Now my favorite: US Airways

[AlexMack]

Originally Posted by honeychile

Omigosh! Talk about scared out of your mind! I have so many strange memories of that day, including when Flight 93 was headed our way, and I said to my mother, "Am I weird in thinking that plane's part of this hot mess?"

As for USAirways, I flown a lot, but they're the only ones who consistently left on time, never lost my luggage, never ruined my luggage (that was fun! ), and never made me miss a connection. Can't say that for Delta, American, TWA, United, Southwestern, Northwestern, Continental, or any other domestic airlines I've flown.

It gets better...my dad's destination? Atlantic city. Right over NYC. He called around 10:30am to say he was okay and they were renting a car to come home.

Most of the airlines you mentioned are under a big conglomerate so I guess the service is pretty consistent Because my bro's a pilot, we fly pretty cheaply. Supposedly Southwest pays the best for its staff because they cheapened everything else down. I'll probably find out if/when my brother switches airlines again. Nothing like the skinny on airlines. For instance, did you know that the pilots get the plane in the air, shove it on autopilot, play sudoku and talk to the passengers and ATC once in awhile? That should instill some faith for you!

[PhoenixAzul]

I regularly hold my rosary/pray when flying, especially during takeoff/landing. It's calming. I also say it in Latin (call me oldschool). I would be upset if someone would order a Muslim off the plane for holding his prayer beads but leave me to say mine.

[tunatartare]

Originally Posted by PhoenixAzul

I regularly hold my rosary/pray when flying, especially during takeoff/landing. It's calming. I also say it in Latin (call me oldschool). I would be upset if someone would order a Muslim off the plane for holding his prayer beads but leave me to say mine.

One of my sisters is a Syrian Catholic. Because she las fairly light skin for a Syrian person, she gets mistaken for being Italian most of the time. In one of her Criminal Justice classes, they had a debate on racial profiling and whether or not airlines and other places should be allowed to use racial profiling. She was fuming when the guy she liked said that he supports it and is in favor of it. A couple of weeks later, she was flying and ended up sitting a couple seats away from a Muslim man. Despite the fact that her entire family is from the Middle East, she was still uncomfortable with his presence there, and later told me that after that, she realized why her crush supported racial profiling and that now she probably does too.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by centaur532

It gets better...my dad's destination? Atlantic city. Right over NYC. He called around 10:30am to say he was okay and they were renting a car to come home.

Most of the airlines you mentioned are under a big conglomerate so I guess the service is pretty consistent Because my bro's a pilot, we fly pretty cheaply. Supposedly Southwest pays the best for its staff because they cheapened everything else down. I'll probably find out if/when my brother switches airlines again. Nothing like the skinny on airlines. For instance, did you know that the pilots get the plane in the air, shove it on autopilot, play sudoku and talk to the passengers and ATC once in awhile? That should instill some faith for you!

I figured as much! It's still safer to fly than to drive, for the most part.

PhoenixAzul, I anoint every plane I'm on. A long time ago, I had a dream that I was in a plane crash and survived; I haven't been nervous about flying since. My mother, on the other hand, is the original white knuckle flyer!

[DeltAlum]

I think it's difficult not to at least think of 9/11 when entering an aircraft with several people of what appears to be Mid-East heritage -- no matter how unfair that is.

On the other hand, I was getting on a plane once (I can't remember where) in the days when they were doing random bag checks and searches at the gate, and they chose four young men (three white and one black as I recall) who were traveling together.

Turns out they were all members of the US Army, traveling to a new duty station in civilian clothes.

[AlexMack]

Originally Posted by DeltAlum

I think it's difficult not to at least think of 9/11 when entering an aircraft with several people of what appears to be Mid-East heritage -- no matter how unfair that is.

On the other hand, I was getting on a plane once (I can't remember where) in the days when they were doing random bag checks and searches at the gate, and they chose four young men (three white and one black as I recall) who were traveling together.

Turns out they were all members of the US Army, traveling to a new duty station in civilian clothes.

Every single time I fly I get my bag checked. It's like a running joke in my family. I don't support racial profiling but I understand it. On the other hand, think about the shoe bomber. White male...but no one profiles white males. I mean, yeah, we all have to take our shoes off now, but no one gets nervous when they see a white man get onboard, and it's that kind of false security that almost led to another disaster.
I don't know...it's a diffcult situation. Is racial profiling wrong? yes. However, with al qaeda going after us full tilt, and the ease with which the 9/11 hijackers did get on the flights, it seems like a necessary evil. It's a toughie. We won't talk about pre 9-11 tactics. It'll just get messy.

[blueangel]

As a photography buff who travels with a lead bag to protect film in my carry on-- it strikes me odd that my bag is never searched. Anything could be in that lead bag.

[DeltAlum]

Originally Posted by blueangel

As a photography buff who travels with a lead bag to protect film in my carry on-- it strikes me odd that my bag is never searched. Anything could be in that lead bag.

To some extent, I think it depends on the airport.

I used to fly a lot televising sporting events and always carried a couple of stop watches and a headset with a spiral chord. You can imagine what that looked like on an X-Ray.

In Denver, I never was questioned -- they actually figured out that I was in TV in some cases and mentioned it.

In the smaller airports, though, my brief case always got searched.

[honeychile]

DeltAlum, I think you hit the nail on the head - it depends on the airport. Some, I have no troubles at all. Others, I was searched (as in, just short of a prison-style search!) because I was wearing an underwire bra! There were so many remarks I wanted to make, but decided not to create a scene...!

[jon1856]

Originally Posted by blueangel

As a photography buff who travels with a lead bag to protect film in my carry on-- it strikes me odd that my bag is never searched. Anything could be in that lead bag.

Same thing with my girlfriend. Neither one of us have ever understood it. Unless of course the bags to not really stop X-Rays.

I have been stopped due to my shoes having metal supports inside as well as my C-Pap machine.

Now, I just take it everything I am carrying and put it into my travel vest and place it, my belt and shoes into the X-Ray.