Avoid Delta and Atlanta

Apparently, you haven't either, because you still haven't given
me a flight and a date for which the fare will not drop between
the moment the flight opens for booking and, say, 2 months out.

For the final time - I cannot and will not do this. I don't have current
access to a CRS, and I did say that NO FARE IS GUARANTEED
TO BE THE CHEAPEST.

Hilary, stop arguing with that clueless weasel. You are wasting
your time.


Pete

Look. I don't work as a TA right now

If you don't mind a personal question, why not? Did the Internet
catch up with you, i.e. too many people making reservations on their
own? If you are no longer a TA for personal reasons, just tell me
"none of your business, Pete." Also, do you see the future for TAs
as bleak as many think?


Pete

Following up to just another American slave

Gee, if it's a choice between one or two measly little weeks per year
in the US and a month in the UK

4 weeks iis the *minimum* in UK now, we book well in advance
though to fit in with other people, if you have good leave you
need to do that, cant leave the office empty for weeks!
Nobody I know has to book leave at start of year although I have
heard of places where you pick your main holiday weeks in order
of seniority.
--
Mike Reid
Shetland, Yell and Unst
"http://www.fellwalk.co.uk/skyepics.htm#shetland"

Hilary wrote:
[snip]
There are plenty of in-betweens, but these are generally the two extremes
for retail travel. Corporate travel is a different animal altogether.
People sometimes have the strangest requirements, and are completely
non-flexible about dates/routings. You need to have a good geographical
knowlege, know their preferences and requirements, and be able to "flex"
the rules to find out how to backtrack legally and which combination/s of
airline/s will give them what they want at the best price with the least
hassle.

In short, I see TAs moving away from highstreet/cheapie stuff except for
people without net access. But corporate travel is a good place to be (I
was working corporate when I left).

I've begun to notice a fair number of "specialists". I think the
niche is
still developing, but I've been dealing with one for some time.
Basically
they are resellers, collecting various tours and packaging them for
resale. Not sure how it will all shake out, but travelers can still
make
use of folks with local knowledge and connections. And it isn't
difficult
to negotiate bulk discounts so that one is reselling at rates the
individual net surfer can't access.

Al Czervik wrote:
Bailey Legull wrote:
[snip]
All this without realizing the French work 35 hours a week, get three
weeks off per year, and take two hours off at lunch to DRINK. Yeah,
that's stupid all right. America *is* Number One -- in hours worked
per person per week.

French unemployment rate: 10%
US unemployment rate: 5%

Well..... You realize those numbers aren't measured the same
way
right?

DL seems to have this idea that nobody would ever wish to SLEEP while
traveling with them. Passengers on their SJC-ATL red-eye are subject to
movies and in-flight video "entertainment" through most of the flight, even
though the vast majority are pulling blankets over their heads and trying to
shield their eyes from the flickering screen. No chance of grabbing any naps
while connecting at ATL either - all the terminals are brightly lit 7/24,
have repeated announcements over the PA, muzak and TV's blaring around the
clock. The only reason I would fly Delta at all is because I can get NW
miles - CO is a much preferable alternative. :O|



"Rog'" wrote in message
. ..
wrote:
In the particular case of airline and and airport, Delta is no worse
than any other major US airline; bankrupcy or no bankrupcy. I was
recently on an Air France flight where...

= I agree. Extrapolating one bad experience, like one marriage, to
an entire fleet (or gender) don't make a whole lot of sense, without
a valid statistical sample.

As for checking in luggage, yes, you have to get it weighted and then
you have to carry it yourself for TSA inspection. But this has nothing
to do with Delta -- it's a federal requirement. All other airlines in
the
US are currently obliged to do the same.

= At Virgin Atlantic in Orlando, I had to hand carry my luggage out the
door we just came in to hand it off to a screener. With Virgin, like
most
airlines, allowing online check-in, at least we didn't have to wait in
the
1.5-hour line. It was well worth the inconveniece of finding an
internet
service at my destination for our return flight. Besides, that way, I
could
lord it over the fools in the long-line and feel superior to them, even
tho
I was in the same sardine-class cabin.

"Stan de SD" wrote:
DL seems to have this idea that nobody would ever wish to SLEEP
while traveling with them. Passengers on their SJC-ATL red-eye are
subject to movies and in-flight video "entertainment" through mostt...

God forbid that an airline should actually provide entertainment for
insomniacs, who would alternatively, complain about the lack of same.

... the vast majority are pulling blankets over their heads and
trying to shield their eyes from the flickering screen.

Ever hear of eye-shades or dark glasses?

No chance of grabbing any naps while connecting at ATL either - all
the terminals are brightly lit 7/24, have repeated announcements over
the PA, muzak and TV's blaring around the clock...

Perhaps they do not want you to sleep thru the boarding of your
next flight? Alternatively, we'd hear complaints about how dark
and lifeless it is.

Stan de SD wrote:

DL seems to have this idea that nobody would ever wish to SLEEP while
traveling with them.


It is a question of airline philosophy. An airline whose core operations
are trans pacific flights will have a core personality/philosophy that
includes dealing properly with long ahuls and overnight flights and this
transcends to all their operations.

But an airline whose core operations are domestic or relatively
short/medium haul flight will not see its few true long haul influence
service levels for the rest of the airline.


It is also a battle of marketing. If you run some overnight flight with
"lights out" to let people sleep, some people will bitch that there was
no movie/service and that they couldn't sleep. And that looks bad
despite being the right thing to do.

Remember that some people are not used to overnight flighst and cannot
sleep on aircraft, so they need to be kept entertained. (But there are
still ways to show a movie with the lights out, still ways to serve
meal/drinks right after takeoff to allow the most shut eye afterwards.
But it is a question of the service managers setting such policies and
ensuring crews are aware of them.

"Hilary" wrote

And it seems that most people don't want to check prices every day for
months just in case they can save a tenner or so.

This is true. And for those who are willing to check prices frequently -- I
don't know what all airlines do, but with United, if you buy a fare and then
you see it go down, call United and ask them to give you a travel voucher
for the difference. Don't other airlines do this as well? I only know
about United because that's the airline I worked for. I wouldn't hesitate
to book early on United because I know if the fare goes down I can get the
difference back to apply to future travel.

On Wed, 28 Jun 2006 18:21:17 GMT, "bunny"
wrote:


"Hilary" wrote

And it seems that most people don't want to check prices every day for
months just in case they can save a tenner or so.

This is true. And for those who are willing to check prices frequently -- I
don't know what all airlines do, but with United, if you buy a fare and then
you see it go down, call United and ask them to give you a travel voucher
for the difference. Don't other airlines do this as well? I only know
about United because that's the airline I worked for. I wouldn't hesitate
to book early on United because I know if the fare goes down I can get the
difference back to apply to future travel.


I want to get the lower price posted for the flight i am taking--not a
future trip.

Every time I have found a lower price they tell me --sorry all the
tickets at that price are sold out for your flight.

Even if I call the minute the lower price it listed I still get the
same line.