[stevicus]

Hello, I just joined AirlineComplaints.org after reading an article about a flight attendant who wigged out on a flight, opened up the slide exit, slid out, and drove home. There was a link to this site. I quickly became interested in all the different complaints, as these are things which I've noticed about flying over the past several years.

I did a lot of air traveling when I was younger, back in the 70s when my parents were living at opposite ends of the country. I just remember that the service was better back then. I can't say that I've experienced any of the horror stories that many people have posted here, but based on my own experience, I'm not really surprised by them either. It's just the callous, uncaring attitude that I noticed more than anything else.

Personally, I can't say that anything horrible happened to me on any recent flights: I paid the fare, got to my destination in one piece, and got my luggage back undamaged. They did the minimum of what I expected without any major incident or problem, so I guess I can't make any official "complaint" in that respect. It's just that the overall experience was pretty negative from a customer's point of view.

I suppose what really bothers me is that, if I get "attitude" or bad service in a store or a restaurant, then I can easily make the choice not to go back there again. That's not really the case with airlines, because there may not be that many choices available, especially if you live in a smaller city which is only served by a few airlines. Realistically, there aren't a lot of choices available. If you already have arranged travel plans and a set schedule, then it's not that feasible to just change airlines at the drop of a hat. It's even more of a problem if you're 2000 miles from home and in a strange city. You're stuck there, disoriented, and all you want to do is just get home. You just have to sit and take their guff because you don't have any other practical options.