favorite dumb pax comments
Aug 19, 2011, 2:30 pm
#347
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
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Posts: 18,686
Not really a dumb PAX story. Actually, it's kind of cute.
Was seated next to a Dad traveling with his 6 year-old daughter. After getting settled in their seats the little girl pulls out the emergency card that explains the water landing procedures. She asks her dad about it and he begins to explain it to her. A short time later I hear...
Girl: Daddy? Can we play on those rafts?
Dad: No they're not for play, they're only for emergencies.
Girl: I hope we have an emergency.
Was seated next to a Dad traveling with his 6 year-old daughter. After getting settled in their seats the little girl pulls out the emergency card that explains the water landing procedures. She asks her dad about it and he begins to explain it to her. A short time later I hear...
Girl: Daddy? Can we play on those rafts?
Dad: No they're not for play, they're only for emergencies.
Girl: I hope we have an emergency.
Yes, your story is a classic!
Aug 19, 2011, 2:52 pm
#348
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: LAS
Programs: DL PM, UA PS, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 4,904
How did you get a one-way miles ticket on DL? Because I'd love to hear!
Aug 19, 2011, 8:23 pm
#349
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Home Airports: CAE/CLT
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, National Executive
Posts: 5,452
Does that prove anything? No. But I suspect she booked when RT tix were still in the low $200 range.
Aug 20, 2011, 2:56 am
#350
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 389
Similar story here, but naivete instead of whining: flying IAD-DFW (iirc), pilot announces a 3h20m flight time, and the passenger next to me turns to her husband and says "Wow, this flight is going to be SO LONG."
Aug 20, 2011, 6:24 am
#351
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: STL
Posts: 1,546
Meh, I'm not sure if that's really that stupid of a comment. My mom is like that. She has a fear of flying (but does it since she hates long car rides even more) so she considers a flight of any length long. Sure, it's a dumb comment to FT where people will do EWR-SIN and turn around and go back to EWR for a mileage run and not blink an eye at the nearly 40 hours of flight time, but I can't fault someone for complaining that a 3 hour flight is long
Aug 20, 2011, 9:56 am
#352
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: BNA
Programs: HH Gold. (Former) UA PP, DL PM, PC Plat
Posts: 8,184
I averaged about two round-trips per month, often with one connection each way, on SWA for about three years. In that time, I arrived at my destination more than one-hour late exactly twice and never more than two-hours late. In my first two months flying Delta, they delayed me overnight twice!
I like the friendliness and enthusiasm of most SWA employees. It's something that I often miss on other carriers. It is nice to be served by employees who clearly enjoy what they're doing.
Aug 20, 2011, 10:38 am
#353
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Location: NY Metro Area
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Meh, I'm not sure if that's really that stupid of a comment. My mom is like that. She has a fear of flying (but does it since she hates long car rides even more) so she considers a flight of any length long. Sure, it's a dumb comment to FT where people will do EWR-SIN and turn around and go back to EWR for a mileage run and not blink an eye at the nearly 40 hours of flight time, but I can't fault someone for complaining that a 3 hour flight is long
Aug 20, 2011, 10:41 am
#354
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: NY Metro Area
Programs: AA 2MM Yay!, UA MM, Costco General Member
Posts: 49,047
I agree. I flew SWA extensively before switching to Delta when my travel needs changed to include international trips. I'd much rather fly SWA than Delta without status. Once I had status on Delta, Delta was the better experience, however.
I averaged about two round-trips per month, often with one connection each way, on SWA for about three years. In that time, I arrived at my destination more than one-hour late exactly twice and never more than two-hours late. In my first two months flying Delta, they delayed me overnight twice!
I like the friendliness and enthusiasm of most SWA employees. It's something that I often miss on other carriers. It is nice to be served by employees who clearly enjoy what they're doing.
I averaged about two round-trips per month, often with one connection each way, on SWA for about three years. In that time, I arrived at my destination more than one-hour late exactly twice and never more than two-hours late. In my first two months flying Delta, they delayed me overnight twice!
I like the friendliness and enthusiasm of most SWA employees. It's something that I often miss on other carriers. It is nice to be served by employees who clearly enjoy what they're doing.
Aug 20, 2011, 11:03 am
#355
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota,USA
Programs: UA, NW
Posts: 3,752
In 1985, I was in NRT waiting for a flight back to the States, when I struck up a conversation with a group of Americans, who turned out to be members of the Chicago Board of Aldermen on their way back from a trade mission to East Asia.
One of them got up to get a cup of coffee, and I soon saw that harsh words were being exchanged between him and the counter attendant. Since I speak Japanese, I went over to see if I could mediate.
"They won't take American money for the coffee!" the Alderman exclaimed indignantly.
The Japanese counter attendant was saying over and over, "We cannot take dollar."
In fact, at the time, it was illegal to use any currency but yen in Japan. I explained this to the Alderman.
He frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "But this is the airport."
"Yes, and it's an airport in Japan," I reminded him.
I could tell that he thought that this was an unfair application of the rules.
One of them got up to get a cup of coffee, and I soon saw that harsh words were being exchanged between him and the counter attendant. Since I speak Japanese, I went over to see if I could mediate.
"They won't take American money for the coffee!" the Alderman exclaimed indignantly.
The Japanese counter attendant was saying over and over, "We cannot take dollar."
In fact, at the time, it was illegal to use any currency but yen in Japan. I explained this to the Alderman.
He frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "But this is the airport."
"Yes, and it's an airport in Japan," I reminded him.
I could tell that he thought that this was an unfair application of the rules.
Aug 20, 2011, 11:16 am
#356
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: TPA
Programs: AAdvantage 2 million, Marriott Gold
Posts: 960
In 1985, I was in NRT waiting for a flight back to the States, when I struck up a conversation with a group of Americans, who turned out to be members of the Chicago Board of Aldermen on their way back from a trade mission to East Asia.
One of them got up to get a cup of coffee, and I soon saw that harsh words were being exchanged between him and the counter attendant. Since I speak Japanese, I went over to see if I could mediate.
"They won't take American money for the coffee!" the Alderman exclaimed indignantly.
The Japanese counter attendant was saying over and over, "We cannot take dollar."
In fact, at the time, it was illegal to use any currency but yen in Japan. I explained this to the Alderman.
He frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "But this is the airport."
"Yes, and it's an airport in Japan," I reminded him.
I could tell that he thought that this was an unfair application of the rules.
One of them got up to get a cup of coffee, and I soon saw that harsh words were being exchanged between him and the counter attendant. Since I speak Japanese, I went over to see if I could mediate.
"They won't take American money for the coffee!" the Alderman exclaimed indignantly.
The Japanese counter attendant was saying over and over, "We cannot take dollar."
In fact, at the time, it was illegal to use any currency but yen in Japan. I explained this to the Alderman.
He frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "But this is the airport."
"Yes, and it's an airport in Japan," I reminded him.
I could tell that he thought that this was an unfair application of the rules.
She was forced to move on!
Aug 20, 2011, 10:47 pm
#357
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 571
In 1985, I was in NRT waiting for a flight back to the States, when I struck up a conversation with a group of Americans, who turned out to be members of the Chicago Board of Aldermen on their way back from a trade mission to East Asia.
One of them got up to get a cup of coffee, and I soon saw that harsh words were being exchanged between him and the counter attendant. Since I speak Japanese, I went over to see if I could mediate.
"They won't take American money for the coffee!" the Alderman exclaimed indignantly.
The Japanese counter attendant was saying over and over, "We cannot take dollar."
In fact, at the time, it was illegal to use any currency but yen in Japan. I explained this to the Alderman.
He frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "But this is the airport."
"Yes, and it's an airport in Japan," I reminded him.
I could tell that he thought that this was an unfair application of the rules.
One of them got up to get a cup of coffee, and I soon saw that harsh words were being exchanged between him and the counter attendant. Since I speak Japanese, I went over to see if I could mediate.
"They won't take American money for the coffee!" the Alderman exclaimed indignantly.
The Japanese counter attendant was saying over and over, "We cannot take dollar."
In fact, at the time, it was illegal to use any currency but yen in Japan. I explained this to the Alderman.
He frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "But this is the airport."
"Yes, and it's an airport in Japan," I reminded him.
I could tell that he thought that this was an unfair application of the rules.
Took a family-related trip to Europe with her a few years ago and I'll never do that again.
What's strange is she's actually very well travelled. She'd make most FTers blush. Somehow, don't know how, she's managed to stay clueless to aspects of travel that are second nature to us. Always checks her bags, takes two suitcases and a day bag everywhere, flies at least 75k/year but doesn't know the first thing about FFPs. Ends up in middle seats because she doesn't know to assign it online in advance.
It's very strange and mildly annoying...
Aug 21, 2011, 10:34 am
#358
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: STL
Posts: 1,546
My dad was like that when he went to the UK for the first time earlier this year. He thought everyone would take USD because of all the tourists. "Why wouldn't they? London has a lot of tourists from the US, why wouldn't they take American money?"
Prior to that trip, the extent of his international travel had been the Mexican Riviera and a bunch of Caribbean Islands that were ports of call on cruises, and those places do usually accept American money so that's where he got the idea that American tourists=USD accepted.
After reminding him that you're not going to find any tourist traps in the US taking pounds, if places in London accepted money from every country where they have tourists from, shops would have to deal with dozens of different currencies, and that dealing with currency exchange is half the "fun" of international travel, he came to his senses.
Of course, it was all a moot point because we used the one currency that's accepted anywhere in the world - plastic.
Prior to that trip, the extent of his international travel had been the Mexican Riviera and a bunch of Caribbean Islands that were ports of call on cruises, and those places do usually accept American money so that's where he got the idea that American tourists=USD accepted.
After reminding him that you're not going to find any tourist traps in the US taking pounds, if places in London accepted money from every country where they have tourists from, shops would have to deal with dozens of different currencies, and that dealing with currency exchange is half the "fun" of international travel, he came to his senses.
Of course, it was all a moot point because we used the one currency that's accepted anywhere in the world - plastic.
Aug 21, 2011, 10:43 am
#359
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: BAEC Silver, IHG Diamond
Posts: 7,775
My dad was like that when he went to the UK for the first time earlier this year. He thought everyone would take USD because of all the tourists. "Why wouldn't they? London has a lot of tourists from the US, why wouldn't they take American money?"
Prior to that trip, the extent of his international travel had been the Mexican Riviera and a bunch of Caribbean Islands that were ports of call on cruises, and those places do usually accept American money so that's where he got the idea that American tourists=USD accepted.
After reminding him that you're not going to find any tourist traps in the US taking pounds, if places in London accepted money from every country where they have tourists from, shops would have to deal with dozens of different currencies, and that dealing with currency exchange is half the "fun" of international travel, he came to his senses.
Of course, it was all a moot point because we used the one currency that's accepted anywhere in the world - plastic.
Prior to that trip, the extent of his international travel had been the Mexican Riviera and a bunch of Caribbean Islands that were ports of call on cruises, and those places do usually accept American money so that's where he got the idea that American tourists=USD accepted.
After reminding him that you're not going to find any tourist traps in the US taking pounds, if places in London accepted money from every country where they have tourists from, shops would have to deal with dozens of different currencies, and that dealing with currency exchange is half the "fun" of international travel, he came to his senses.
Of course, it was all a moot point because we used the one currency that's accepted anywhere in the world - plastic.
Aug 21, 2011, 11:06 am
#360
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: USA - HNL, SEA, DEN, ORD, MCO, and all points inbetween
Programs: Way too many!
Posts: 1,188
Maybe slightly off topic because it was a comment from a TSA agent at JFK, not a pax;
TSA agent taking my bottle of cologne off the plastic bag and telling me it's too big and I can't take it with me unless I check the bag. The volume content on the bottle is in ml, not ounces. I tell the guy, this bottle is less than 100 ml and it's fine. He responds he does know metric so I should check it. I go:
"but look at the size of the bottle, it's obviously less than 3.4 ounces"
He responds very seriously:
"Sir, sometime you can fit large volumes in small containers"
I gave up at that point and abandoned my bottle of cologne...
TSA agent taking my bottle of cologne off the plastic bag and telling me it's too big and I can't take it with me unless I check the bag. The volume content on the bottle is in ml, not ounces. I tell the guy, this bottle is less than 100 ml and it's fine. He responds he does know metric so I should check it. I go:
"but look at the size of the bottle, it's obviously less than 3.4 ounces"
He responds very seriously:
"Sir, sometime you can fit large volumes in small containers"
I gave up at that point and abandoned my bottle of cologne...