to a European company next time. Maybe they are all making such cuts, too. But I can't imagine Lufthansa or Swiss denying a coach passenger a little cocktail in a plastic glass. Come on...
The best coach ever were the few years Qatar flew to New York from Geneva. Seat were generous, food was good, etc etc etc.
I feel your pain.
I didn't spend any part of my holidays in an airport in Geneva, rather I popped up to the local Positive Living Centre to help out with making up food hampers, finding clean clothes for Fivers who have none because they just got released from psychiatric wards for the holidays.
You know, frivolous shit like that.
Whilst nobody comped any bags, we certainly counted our blessings. It's summer down here so the three or four poz people in our zone who had their power disconnected because they couldn't afford the bill didn't face the prospect of freezing to death. They just had to sit there in the dark.
But, you'll be delighted to hear, they had plenty of leg room.
Ho, ho, fucking ho! :)
MtD
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Flying sucks universally. Just be glad you don't do it for a living.
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Flying sucks universally. Just be glad you don't do it for a living.
Oh shit Trey, don't tell me you're a Space Waitress? ;D
MtD
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Oh shit Trey, don't me you're a Space Waitress? ;D
MtD
I wish that would be badass having a corporation flying me to and from my tricks. I am one of the other holy trinity of gay professions: Retail.
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I wish that would be badass having a corporation flying me to and from my tricks. I am one of the other holy trinity of gay professions: Retail.
Don't we all? $100 for luggage? Who is she blowing?
In any event honey, I love your kind! :-*
Of course I know Jooz so I get everything at cost, but I totally respect what you and your kind is striving for.
L'Chaim! 8)
MtD
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I've only ever flown the once, back in 2006.
It was a small propeller job that held 8 of us plus the pilot. There was no seating so we had to crouch on the floor and they forgot to close the door before we took off so the noise was so bad you couldn't hear yourself scream. All luggage was strictly carry-on, so I had to leave behind the Louis Vuitton and jam everything into an old backpack. To add insult to injury half way through the flight I was pushed out the door and the whole incident was videoed for the amusement of my friends.
The next month I got my motorcycle license...... much safer than flying I decided.
GROWLER
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I've only ever flown the once, back in 2006.
It was a small propeller job that held 8 of us plus the pilot. There was no seating so we had to crouch on the floor and they forgot to close the door before we took off so the noise was so bad you couldn't hear yourself scream. All luggage was strictly carry-on, so I had to leave behind the Louis Vuitton and jam everything into an old backpack. To add insult to injury half way through the flight I was pushed out the door and the whole incident was videoed for the amusement of my friends.
The next month I got my motorcycle license...... much safer than flying I decided.
GROWLER
Seriously, this shit only happens in Tasmania.
And they isn't "pushed" so much as "encouraged".
MtD
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Seriously, this shit only happens in Tasmania.
And they isn't "pushed" so much as "encouraged".
MtD
I should have known better than to fly Qantas "cattle class"
GROWLER
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I should have known better than to fly Qantas "cattle class"
GROWLER
Quaint Arse has a cattle class? I thought that was left to Air Garuda?
But then I'm not a man of the world.
:)
MtD
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Quaint Arse has a cattle class? I thought that was left to Air Garuda?
But then I'm not a man of the world.
:)
MtD
Stick with me Baby and I'll show you the world!
Damn I left my wallet at home, can you spot me a $20 for the taxi fare back to your place?
GROWLER
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Stick with me Baby and I'll show you the world!
Damn I left my wallet at home, can you spot me a $20 for the taxi fare back to your place?
GROWLER
Of course baby. Just email me your account details. :)
To sweeten the deal, I will also make your peeny bigger.
MtD
(Who is born to service)
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InternTional flights are pure luxury compared to US domestic flights. Flew to visit the family over the holidays. Took US Airways.
The ticket price didn't include the seat I wanted, so I had to spend an additional $49 for my "choice" seat plus $25 to check my bag.
So on the way home I ended up paying the $125 to upgrade to first class (bag was free then).
Security and all that was uneventful. Since all the airports now have those machines that can look through your clothes so they can see ya naked, security lines move much faster!!!
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InternTional flights are pure luxury compared to US domestic flights. Flew to visit the family over the holidays. Took US Airways.
The ticket price didn't include the seat I wanted, so I had to spend an additional $49 for my "choice" seat plus $25 to check my bag.
So on the way home I ended up paying the $125 to upgrade to first class (bag was free then).
Security and all that was uneventful. Since all the airports now have those machines that can look through your clothes so they can see ya naked, security lines move much faster!!!
For all that money you still didn't get your cavity searched?
MtD
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IMO you have to be inordinately obese or a tall football player to not be able to deal with airplane seating. And seriously, for a short haul-ish <3/4 hour flight which is what most US domestic flights consist of I don't get the drama. Now if it's a long 8-12 hour transoceanic flight I would understand.
As far as the baggage charge, I can fit clothing for a 5 day trip in a hard case maximum sized carry on for the overhead compartment, along with my requisite man-purse under the seat in front of me.
And for the $200 dollars I just saved that bugsy spent I can hire a hooker and a bag of coke.
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Of course baby. Just email me your account details. :)
To sweeten the deal, I will also make your peeny bigger.
MtD
(Who is born to service)
Transaction Declined. Insufficient Funds.
Please contact your financial institution for further details and thank-you for shopping at Nigeria.com the Internets one stop shop for the impotent, under-endowed and just plain gullible.
Have a Nice Day ;D
GROWLER (Who's starting to feel the Phenergan kick in and will be out for the count any minute now)
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Transaction Declined. Insufficient Funds.
Please contact your financial institution for further details and thank-you for shopping at Nigeria.com the Internets one stop shop for the impotent, under-endowed and just plain gullible.
Have a Nice Day ;D
GROWLER (Who's starting to feel the Phenergan kick in and will be out for the count any minute now)
Phenergan?
Colour me disappointed. :(
I picked you for a Restavit girl.
MtD
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Phenergan?
Colour me disappointed. :(
I picked you for a Restavit girl.
MtD
If I booty bump them next time will I get back my cred?
GROWLER
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And for the $200 dollars I just saved that bugsy spent I can hire a hooker and a bag of coke.
Hooker AND coke for $200? That's either one nasty hooker or some baby powder coke for $200.
And to be fair, my partner and I share one bag. We both packed a weeks full of clothes, product, and Christmas presents in that bag so it was definitely too big to carry on. Plus we live in seattle which is kinda out of the way up here in the corner of the country. So there are no one hour flights from here (at least not to anywhere good).
Neither of us are obese (or overweight for that matter) but the seats in coach (especially on cheap ass airlines like US Airways) are so close together it's horrible.
We have to fly to Boston a few times a year and take Jet Blue. They have. Got some nice coach seats! Very comfortable.
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Hooker AND coke for $200? That's either one nasty hooker or some baby powder coke for $200.
I'll have you know that will score you a choice piece of Dominican trade in the 2nd floor men's room at the Port Authority bus terminal in Times Square.
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And to be fair, my partner and I share one bag. We both packed a weeks full of clothes, product, and Christmas presents in that bag so it was definitely too big to carry on. Plus we live in seattle which is kinda out of the way up here in the corner of the country. So there are no one hour flights from here (at least not to anywhere good).
Please don't tell me that you use them dam space bags ;D ;D ;D
https://www.spacebag.com/17/index.dtm?mid=678785
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Hooker AND coke for $200? That's either one nasty hooker or some baby powder coke for $200.
She's got you there, Phillicia.
And to be fair, my partner and I share one bag. We both packed a weeks full of clothes, product, and Christmas presents in that bag so it was definitely too big to carry on. Plus we live in seattle which is kinda out of the way up here in the corner of the country. So there are no one hour flights from here (at least not to anywhere good).
Sounds to me like you do a Cam and Mitch thing when you travel.
Neither of us are obese (or overweight for that matter) but the seats in coach (especially on cheap ass airlines like US Airways) are so close together it's horrible.
Of course not.
We have to fly to Boston a few times a year and take Jet Blue. They have. Got some nice coach seats! Very comfortable.
I have no smartass comment for this. But I reckon you'd look great with Eric Stonestreet hanging out of you.
MtD
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I'll have you know that will score you a choice piece of Dominican trade in the 2nd floor men's room at the Port Authority bus terminal in Times Square.
I just had a flash back of a coke filled weekend in the east village. Ahhh sweet memories
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I also just had a flashback to a stateside domestic flight on the now defunct Piedmont Airlines to Virginia Beach in the 1980s for a conference. It was like riding in an air bucket. The flight lady gave us a few safety tips, somewhat incoherently, and ended with "Yall now know what to do right?" And we all (about 10 passengers) looked at each other with 'oh...my...god' expressions. Thank goodness I lived to tell the tale.
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I just had a flash back of a coke filled weekend in the east village. Ahhh sweet memories
Do you think that might have been the weekend when you got the assflu?
MtD
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Surprisingly no, Although they both involved A strapping lumberjack of a man with a huge cock. :o
Actually that east village weekend was one of the funniest weekends of my travels. Miss P may know of this place. There was a gay bar in the east village that had an underwear party on Thursday nights. You could only wear one piece of clothing. Either a shirt or underwear (not both). With the confidence that accompanies a thick rail it was the perfect start of a long weekend!
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Surprisingly no, Although they both involved A strapping lumberjack of a man with a huge cock. :o
Actually that east village weekend was one of the funniest weekends of my travels. Miss P may know of this place. There was a gay bar in the east village that had an underwear party on Thursday nights. You could only wear one piece of clothing. Either a shirt or underwear (not both). With the confidence that accompanies a thick rail it was the perfect start of a long weekend!
Underwear in the village, eh?
I'm sure that was fun for y'all. :)
Down here in Darkest Australia we just had bum sex.
The effect was much the same.
MtD
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Surprisingly no, Although they both involved A strapping lumberjack of a man with a huge cock. :o
Actually that east village weekend was one of the funniest weekends of my travels. Miss P may know of this place. There was a gay bar in the east village that had an underwear party on Thursday nights. You could only wear one piece of clothing. Either a shirt or underwear (not both). With the confidence that accompanies a thick rail it was the perfect start of a long weekend!
Oh come off of it girl -- that wasn't a "gay bar" it was (more likely) the Bijou sex club on E. 4th St. & 2nd Ave. You had one piece of clothing on because the rest was in that rented locker. :D
... Miss P used to live within walking distance of there at the time of diagnosis.
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I swear it was a bar. Had to check all your clothes upstairs then the bar was downstairs. There was a couch in the back that all the boys would sit at and get blown while watching a big screen of porn. Pure American fun. It's not there anymore (I looked). This was back probably aroun 2000 maybe 2001 ish
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I swear it was a bar. Had to check all your clothes upstairs then the bar was downstairs. There was a couch in the back that all the boys would sit at and get blown while watching a big screen of porn. Pure American fun. It's not there anymore (I looked). This was back probably aroun 2000 maybe 2001 ish
There was a "bar" of sorts in the establishment, but I swear (even though I was originally joking) you just described the Bijou to a "t"! You entered on street level, checked your clothes, then the rest was in the basement. And yes there was a big screen there, and then private stall/rooms behind the screen, along with dark larger side rooms for orgies.
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Well color me shocked!
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I just got off a flight with a really handsome flight attendant surrounded by overbearing and overweight middle aged air hostesses bossing over him. :P
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This is how I would love to fly. But, are they asking for trouble, since other passengers would be able to hear and possibly even see what's going on?
http://www.seattlepi.com/business/boeing/article/Airlines-enlarge-gap-between-elite-and-economy-2298492.php
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Did anyone else fly over the holidays?
Yes, I flew from SF to Asia and took 7 flights on 3 different airlines over the last 17 days, with connections in Taipei, going to 3 cities in Vietnam and 2 in Thailand. It was over 40 hours in the air altogether, including 18 yesterday.
I think the baggage restrictions are the most annoying.
Our first stop was in Ho-chi-minh city where my bf bought a few hundred Vietnamese music CDs to add to his 7000+ collection. We were overweight from the beginning.
When it came time to fly to Nha Trang, a friend of us who "knew" someone at the airport working for Vietnam airlines, and just "overlooked" our 40 extra pounds of luggage ;).
On the next stop, flying to Hanoi, we didn't have a "connection" at the airport. When Vietnam airlines asked me to pay the baggage fee, I said I didn't have cash and brandished my Amex credit card out of my wallet, and smiled. Suddenly, they didn't care to collect the fee anymore and just let us check in all our luggage for free ;-).
The best coach ever were the few years Qatar flew to New York from Geneva. Seat were generous, food was good, etc etc etc.
Actually, our very worst experience was on this trip flying Qatar from Hanoi to Bangkok on New Year's eve.
We were allowed only 23 kg (50 lbs) total each, it didn't matter the number of pieces. We were way overweight, again about 40 lbs. The airline wanted $100 in baggage fees. My bf didn't want to pay.
So he shuffled things into our backpacks for about 15 minutes. Our two checked in luggages were about 24kg each, and they let it go. Our backpacks were way overloaded by that point.
When we got to security to go to the gate, a Qatar flight attendant was waiting, and stopped him because he said his carry-on was too heavy. Indeed, it was 40 lbs. And the carry-on limit is supposed to be 7 kg (15 lbs). He also had a separate laptop bag. I had a big backpack myself, and camera bag. My backpack was over the limit as well, but they didn't stop me. My bf was sent back to the checkin counter because his carry-on bag was too heavy.
I waited for another half hour at security until he came back.
He ended up buying another backpack, splitting things between the carry on and checking in one backpack. He said it cost about $50 altogether.
When we finally got onto the plane, it was nearly empty, and the flight was very nice - I had 5 seats to myself and could lie down. I also spent some time reading Malcolm Gladwell's outliers - and read the entire chapter on pilots and plane crashes while at 10,000 ft.
The other 4 flights on China Airlines to and from Asia had reasonable limits (2 luggages of 23kg each) and we didn't have any luggage problems. But our Bangkok-Taipei flight was late about 25 minutes, which only left us 20 more to get onto the next flight to SF. The gate was far away, and strangely enough, we had to go through security a second time, and we just made it onto the plane, then the doors closed.
Given all the fun we had on our trip, I think those were only very minor inconveniences ;)
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Wow you are a very ambitious traveller. I could never fly so much in such a short time!
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Re luggage costs-----layering, this I learnt throw my obsessive hatred off Ryan Air.I got a ticket Edinburgh to Bournemouth for £10 return . After I had paid the "Budget airline" was revealed as R.A. My drugs, books ,camera and and wash stuff filled the walk on allowance . I put on a weeks clothes in the lovely disabled loo at Edinburgh and carried a overcoat whose pockets where stuffed with underware. I looked like a anorexic Michelin man. But not one penny more went to Ryan air And for the return journey the Post Office got all clothes books back for a fraction off RA cost.
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And they seem to change the rules every few minutes. The Geneva check in comped my forbidden 2nd suitcase. But told me it was forbidden. I checked the website and they said 200 bucks for a 2nd bag, transatlantic. Then in Newark the computer asked for only 60. The site said 1 carry on and no bag AND carryon. One or the other. At boading, some people had so much and waltzed right onto the craft. Then they decide get strict and made a bunch of people leave their bags, scolding them for daring to arrive at the gate with so much, and telling them they would be checked in and they would have to pay fees to get them back. Then suddenly, they just let a bunch of other people on with 2 or 3 "carry ons" no problem...
I wonder if its about vibes... Like if you don't send any bad vibes you don't get hassled. I haven't been inspected in customs in years...... And yet I see people being pulled out and over to customs all the time.
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Put your extra crap in a baby buggy, they never complain about those hetro things.
I know childless people here that do that and sell the US buggies for plenty. ::)
Our last trip to the states, the airline site said we could carry 3 bags each up to 70 lbs each and I just knew it was a mistake.
After traveling with 5 empty suitcases and one full going to the states,
we came home with 6 suitcases at 68 lbs each! Believe it or not, there was no issue.
(then my husband hit the duty free liquor store for 14 bottles of gin)
Now I did have an incident in NYC where I refused to go through their scanner and asked for a hot man to pat me down.
We made a big show it if and all had a good time.
Find the fun where you can.
Hoover and the husband
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Meech ---agree on the vibe thing before poverty and my aidys face , I have been upgraded 5 times between LAX and Heathrorw by dragging up in English/Sloaney/preppy, and highly polished brogues.And off course that bloody awful air off entitlement.
Shame shame on me
mhtv
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