Do pilots have the authority to give the cabin free stuff in the event of a delay? Why do pilots always drag out the first word like "aaaannnnnd" when making announcements? -Rob Copley
While the Captain is in charge of the whole airplane and can suggest making alcohol free for the flight, it is really up to the lead flight attendant. In the most drastic of delays, I have seen free alcohol served on some of the legacy airlines (United, Delta, American). I honestly can't say about discount airlines like Frontier, Southwest or Spirit. Again, this is usually only when there is a significant delay that is going to have most of the airplane's passengers missing their connecting flights or on holiday weekends. Sometimes it is only to the "premium passengers" that fly tens of thousands of miles a year that get the freebies. I honestly don't know what makes them decide whether or not to offer free beverages.
As to the stereotypical drawn out words when making an announcement? I think we, as pilots, all have made our announcements canned after doing them so long. While I usually like to put the most important information in one spot so I can easily reference it, sometimes a flight gets crazy. If things are getting busy and I know I need to make a passenger announcement, I will hurry to get that out of the way so I can get back to helping the other guy fly the airplane. Here is my typical descent announcement:
"Ladies and gentlemen good (time of day) from the flight deck. We have begun our initial descent into (city). Weather at the airport: winds are out of the (direction and speed), (cloud cover), and (temperature). For those of you with connections (only in hub cities), we should have you on the ground and arriving at gate (gate) in the next (ETA) minutes. Thank you for choosing (United/United Express or USAirways/USAirways Express). Sit back, relax, and enjoy the rest of flight."
Now, when I get to the Madlib sections, I usually have it written out like "Clear, Calm, 72, B24, 25-30." When I get in a hurry, I have end up searching around for printouts, notes, and computer screens for the information. Here are all the things we print out during a flight:
So, when you hear me say uhhhh, I'm looking for the right piece of paper and sometimes doing quick mental math. I have to convert winds 32009 into "light winds out of the northwest," 15 degrees celsius into 59 degrees fahrenheit and try my best to give you an accurate estimate of when we will be on the ground. I'm doing all this while watching the other guy to make sure we will meet altitude and airspeed restrictions. So, give us a break, will ya?!
What happens if you are 35,000 ft and you just had your morning coffee? -Frankie Jacobs
Well, first of all, as I've detailed here(A Day in the Life), there is nothing better than sipping on my coffee as we fly into the sunrise. That being said, there is a strategy to drinking and eating during a day of flying. As you've implied, after drinking a cup of Joe, you will probably have to go meet a John. Luckily for me, most of our flights don't last more than two hours. Most times, I can wait until after we land to take the Browns to the Superbowl. In the unlikely event of an emergency mid-flight, there are protocols for making the "walk of shame" past all 50 people to the bathroom. I've been close a few times to having to make a trip to the "back office," but I've been lucky enough to being able to wait.
Part of the strategy to eating and drinking is finding a long break in a day of flying. Do I get the dreaded 2 and a half hour break? That's not nearly as bad because I can find a nice quiet spot of the terminal to relax and make a sandwich. Is that part of the terminal nearly abandoned? Bonus. The bathroom will be that way too. A word of caution from a near-miss. If it is too remote, the motion sensors will turn off the lights causing to you be up Shit Creek, so to speak.
Why has customer service dipped so much with airlines of the United States? A friend of mind compares stateside air travel to a bus in the sky. Meals on cross-country flights are a thing of the past, as are complimentary beverages with a lot of airlines recently. Is it all a byproduct of increased fuel prices and decreased flights? I noticed that with international flights, there are still perks. why were my Air Tahiti flights so much more pleasurable than my domestic Frontier flights?
I could make an entire blog on this question alone and, you're right. It is complicated. In the end, as brutal and simplistic as this sounds, it is the consumer's fault. "How dare you say that it's the passenger's fault! The customer is always right!" You are. And you've spoken with your wallet. Here's how:
In the 1970s, routes in the United States were very regulated. Fares were fixed and capacity was high while load factors (the percent of places full) were low. An airline could be profitable in those ages for several reasons. First, since the end of regulation, ticket prices considering inflation have been effectively halved. This has allowed many more Americans the opportunity to use aviation as a mode of transportation. Unfortunately, over the past decade, several shocks have been introduced into the system. September 11th, 2001 was a massive jolt to the system. As people were reluctant to fly following the terrorists attacks, companies began bleeding money. Then you have to take into consideration the incredible increase in fuel prices. Since deregulation, many many airlines have entered the fold and that lead to a over-capacity problem. There were way more seats than there were passengers.
The airlines had a choice to make. Many times they tried to raise fares to keep up with the skyrocketing fuel prices. Southwest changed the landscape by offering low fares with its historic fuel hedge. Prior to the fuel price crisis, they signed a deal that they would vow to buy fuel from a distributor only if they could buy it for the current price for the next 10 years. This gave them an incredible advantage over the "legacy" carriers. As a result, Southwest was able to offer incredibly cheap fares as compared to their competitors. The consumer scrambled at the prospect of these rock-bottom prices. Americans love a good deal. As a consumer, and I was formerly one of them, I had no allegiance to any airline. My allegiance was to the dollar sign. If you saved me as little as $20, I was going to fly your airline. I didn't care about inflight entertainment or meals. So, as people flocked to low-cost carriers that offered no frills, the major airlines had to react. In order to stay competitive, they had to cut costs and one major cost cutting measure was to get rid of frills. The American public is entitled to fly even if it costs less than it would be to drive from one place to another.
"But Chris, the airlines are making BILLIONS of dollars every year." This is true, but when you look at how many people are traveling, the profit margin on a single ticket is often less than $10. You may be spending $300 on a ticket but $290 of it are going to sunk costs like labor, fuel, support, maintenance etc. At any given time, a relatively large percent of an airline's fleet is undergoing required maintenance. Engines are overhauled. Wings are inspected inch by inch. The entire inside of the airplane is gutted to the aluminum shell. These airplanes sitting is an expensive sunk cost on an airline.
So you bring up Frontier Airlines. You could also make the same argument for an airline like Spirit. When you go to a website like Kayak.com, how many people go beyond page one to find a ticket? Many studies have been conducted and the result is always the same: no t many. By purchasing a ticket on Frontier, and continuing to do so, you are sending the message to the airlines that amenities are not important to you. You would much rather bring your own soda and snacks than have any provided to you as long as the price is the lowest. The CEO of Spirit Airlines, an airline that literally charges for EVERYTHING, argues that if the passenger is going to purchase a ticket SOLELY on ticket price alone, they will give you what you want. The lowest price. That's for the base model of ticket. If you want a window seat, that will cost you. If you want a carry-on bag, that will cost you. If you are happy with the clothes on your back and sitting in the middle seat, why should you pay the same amount as someone carrying bags? The fact is, when it comes to aviation, weight is money. It costs money to move more weight because the airplane burns more fuel.
When it comes to making a purchase as expensive as a plane ticket or a new television, which one do you think the consumer researches more? I've talked to many people who research the difference between 1080p, 1080i and 4K. They do a cost benefit analysis of a 40 versus a 42 inch TV. Hours are spent researching and talking to experts on the difference in brands and warranties. Yet, when it comes to buying an airplane ticket, little to no thought goes into the product.
You also bring up the point about international airlines. I don't know much about Air Tahiti. It is entirely possible that you WAY overpaid for a ticket to go through the islands as compared to a comparable US Domestic ticket. If you went from LA to Chicago for $200 and from London to Slovenia for for $200 on an international carrier, you could say that you've been ripped off on the European flight as that flight distance is significantly shorter.
Many people argue that airlines like Lufthansa, Emirates, or any other international airline have much better amenities. You would be correct. The flight experience on most major international airlines is a better one. Many of the large international carriers in Europe and Asia have a partially unfair competitive advantage. Since many are the only airline in their country, their government holds a stake in its success. These airlines are partially nationalized. An airline like Emirates cannot lose money because the oil profits coming into the country subsidize the cost of running an airline. It is able to offer low fares with lots of amenities for exactly that reason. Other national airlines like Air France and Etihad fall under the exact same scenario.
Additionally, since the United States airplane manufacturer Boeing, once the only name in aviation, is in a heated battle with Airbus for aircraft orders, it has appealed to our government for assistance. As a result, international airlines that compete with US airlines on international routes are able to use US government subsidies from the US Export-Import Bank to provide incredibly low financing for brand new fuel efficient aircraft like the 787. This ensures the foreign airlines purchase from Boeing over Airbus while also creating an unfair cost advantage for the US Legacy carriers. Airlines like United and American have an aging fleet that they are still making payments on while the US government subsidizes their competitors' new fleets.
So, why is it that our commercial aviation system is like a bus system? Simply stated, because it's what you wanted it to be. It's no longer considered a perk, but a service that everyone should be able to use. Do you want to drive from Peoria, IL to Chicago? No, you deserve to not have to drive. You'd rather get rid of inflight entertainment than drive. As such, your wish is their command.
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