FB: Liberty League

[JT]

GRO: Regulator owns you dood.  Better step up your game...

RE: JetBlue

Any members of LLPP get stuck someplace around the lower 48 because of these clowns?  Seriously what is this Amature hour?  This isn't kiddie games.  Shouldn't take 6-7 days to recover from a snowstorm....

The Rev is wondering why everyone is down on JetBlue, when all they did is the same as every other airline has done.  Most other airlines can fake it because they have larger systems, yet no airline ever tries to make amends with their passengers.  At least Jet Blue is trying to set things right after they f-ed everything up.  Had it been United, they would have charged passengers extra for sitting on the tarmac and called a it a fuel surcharge...and then lost the baggage.

The Rev wishes that all U.S. carriers would go out of business.  They are all whores and they run their organizations in ways that would have sent other businesses six feet under after the first month, and then they rely on the government to prop them up.  In the meantime they blame their problems on the very governmental organizations that prop them up, and then they STILL lose money.

Airlines can go to hell. 

...but Jet Blue is The Rev's favorite. Great seat pitch, DirecTV, youngish flight attendants, and killer snacks.

The Rev's least favorite:

--United: got The Rev to volunteer to get bounced off a flight to Seoul and put him on a Singapore Air flight 1/2 hour later.  Great deal!  But Rev asked fgate agent: Will my baggage be on the United or Singapore flight?  Will it be there in Seoul when I arrive?  "Of course!"  It wasn't.  Three days in Seoul with no clean clothes until a KOREN AIR employee tracked my bag down only to learn that it was still sitting on the tarmac in SFO.  The Rev sends a letter to United asking "WTF?" and gets NO response.  The Rev pleads you not to fly United. Let these suckers go under as they deserve.

--Southwest: Cattle car.  Annoying flight attendants.  Look, Rev want a flight, not some doofus singing show tunes over the PA.  The Rev also dislikes the fact that Southwest made it possible for people who should be riding a bus to ride a plane.  Now every non-showering, sweatsuit wearing, non-toothbrushing dirtball flies and seems to come through my line and need a pat-down.

--Northwest: Flight attendants are old hags, crappy service, expensive.  The Rev plans to use his 123,000 miles, and then never fly them again.

JT has never flown SW.  Nearest airport is out in Strong Island.  Islip???  Just watching Airline on A&E makes JT want to avoid them.

JT's Favorite airlines:

Virgin - Great airline. Big personal TV screens with handheld channel changer/gamestick.  Lots of games, first run movies, sports, etc.  Makes JetBlue look like basic cable.  Real food, good snacks, free beer and wine.  Awesome service and pretty FA's.  Good fares and they make money.  Wish they had North American routes.  Plus you can save your miles to fly on the Virgin spaceshuttle.

JetBlue - Comfy seats, Direct TV.  Good fares and popular routes.

Continental - Best of the big commercials in JT's opinion.  Has a Newark, NJ hub. Newest fleet of the big guys.  Service is OK.  JT has the most miles cc/air with this airline.


Worst:

American Airlines - JT was on one recently that still had ashtrays.  How old was this tin can?

AirTran - Used to be FunJet.  Is an OK discount airline, just don't fly over the Everglades.

US Air - Can't seem to fly out of Newark without stopping in Charlotte, Atlanta, Pittsburg or Cinncinnati.

[JT]

RE: picking up chicks when the odds are like 100:1

In the Revs last post he mentioned that he likes Jet Blue partially because of the youngish flight attendants. (and for other reasons)

This brings up a good topic for discussion in the LLPP.......
How is it that some dudes think that they can run game on chicks that have to deal with other dudes running game on them all day?  I mean dude do you SERIOUSLY think that the hooters waitress is in to you?  Do you know how many guys today alone tried to set up shop here?  Oh what about that smokin hot (well at least for being in an airplane) flight attendant, do you think that you are the first guy who has played the "funny guy trying to score" role?  Maybe you could get her digits between the time that she gives out the peanuts and the time she collects all of the plastic cups in a garbage bag.

Reg always gets a big kick out of guys doing this.......particularly at hooters or with a bartender......

Rev, even though I mentioned your name, I definately don't think you are one of these guys......but you guys must have friends that arae always like "Dood, this girl was all over me!!!....You should have seen her!! I am IN!"

The key to the pickup is staying in the same hotel as the FA's.  Odds improve dramatically.

[mattvsmith]

The key to the pickup is staying in the same hotel as the FA's.  Odds improve dramatically.

The Rev thought he had it made one time because a Thai FA on NWA told him to stay at the Seoul Hilton, and she'd be staying there.  It was New Year's Eve, 1999, and The Rev was just moving back to Korea after a year and a half hiatus in Da Bronx, and lost track of said FA even before entering the huge New Years Party, which little to The Rev's knowledge had a bunch of famous Korean pop stars.  The Rev, having been absent, thought they were just poseurs and blew a couple of them off.  Damn.

No matter, The Rev called up Old Reliable (an old flame in Seoul) and the night progressed smoothly from there.

Nevertheless, The Rev was peeved because a night at the Seoul Hilton on New Year ran him over $400.  Had the Rev not been lured there by the FA, he would have spent about $35 for some cheap motel with the same result.

Lesson learned.

[labart96]

TGP agrees with the Virgin Air review, but would also add Singapore and New Zealand Airlines to the Top of the Class.  Singapore Air had really comfortable seats, and the FAs are as hot as advertised:



Took NZA on a trip to Australia a while back - got a sweet 2 for 1 deal.  Brand new plane, with all the accomodations that Virgin had entertainment wise.  Made the long trip much more enjoyable.

[mattvsmith]

JT has never flown SW.  Nearest airport is out in Strong Island.  Islip???  Just watching Airline on A&E makes JT want to avoid them.

You should fly them at least once.  They are hardly the worst, but Rev doesn't really think they're the best.  From Rev's experience in the Pricing world, SW is a prime mover in keeping airfares low in their markets.  SW doesn't have the lowest fares because every airline in their markets will match the SW fares.  However, if SW were not in those markets, the fares would be significantly higher.  (This would explain why Albany is now an affordable market, when before you had to take out a mortgage in order to get a flight.)

SW's policy is to price tickets that give them their acceptable profit mrgin and to hell with the other airlines.  no other airline can actually afford to price as low as SW, so they essentially force other airlines into losing proifit in order to keep market share.  The airlines then must raise prices in their non-SW markets to "subsidize" their SW routes.

Good example: PHX to LAX.  SW often puts out $29 sales.  This forces US Airways (formerly America West) to match the fares.  SW can (sort of) afford this.  US Airways, always on the brink of bankrupcy-implosion, cannot afford it, but also cannot afford to let SW take more market share in what is one of US's most important routes.

Oh the competition for customers is fierce!

JT's Favorite airlines:

Virgin - Great airline. Big personal TV screens with handheld channel changer/gamestick.  Lots of games, first run movies, sports, etc.  Makes JetBlue look like basic cable.  Real food, good snacks, free beer and wine.  Awesome service and pretty FA's.  Good fares and they make money.  Wish they had North American routes.  Plus you can save your miles to fly on the Virgin spaceshuttle.

One of the world's best airlines in terms of customer service.  If they could get over regulatory hurdles and fly more routes in the US, they would take a massive dent out of so many domestic carriers.

There was a conference in Chicago years ago that laid out six agreements about who can fly where.  The sixth agreement "cabotage" allows a foreign carrier to fly domestic markets (origin and destination) just as if it were a domestic carrier.  Few--very few countries--allow cabotage.  If they did, their domestic airlines would hurt.  now that there are code-shares, the idea is a little out-dated.

JetBlue - Comfy seats, Direct TV.  Good fares and popular routes.

This is why the Rev tries to fly JetBlue from PHX to JFK to SYR (or ROC) instead of US Airways.  Better price (or sometimes a little more expensive) but the service and features are so much better.

Continental - Best of the big commercials in JT's opinion.  Has a Newark, NJ hub. Newest fleet of the big guys.  Service is OK.  JT has the most miles cc/air with this airline.

The Rev is most likely to take CO if he flies a legacy carrier.  For a legacy carrier, they are actually pretty good.  The staff is generally pretty friendly and their service is usually pretty good.  CO is probably the healthiest of legacy carriers.  If one were to rank carriers' health, SW is first, and CO second.

Worst:

American Airlines - JT was on one recently that still had ashtrays.  How old was this tin can?

AirTran - Used to be FunJet.  Is an OK discount airline, just don't fly over the Everglades.

US Air - Can't seem to fly out of Newark without stopping in Charlotte, Atlanta or Cinncinnati.

AA -- actually the most forward thinking in terms of revenue management and operational metrics.  This is great for statisticians, but shizzy for passengers.  Why do they fly ancient aircraft?  Because they are paid for and therefore they make more money.  Buying new planes cuts into profits, so they will fly the urine out of the MD-80s.  The Rev thinks MD-80s are flying feces, and so avoids them if possible.

Air Tran: Only flown once...PHX to ATL to ROC...good enough.  Got the job done.

US Air: Too emotionally involved to give an honest opinion.  Rev is flying them in March, and may have a story or two when he returns.  The Rev's big question: will they treat him better now that he is not an employee?

[mattvsmith]

TGP agrees with the Virgin Air review, but would also add Singapore and New Zealand Airlines to the Top of the Class.  Singapore Air had really comfortable seats, and the FAs are as hot as advertised:



Took NZA on a trip to Australia a while back - got a sweet 2 for 1 deal.  Brand new plane, with all the accomodations that Virgin had entertainment wise.  Made the long trip much more enjoyable.

The Rev will verify that the FAs on Singapore Air are the fittest birds in the air.  The rev looks forward to his next trip to Seoul, and hopes to get bumped from United to Singapore Air again.  (Only this time The Rev will not check-in his luggage.)

Better than just being hot, the FAs on SA are also sweet as can be.  They really have the right attitude for serving customers.  US FAs have this attitude that we, the pax, owe them.  Urine-poor customer service.


When the Rev prays the Hail Mary, he sometimes sees a kindly and comely Korean Air flight attendant in his mind's eye, and the world seems oh so good.

[superman57]

I flew El-Al to Israel a about 8 years ago and at the time they were cutting edge, everyone had their own tv and could pick and choose from about 6 different movies...though only issues were the ultra-orthadox jews trying to open the side plane doors so they could prey...

[JT]

TGP agrees with the Virgin Air review, but would also add Singapore and New Zealand Airlines to the Top of the Class.  Singapore Air had really comfortable seats, and the FAs are as hot as advertised:



Took NZA on a trip to Australia a while back - got a sweet 2 for 1 deal.  Brand new plane, with all the accomodations that Virgin had entertainment wise.  Made the long trip much more enjoyable.

JT would definitely go for SA or NZA.  He's gotta do more overseas travel.  If JT was close to an SW market he'd give them a shot. 

JT has a $99 companion fare on CO expiring at the end of April.  Limited to 48 states and JT's fare had to be a min of $298.  LA, PHX, Vegas were all too cheap < $298.  Result.... heading off to Seattle in mid-April for 4-5 days.  Maybe we'll pop over to Vancouver.  Double miles and two more refrigerator magnets.

[mattvsmith]

JT would definitely go for SA or NZA.  He's gotta do more overseas travel.  If JT was close to an SW market he'd give them a shot. 

JT has a $99 companion fare on CO expiring at the end of April.  Limited to 48 states and JT's fare had to be a min of $298.  LA, PHX, Vegas were all too cheap < $298.  Result.... heading off to Seattle in mid-April for 4-5 days.  Maybe we'll pop over to Vancouver.  Double miles and two more refrigerator magnets.

Good call on Vancouver.  Fly into SEA and cross the border by car or the shuttle bus (there is one that takes you right into downtown Vancouver at a posh hotel).  Easy.  Vancouver is a good time.  Make sure you have a passport, because we (in the DHS) are being dickheads about that now. 
viz.---
http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1169569034747.shtm

[JT]

JT would definitely go for SA or NZA.  He's gotta do more overseas travel.  If JT was close to an SW market he'd give them a shot. 

JT has a $99 companion fare on CO expiring at the end of April.  Limited to 48 states and JT's fare had to be a min of $298.  LA, PHX, Vegas were all too cheap < $298.  Result.... heading off to Seattle in mid-April for 4-5 days.  Maybe we'll pop over to Vancouver.  Double miles and two more refrigerator magnets.

Good call on Vancouver.  Fly into SEA and cross the border by car or the shuttle bus (there is one that takes you right into downtown Vancouver at a posh hotel).  Easy.  Vancouver is a good time.  Make sure you have a passport, because we (in the DHS) are being dickheads about that now. 
viz.---
http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1169569034747.shtm

JT's thinking about venturing down to Hastings St. in Vancouver, but from JT's recent research on google it looks like it might be a major hassle.   JT thought it would be cool to get FMJT stoned for the first time.

We have always used passports, so no biggie.

[PBR...]

pbr is in dire need of many hurricanes from o'briens....may have to get the mix fed'x ....pbr is getting his teeth kicked in at work today

[Regulator]

pbr is in dire need of many hurricanes from o'briens....may have to get the mix fed'x ....pbr is getting his teeth kicked in at work today

PBR-
How you holding up?  Want me to P1 you some Martini fixins?

[mattvsmith]

How is it that they still can't figure out who is the father of Anna Nicole Smith's daughter?  They act like this is some kind of impossible problem to solve, and yet on Maury Povich they do it all the time.  WTF???


Who is the Babydaddy?  Get Maury on the case.

[superman57]

Can I throw my hat in for father of Anna's baby

[Senor RedTackle]

RT can empathize..

http://us.video.aol.com/video.index.adp?pls=video.category.2451.1732206&startid=1732206&mode=1


BTW...RT was in the Stockade area of Schenectady. RT can't tell if that's a safe area or not