Comments on: Pretending You Are Luggage

By: Matt_Cullen

Matt_Cullen — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:12:24 +0000

Despite all the complaints I used to hear about DIA, it really is a great airport. A few of the things that I think contribute (and places that are absolutely awful at these same things):

- It's really easy to get around. (Houston)
- The trains are fast and run frequently. (Houston)
- Security is divided into families/inexperienced, experienced, expert, and 1st class lines. Doesn't seem like a big deal until you start going through airports where everyone is thrown in together. (Albuquerque)
- Free wireless. (San Francisco)
- Electric plugs are available. (Albuquerque)
- The airport has a cohesive design, not like a lot of the ones with random additions. (Houston)
- You can travel between concourses without going through security. (I'm talking to you, Miami International)
- Lots of moving sidewalks.
- You don't have to walk from one end of the airport to the other. (Miami, again)

One thing I haven't found yet at DIA is a reasonably priced, good tasting restaurant. If anyone has suggestions here, let me know.

By: heykeenan

heykeenan — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:34:46 +0000

It's a good life lesson. Keep expectations low. Let everyone surprise you. Half of life's disappointments comes from our own, unrealistic expectations of others. (expectation of ourselves should always be high, we control them) but for those outside of our control, keep em low.

By: Brad Feld

Brad Feld — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:28:03 +0000

Yeah but flying is no worse than it was in 2000!

By: airline-guy

airline-guy — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:25:32 +0000

There does have to be some expectation setting.

Money coming into an airline:
Average domestic airfare, now: Around $300
Average domestic airfare 4Q 2000: $407

Biggest cost for an airline…fuel:
Crude Oil Per Barrel, now: $80
Crude Oil Per Barrel, 4Q 2000: $29

That has to net out somewhere. Airline's costs are up, yours are down. No free lunch, sorry.

By: Buzz Bruggeman

Buzz Bruggeman — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:59:58 +0000

I was on a UAL the other day that was brutal….Finally got up, walked to the back of the plane, and made a comment to the aging flight attendant that the flight was brutal. She looked at me and said, "Haven't you heard we have a new class of service?"

I bit and said I hadn't heard that…

And she replied, "Yes, economy minus…"…

There you have it as they say…

By: Owen Johnson

Owen Johnson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:22:14 +0000

Do I smell a concept for a new product or a Saturday Night Live skit? Hard to know.

By: Brad Feld

Brad Feld — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:15:05 +0000

I was definitely a sleeping flying cow today. Hopefully the methane production wasn't too much for my seatmate.

By: Owen Johnson

Owen Johnson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:05:59 +0000

It seems to me that the threat level hasn't been lower than Orange since the level was invented!

I've used the cow metaphor for years to fly happily. Being a flying cow is the only way to fly.

If I could develop your superpower, I could be a sleeping flying cow and that would be even more enjoyable.

By: JChauncey

JChauncey — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:28:59 +0000

My wife and I are flying to Montana this December for a wedding (leave early friday morning and arrive home late sunday night) so I hope to God everything goes alright – that next week is finals week for my wife…

By: Brad Feld

Brad Feld — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:50:08 +0000

Hah! Yeah, I usually travel dehydrated.

By: Matt_Cullen

Matt_Cullen — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:22:15 +0000

It took a little while, but Southwest is growing on me. Their staff really is friendly, and not just while they're at work. Last week they put me up in a hotel when I couldn't get back in to Denver during the snowstorm, and I rode to the airport with a few of their flight attendants and pilots in the hotel shuttle the next morning. The whole way there they were telling stories and joking, which was quite a bit different from some of the shuttle rides I've shared with employees of other airlines. And kudos to them for kicking this kid and his mother off the plane. http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_13674572 They should get a standing ovation for that one. My biggest gripe with them is that it can be so difficult to fly directly to your destination with them. Layovers and stops along the way are almost mandatory.

By: J.D.

J.D. — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:22:08 +0000

I think I fall somewhere in between, most of the time. I do enter a mindset of "okay, I'm in their hands now, nothing I can do" — but in return for my being passive, I still expect them to do their part.

Having flown through quite a few airports (though probably not as many as Brad), I'm convinced that we're very, very lucky to live near DIA. The TSA staff is actually friendly, even as they yell out stupid rules over and over. So are most of the gate staff (with a few glaring exceptions, like Midwest Airlines.) I don't know what makes DIA different, but other airports could learn a lot.

By: Nick

Nick — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:20:04 +0000

does that mean you have to check your fluids in a separate ziplock bag? might be tough

By: Matt Weeks

Matt Weeks — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:18:58 +0000

For a light moment– United Breaks Guitars. Funny but not-funny. Widely used as an example of how to damage a brand by failing to understand the customer. Just fun to listen to. For now, have fun and be glad we're not Dave's luggage.
http://bit.ly/1QbYqL

And I often hear echoes of Tom Waits when I travel (Tom is *such* a great travel companion). Here's the link to Foreign Affair, and the quote:

"…planes and trains and boats and buses
characteristically evoke a common attitude of blue
unless you have a suitcase and a ticket and a passport
and the cargo that they're carrying is you…"

http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/song/Foreign_Affa...

See. You really are luggage.
See you at the airport.
M

By: David Cohen

David Cohen — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:03:53 +0000

As long as they tag me as priority first, I’m cool with it.