Airlines
4/25/01 - So another year of college is almost over, and I've been trying to set up a vacation to take with a couple friends. There's only one real problem with the whole thing, getting an airline ticket. Oh sure, it's no big deal if you can drop a couple grand on a ticket to get you around the world, but some of us would rather not spend a months worth of pay just getting to the destination. I realize planes are expensive, but they can't be THAT expensive. If you pack 200 people on a plane and charge them all $200, you get $40,000 for that flight. The fuel and stewardesses and pilots are expesive, but they cram a lot more than 200 people and charge a lot more than $200 for most plane tickets. And that flight is just one of the many that plane can do that day.
Not that I can do anything about it. I've averaged about one round trip plane ticket per 8 years of my life. You can drive anywhere in the country for a lot less money, as long as your car can handle it. And if it's less than 300 miles, it ends up taking the same amount of time or less usually.
And it's not like flying is the luxury it's made out to be. Sure, first class is nice, but there's a reason the first class section is so small, it's called cost. I wish they had separate first class planes, because when you know some guy is up in front with a bunch of leg room and a nice comfortable seat, it makes you mad. If everyone on the plane was of the same "class" (except for smokers, they need to be separated), I wouldn't feel so bad.
The amount of money that is spent on you when you fly is also very unfair. If you're paying $900 to fly overseas, you should at least see $50 of that spent on you to make sure you have a decent trip. A couple packets of dry, salty peanuts and a sub-par meal don't cost that much. Get some chocolate or other candy, maybe a little toy plane for the 6-10 year olds, a free glass of wine for adults, you'll probably have a lot happier customers. I think some airlines do some or all of this stuff, but all they all should. At least try to make the food better.
I think Taco Bell, Wendy's, and a pizza place could make a fortune by offering the airline industry to help them handle their food. Allow people to reserve their food before the flight (right before boarding) and then give them a ticket to get their food once they're on the plane. Maybe not Taco Bell. A hundred people in a cramped place all eating Taco Bell could be.... smelly. If you don't pick a meal before the flight, you can have one of the airline meals, or there might be a waiting list for the extra/refused meals that these fast food places bring on board. I bet most people would choose to get a decent hamburger than a low-quality "beef meal" so the airlines would cut their costs a lot. They could spend amount on food costs, but increase the quality since there are fewer meals to prepare.
So I guess I'll stop writing about the airlines, but I may have to revisit this topic after I take my trip. Not that I have a ticket yet, but I'm working on it. I hope the food is ok. Maybe I can bring my own. I can stow it safely in the overhead compartment. It won't be Taco Bell, I can't stand that stuff.-Luke