NOT SO FRIENDLY SKIES

It used to be that when you took a trip somewhere it was enjoyable. Airlines served you a lunch, or snack, depending on the distance that you travelled. Now, it is a chore. They weigh your luggage and of course, like everyone else, it's in an effort to gain more and more from the weary traveller. Weary because it is somewhat of a pain to be checked in and checked over, and by unfriendly personnel who being stressed by all the new rules and laws, really are not there to serve their public.

A new focus has become the order of the day. Details must not be overlooked. My family came back from Florida yesterday, and the second leg of their trip was met with several small complications. Apparently, the jet had been changed to a smaller craft, and as a result, thirty people were being bumped off the flight. They were horrified to learn one of them was their son, a four-year-old.

If you want to know the quality of service of an airline, I would say a move like this would render them many empty seats due to their inefficiency. It would behoove them to be attentive to matters of this importance. Parents are not about to leave their young children behind to fly alone with another carrier or at another time. Every effort should have been made to correct that situation, no matter the cost. As this "error" will ultimately cost them much more, should this story get around.

I understand that they tried to get someone to switch or give up their seat for the sake of keeping a family together, offering them up to $500. however, not a penny more, per policy. Good customer service would have tried harder, rather than smear their reputation of "friendly skies." We know also as their luggage went forward on the flight, and they did not.

My son was a little annoyed with "the hotel and meal offering", after all, travel arrangements were made previously, and not only did it throw off their driver, who lives an hour away, but disrupted his entire day. Chicago was out of the way as it was, never mind the other unexpected problems. They needed to get back to Boston that night, as work was scheduled in the morning.

Accordingly, the little one had had it with another flight, throwing himself on the floor, in protest, I learned later. I don't blame him one bit, as they were up at 5:30A.M., enough is enough. I heard that they were on their way to NY but, plans from there were incomplete. Imagine?

I learned this morning that they were back home at eleven, and luckily, they were detained only eight hours altogether, complete with their luggage, having retrieved it in Boston before they left for home.

It is not picnic to fly. Remember the commercial, "fly the friendly skies?" Right....And, that's why we don't.