Coffee, Tea Or A Pain In The Ass?
Who knew? An airline that actually has balls!
But still, not enough brains!
AirTran actually threw a family off one of its airplanes in Florida because the three year old daughter was throwing a temper tantrum prior to takeoff. It seems the parents couldn't keep her quiet long enough to buckle her in, so with the flight already running 15 minutes late, the cabin crew off-loaded them all. The airline refunded their money... but then gave them additional round-trip tickets as well to compensate them for their inconvenience.
First of all, HOORAY FOR AIRTRAN. That's probably the first and only time anybody has actually uttered that sentence. But as someone who has spent more than enough time sitting in front of miserable kids kicking my seat, behind kids who cried or pouted from LaGuardia to Los Angeles or sat across the aisle from kids who spent hours on end running up and down the aisles while their parents got sloshed on $5 Budweisers, I applaud any airline that tosses them out on the tarmac. I have said over and over that airplanes should have child and non-child sections, just like they used to have smoking and non-smoking sections. The day someone comes up with a successful business model for a no toddler airline is the day somebody strikes gold.
I don't dislike children. Nor do I dislike smokers, farters or fire-eaters. However, not all are appropriate for what is essentially a flying hallway with chairs. And, if smokers are expected to control their nicotine cravings and farters are expected to control their bowels, then it isn't too much to ask that Joe and Mildred Sexmixer control their offspring. Why should 112 people held captive on board a 737 have to be subjected to the bad behavior of one three year old who had too much sugar or too little sleep, or both?
And no... I don't advocate banning all children. Most times kids have a good time on planes with only an occasional outburst. The holy terrors I think we all want to avoid are the ones that are perpetually out of control... the pint sized versions of Veruca from Willy Wonka.
The only thing I think AirTran did wrong was give this Massachusetts mom and dad free tickets over and above their full refund. What compensation did they offer the passengers who wound up getting to their destination 15-30 minutes late? The family said they are so angry they'll never fly AirTran again. I can think of at least 112 customers and six or eight flight crew who hope to take that promise to the bank.
Air travel stopped being fun about a decade ago. Today it's about as exciting as a subway ride to Queens. But at least on the subway, when someone gets in your car with a screaming child or a stroller the size of a Volkswagen, you can change seats, or even change cars. No such luck at 30,000 feet. So even though airlines are subjecting us to the indignities of crowded terminals, cramped seats, bad service, lousy schedules and high fares, there should be some respect for our battered eardrums and shattered patience. Just because the airline is too cheap to show a movie on my flight doesn't mean I need to be subjected to a real life family drama across the aisle. I'll get plenty of screaming kids and screaming parents when I get to my brother's house. I don't need 6-10 hours of it enroute.
But still, not enough brains!
AirTran actually threw a family off one of its airplanes in Florida because the three year old daughter was throwing a temper tantrum prior to takeoff. It seems the parents couldn't keep her quiet long enough to buckle her in, so with the flight already running 15 minutes late, the cabin crew off-loaded them all. The airline refunded their money... but then gave them additional round-trip tickets as well to compensate them for their inconvenience.
First of all, HOORAY FOR AIRTRAN. That's probably the first and only time anybody has actually uttered that sentence. But as someone who has spent more than enough time sitting in front of miserable kids kicking my seat, behind kids who cried or pouted from LaGuardia to Los Angeles or sat across the aisle from kids who spent hours on end running up and down the aisles while their parents got sloshed on $5 Budweisers, I applaud any airline that tosses them out on the tarmac. I have said over and over that airplanes should have child and non-child sections, just like they used to have smoking and non-smoking sections. The day someone comes up with a successful business model for a no toddler airline is the day somebody strikes gold.
I don't dislike children. Nor do I dislike smokers, farters or fire-eaters. However, not all are appropriate for what is essentially a flying hallway with chairs. And, if smokers are expected to control their nicotine cravings and farters are expected to control their bowels, then it isn't too much to ask that Joe and Mildred Sexmixer control their offspring. Why should 112 people held captive on board a 737 have to be subjected to the bad behavior of one three year old who had too much sugar or too little sleep, or both?
And no... I don't advocate banning all children. Most times kids have a good time on planes with only an occasional outburst. The holy terrors I think we all want to avoid are the ones that are perpetually out of control... the pint sized versions of Veruca from Willy Wonka.
The only thing I think AirTran did wrong was give this Massachusetts mom and dad free tickets over and above their full refund. What compensation did they offer the passengers who wound up getting to their destination 15-30 minutes late? The family said they are so angry they'll never fly AirTran again. I can think of at least 112 customers and six or eight flight crew who hope to take that promise to the bank.
Air travel stopped being fun about a decade ago. Today it's about as exciting as a subway ride to Queens. But at least on the subway, when someone gets in your car with a screaming child or a stroller the size of a Volkswagen, you can change seats, or even change cars. No such luck at 30,000 feet. So even though airlines are subjecting us to the indignities of crowded terminals, cramped seats, bad service, lousy schedules and high fares, there should be some respect for our battered eardrums and shattered patience. Just because the airline is too cheap to show a movie on my flight doesn't mean I need to be subjected to a real life family drama across the aisle. I'll get plenty of screaming kids and screaming parents when I get to my brother's house. I don't need 6-10 hours of it enroute.
posted by Bill at
8:53 PM
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