Exquisite Sense of Entitlement
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Programs: LX Senator; AF Platinum and Club 2000; AA Platinum for life (former EXP)
Posts: 493
Exquisite Sense of Entitlement
I just saw a story posted on the internet of a woman complaining that her flight from CA to DFW was quite full. Of course it was full of the hysteria we hear all the time "never so frightened in my life" etc. etc. So how is this supposed to work? Are we all supposed to assume that the airlines will fly empty planes for us and still charge dirt cheap fares...guaranteeing that the airline will be losing money hand over fist????? Said another way are we all entitled to empty money losing flights with fares based on full planes? Is the alternative offering pax the option to buy a whole row: that is pay for every seat nearby (at the full cost of those seats). What is unsupportable is the notion that people are entitled to get something for which they have not paid.
#2
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: AA Executive Platinum/Million Miler, Marriott Titanium Elite-Lifetime, Hilton Gold
Posts: 3,198
We're going to see a lot of stories like this as traffic starts to rebound. If someone is that scared, I encourage them to look for alternatives, such as driving. Otherwise, we're going to have to get used to some level of risk in our daily lives if we ever hope to get back to some sense of normal (pre-vaccine). Some will have a higher tolerance for risk than others, which is understandable. Personally, I'm 100% comfortable flying or taking the train, but I know many that are not.
(As this is not AA-specific, the thread should probably be moved to the COVID-19 area.)
(As this is not AA-specific, the thread should probably be moved to the COVID-19 area.)
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: South Bend, IN
Programs: AA EXP 3 MM; Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 18,557
Figure-out how to get from Point A to Point B via ERJs and CRJs, book a first class ticket and reserve an A seat.
#4
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#5
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: NYC, BOS, ORD
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM
Posts: 843
People think $39 entitles them to a private jet nowadays. If you want a transportation option that's obligated to sell you tickets at a loss you're looking for Amtrak...
#6
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 130
There's 2 parts to the story..
The choice to fly is on the passenger.... but American should not be "blocking" middle seats when they will sell them. Also why make announcements on boarding and de-planing with social distancing when the flight is packed.
American should just give up on talking about social distancing and fill the plane anyway they want to
They further add to the confusion with "blocking" the first row of first class and hit or miss drink/food service
The choice to fly is on the passenger.... but American should not be "blocking" middle seats when they will sell them. Also why make announcements on boarding and de-planing with social distancing when the flight is packed.
American should just give up on talking about social distancing and fill the plane anyway they want to
They further add to the confusion with "blocking" the first row of first class and hit or miss drink/food service
#7
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
If this virus scares someone so much stay home. If you are an at risk person you have no business being in an airport or on a plane. A plane is a dirty, dirty environment. Planes get a deep clean once a month. Imagine having a house full of people for 30 days without cleaning the house. You get the picture. I would never, ever bring an elderly person/severe health issue family member onto an a/c, COVID 19 aside. Yet I've been flying and the number of disabled paxs keeps soaring.
#8
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,967
I had a flight on F9 a month ago with maybe 40 people aboard and we were booked with several rows (including mine) being full, and half the plane was empty. One passenger started making a big deal about it and the FA just kept saying nobody can move and if you didn't want to be around other people then you shouldn't have flown (paraphrased, but accurate as to what she said). I didn't care, I just kept my mask on and read a book, but this guy was about to get kicked off the plane until another FA came by and let people move to spread out after the flight took off.
I see both sides. Yeah if the plane is somewhat empty and there's no W&B issue, then let people spread out. Also, the first FA was unnecessarily rude in her response. At the same time, if it was such a concern for you that you can't keep your calm and almost get kicked off the plane, then you shouldn't be flying in the first place. If someone is sneezing and coughing in a plane, I doubt being 2 seats back or forward is going to change your chance at contracting an infection disease by much.
I see both sides. Yeah if the plane is somewhat empty and there's no W&B issue, then let people spread out. Also, the first FA was unnecessarily rude in her response. At the same time, if it was such a concern for you that you can't keep your calm and almost get kicked off the plane, then you shouldn't be flying in the first place. If someone is sneezing and coughing in a plane, I doubt being 2 seats back or forward is going to change your chance at contracting an infection disease by much.
#9
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 3,698
Airlines need to be clear in setting expectations about what the in-flight experience will be. United, in particular, made some clear statements about blocking middle seats and then decided that as long as people are willing to fill up the plane they'll sell them anyway. Delta, on the other hand, seems to be consistently blocking middle seats and half of first class. The United approach definitely doesn't seem okay--if you make a statement about how you'll be approaching spacing for Coronavirus, you should stick to it.
American seems to be in kind of a wishy-washy middle ground, which is mostly just confusing for customers and unsurprisingly leads to upset. Ideally they'd set a clear policy of some sort and stick to it, and if that policy is "we are going to sell every seat on the plane if we can" then people can make travel decisions with that information in mind.
American seems to be in kind of a wishy-washy middle ground, which is mostly just confusing for customers and unsurprisingly leads to upset. Ideally they'd set a clear policy of some sort and stick to it, and if that policy is "we are going to sell every seat on the plane if we can" then people can make travel decisions with that information in mind.
#10
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: RDU
Posts: 2,262
Airlines need to be clear in setting expectations about what the in-flight experience will be. United, in particular, made some clear statements about blocking middle seats and then decided that as long as people are willing to fill up the plane they'll sell them anyway. Delta, on the other hand, seems to be consistently blocking middle seats and half of first class. The United approach definitely doesn't seem okay--if you make a statement about how you'll be approaching spacing for Coronavirus, you should stick to it.
American seems to be in kind of a wishy-washy middle ground, which is mostly just confusing for customers and unsurprisingly leads to upset. Ideally they'd set a clear policy of some sort and stick to it, and if that policy is "we are going to sell every seat on the plane if we can" then people can make travel decisions with that information in mind.
American seems to be in kind of a wishy-washy middle ground, which is mostly just confusing for customers and unsurprisingly leads to upset. Ideally they'd set a clear policy of some sort and stick to it, and if that policy is "we are going to sell every seat on the plane if we can" then people can make travel decisions with that information in mind.
#11
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Travel Safety/Security & Texas, FlyerTalk Evangelist
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