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Are we becoming a third-world air travel nation?

hank
edited July 2022 in Off-Topic
The problems with deteriorating highways, unreliable and broken subways and outdated rail systems are well known. Now, it appears our airlines are under stress. It’s convenient to blame the faults on covid or weather. However, at the root of the issue appears to be staff shortages across the spectrum - from flight crews to air traffic controllers to TSA screeners. Just a mess. Lead times needed to recruit and train these professionals compounds the problems.

How can this happen in such an otherwise wealthy and powerful country? To be sure - the runways won’t crumble or the lights go out at airports because the business owned and operated “private jets” need to come and go. But for Joe and Jane Doe traveler or the Jones family it’s becoming a living hell. Imagine being stranded 1,000 miles away from home in some noisy unkempt airport for hours or days? Once in NYC, American actually checked my luggage aboard the aircraft but than denied me boarding for arriving 2 or 3 minutes late to check-in due to congestion around the airport. No more flights that day. Than they tried to push the return trip back 2 full days - and change the departure airport to Newark, NJ. Ever try surviving 2 additional days with an extra pair of underwater, a single pair of clean socks and 2-day supply of meds?

ISTM the government lies at the seat of the problem. If those at the top wanted reliable public transportation in this country they’d invest the necessary resources for infrastructure, staffing and training and also establish the regulatory authority to keep things moving and protect the public from arbitrary self-serving decisions by airlines.

One summer story

Comments

  • carew388carew388
    +1 Yes-between a lack of targeted government spending and a Rogue Supreme Court , we're becoming a third world nation period!
  • BenWPBenWP
    I have not looked into this, but the idea popped into my head that maybe the airline industry got treated too well during COVID and the DT administration. There has been reporting of late on huge waste and/or fraud in what was paid to businesses.
  • CrashCrash
    edited July 2022
    I am completely in sympathy, @hank. My wife flies out tomorrow. I won't get on a plane yet.
  • Old_JoeOld_Joe
    "Third-World nation". Yes, my wife and I have been saying that for a while now.
  • CrashCrash
    +1.
  • Old_JoeOld_Joe
    edited July 2022
    And with the ongoing effort on the far right to split this nation into two permanently warring camps, take over the government by any means possible including subversion of the electoral, legal and governmental functions, and install a "strong man" leader, the devolution to a third-world type country is much closer than you might think.

    • Electoral: Jan 6th, ongoing and increasing efforts to destroy confidence in state and local elections.

    • Legal: the sabotage of the appointment process for Supreme Court judges by Mitch McConnell and associates.

    • Governmental: Again, Jan 6th, and now focused efforts to take over local governmental operations and exert right-wing perspective from school boards on up.

    Welcome to Russia, South America,or the Mideast.
  • hank
    edited July 2022
    Mussolini made the trains run on time.
  • Sven
    edited July 2022
    Deleted
  • hank
    edited July 2022
    “A recent hearing of the Jan. 6 committee featured examples of threats public officials received in the aftermath of former President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss. Rusty Bowers, the Republican Arizona House speaker, said groups of Trump supporters, including at least one that was armed, gathered in his neighborhood and played videos calling him a pedophile. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Trump supporters broke into his widowed daughter-in-law’s house and sent his wife text messages with sexual attacks.”

    (As reported in that “far left-leaning” newspaper The Wall Street Journal June 30)

    I share @Old_Joe ‘s stated concerns above.
  • AndyJ
    Re/ democracies in the Americas: The Economist's 2022 Democracy Index (widely quoted and highly regarded) rates only four countries in the Americas as "full democracies." In order of ranking, they are Canada, Uruguay, Chile, and Costa Rica. The U.S. is down the list as a "flawed democracy."

    Overall, it's the Scandinavian countries, New Zealand, Canada, and Ireland holding down the top spots as "full democracies" (rating above 9 on a 1-10 scale). No surprises, really. Top spot? Norway.

    Scroll down here to see the ranked list.
  • Old_JoeOld_Joe
    Yes, I remember seeing that. By now the US is likely even further down the list.
  • CrashCrash
    edited July 2022
    Banana Republic, without the bananas. Except maybe for Hawaii. Descent into disorder. Don't even get me started. But for air travel, you CAN pay EXTRA in order to get treated like a human being, getting through Security at the airport. THAT is EXTORTION. And it's actually PROMOTED by the GUMMINT. Why shouldn't we ALL be treated efficiently and with courtesy, and not have our time wasted????? Oh, but that doesn't serve to make money for the extortionists. And the TSA will not hire enough people to accomplish that.
  • BenWPBenWP
    CNBC report on airlines earnings pointed out terrible conditions in European airports. Heathrow has 14,000 vacant positions.
  • Old_JoeOld_Joe
    Where have all the flowers gone?
  • Derf
    @Old_Joe : I remember that tune.
    Have a good weekend, Derf
  • MikeMMikeM
    Where have all the graveyards gone?
    Gone to flowers every one...
    A haunting song. One of the most thought-provoking antiwar songs of all time.
  • hank
    edited July 2022
    Written by Pete Seeger. Made famous by Peter, Paul & Mary in the 60s. My lord, was ever a voice more sweet than that of Mary Travers?
  • Old_JoeOld_Joe
    No sir.
  • hank
    edited July 2022
    Just pulled up “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” on Apple music. Mary Travers is indeed the lead vocalist on that track. “Haunting” as MikeM said.
  • CrashCrash
    MikeM said:

    Where have all the graveyards gone?
    Gone to flowers every one...
    A haunting song. One of the most thought-provoking antiwar songs of all time.
    Yessir.
  • CrashCrash
    Back to airports: the admin. at Heathrow has asked airlines to limit ticket sales, and they've apologized to the public for all the snafus. I'm just glad I don't need to go anywhere right now. Wife flew Business Class on Turkish, Boston-Istanbul-Cebu, and back. ... Coming back here, she'll be on Delta from BDL (Connecticut.) But THAT will be in Coach. No, thanks.
  • CrashCrash
    Mary Travers.
    In those days, I thought she was hot. I wanted to have her children.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Travers


  • hank
    edited July 2022
    Travers was an incredible vocalist in her day. Really carried the group on many tracks. ISTM I saw them perform live at CMU in the mid-late 60s. But have been unable to confirm that they even appeared there. Not for lack of trying.

    Have a bit of air travel planned in September. Bought 1st class and booked a non-stop, thinking it’s the best way to avoid getting stranded somewhere or having baggage lost. But who knows? Anything can happen. Takes a tough constitution to want to fly anywhere nowadays.:)
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