Just took a routine flight from Chicago to Boston. No rain. No snow. Only a 30-minute delay going there due to a "typographical error on the pilot's checklist." (What on earth is that?) So why am I complaining? Well, air travel has become a metaphor for the overall lack of caring and civility we see around us every day.
- Classes of people: Oh my God! Boarding took forever because there were so many special folks ahead of me. Because I had a plain old ticket, I was in Group 2. That meant by the time I boarded, most of the plane seats and overhead compartments were filled. Here are the twelve castes American Airlines has established:
- First Class/Business Class
- Uniformed U.S. Military
- AAdvantage Executive Platinum / AAdvantage Platinum
- Dividend Miles Chairman's Preferred / Platinum / Gold
- oneworld Emerald / Sapphire
- AAdvantage Gold
- Dividend Miles Silver
- oneworld Ruby
- AAirpass / Priority / Group 1
- Group 2
- Group 3
- Group 4
Note that none of these castes included people with small children, folks with handicapping conditions, or the elderly. I can't imagine what you had to do to get into Group 3 or 4.
I'm sure the airlines set the tone for this behavior by shockingly caring more about the bottom line than the comfort of their passengers. I guess I could be more understanding if they were hurting, but I hear they are making huge profits these days, especially with the price of oil dropping. And didn't we all bail them out after 9/11 to the tune of billions of dollars?
Remember the old John Denver song, "I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane"? Back then, you could just pack your bags, call a taxi, and leave your girlfriend without knowing when you would return. That's because there were no change fees, up-charges, or sold-out flights due to having so many fewer flights. And there were just two classes of travelers -- first class and the rest of us.
I'm old enough to remember such shocking things as empty middle seats where you could put your things, snacks and meals (OK, they were bad but they still tried to feed you) on all flights, aisles wide enough to pull your suitcase, seats wide enough to accommodate folks without invading the person seated next to you, enough leg room so folks could recline their seats without getting into deadly combat, families with kids being allowed to board first, and flight attendants (OK, stewardesses) giving kids pilot wings. My grandkids will be shocked to hear this, just as they are shocked that I grew up with no computer and only three channels on a tiny black and white TV. Sadly, they will also be shocked to learn that folks were civil to one another because leaving on a jet plane was a rare privilege.
I wish you all safe and happy travels. And I ask that you reflect for a moment on how you can show some kindness to your fellow traveler.