Part of it is a downside of the Great Resignation: Airlines aren't just understaffed, they have especially green staff from check-in to management, and they're working their way up the learning curve.
The irony of this pod, is that I am listening to this from LAX on the second week in a row I will be stranded overnight in Seattle after delays will cause me to miss my connection.
This was a fun and useful podcast, but I want to add one caveat to your claim that air travel is worse in Europe than in the US. The EU has a law that airlines must compensate passengers for cancelled flights and delays of three hours or more. My sense is that the airlines don’t schedule flights as tightly, because they have a financial incentive to be on time. Obviously this is only an anecdote, but I’ve lived in Europe for almost a decade and (before Covid) used to take multiple trips per year, and I have only been on a couple of flights that were late (and then only half an hour or so). But even if your flight is messed up, at least you get some money out of it. https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/indexamp_en.htm
Very entertaining and informative, but by far the most elitist thing you’ve put on the podcast. I had no idea that there was an airline scheduling crunch because I’m a west coaster and I fly maybe three times a year.
I’d say *especially* for people who don’t fly much, if they fly at all, it’s more likely they fly in the summer or for a holiday or vacation when reliability is super important…and it’s a big mess.
I’m in Portland, ME, and flew to FL to visit my parents in May. I waited too long to purchase my ticket, but anything direct was $1k+ for economy. Every single connection to/from was delayed and my last leg home was completely cancelled. I had to snag the one remaining seat from ATL>BOS, and share a two hour uber ride with a stranger at 11pm to get home before the next work day. (Delta, too)
I am the not even 1x. I hate air ports... but I do quite enjoy discussions of the failure of logistics and find organizational dysfunction fascinating, so still worth it.
I’m with Brian regarding United. Granted I too am 1K (for several years running), but my overall customer service experience is excellent. I weep for you, Josh, that you have had two-hour phone waits with Delta at platinum status. Sad!
The irony of this pod, is that I am listening to this from LAX on the second week in a row I will be stranded overnight in Seattle after delays will cause me to miss my connection.
Nooooooo!
On Delta no less. :)
This was a fun and useful podcast, but I want to add one caveat to your claim that air travel is worse in Europe than in the US. The EU has a law that airlines must compensate passengers for cancelled flights and delays of three hours or more. My sense is that the airlines don’t schedule flights as tightly, because they have a financial incentive to be on time. Obviously this is only an anecdote, but I’ve lived in Europe for almost a decade and (before Covid) used to take multiple trips per year, and I have only been on a couple of flights that were late (and then only half an hour or so). But even if your flight is messed up, at least you get some money out of it. https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/indexamp_en.htm
Very entertaining and informative, but by far the most elitist thing you’ve put on the podcast. I had no idea that there was an airline scheduling crunch because I’m a west coaster and I fly maybe three times a year.
I’d say *especially* for people who don’t fly much, if they fly at all, it’s more likely they fly in the summer or for a holiday or vacation when reliability is super important…and it’s a big mess.
I don’t want to rely on this reference too much because I spent all of 2 minutes googling it, but most people don’t fly even 1x a year (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/10/17/climate/flying-shame-emissions.html) Josh seems pretty self-aware about relationships with air travel though!
I’m in Portland, ME, and flew to FL to visit my parents in May. I waited too long to purchase my ticket, but anything direct was $1k+ for economy. Every single connection to/from was delayed and my last leg home was completely cancelled. I had to snag the one remaining seat from ATL>BOS, and share a two hour uber ride with a stranger at 11pm to get home before the next work day. (Delta, too)
I am the not even 1x. I hate air ports... but I do quite enjoy discussions of the failure of logistics and find organizational dysfunction fascinating, so still worth it.
Flying is a nightmare right now because airlines fucked up and sold way more seats than they can handle with current resources.
I’m with Brian regarding United. Granted I too am 1K (for several years running), but my overall customer service experience is excellent. I weep for you, Josh, that you have had two-hour phone waits with Delta at platinum status. Sad!