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US Airways
Sep. 8th, 2008 05:30 pmFor whatever reason, my United flight from Chicago to Phoenix today was actually a US Airways flight done via codeshare. No problem, I said, since my Premier Executive status with UAL will still get me in the first boarding, still won't have to pay their per-bag fee, etcetera.
I had forgotten how much US Airways has changed in recent years.
I can't recall seeing so little pitch between the rows. I've been spoiled by United's policy of giving frequent travelers six more inches of legroom up in the front of coach. US Airways ain't got none of that. They had less, as far as I can tell, than the worst steerage-class sections on any other airline I've been on.
US Airways also had no movie on the flight -- they took the DVD player and DVDs out to save weight. No problem; I never watch the damn movies anyway. But it deprived all my fellow passengers of their main form of mental stimulation. Halfway through the flight I woke up from a doze and realized I'd never been on such a still, quiet plane. Looking around, I realized that everyone was out cold, head back, mouth open, dozing. Sure, there were the occasional whistles and grunts and snores, but nothing along the lines of ordinary human noises like turning pages or talking. Eerie.
And the whole charging-for-beverages? That's going over gangbusters. Four times during the flight one of the two flight attendants would walk down the aisle holding up a can of Coke and a "snack box" and ask if anyone wanted to buy a drink or a snack. Each time, no one moved. The attendant didn't even bother loading up a whole cart and pushing it down the aisle; evidently she'd already learned that people aren't going to jump out of their seats and holler "YES I MUST HAVE THAT $2 CAN OF DIET COKE YOU'VE GOT THERE."
I hadn't bothered to buy a big bottle of water to take on the plane with me so I sort of toughed it out for four hours, feeling pretty dry but adamant that I wasn't going to be the one who Broke The Code.
When the plane finally landed and we disembarked, I've never seen such a swarm of people heading straight for the water fountains and stuff.
And I'm sure as heck not going to go out of my way to fly US Airways again. My legs are still stiff from having them jammed up under my chin the whole flight.
I had forgotten how much US Airways has changed in recent years.
I can't recall seeing so little pitch between the rows. I've been spoiled by United's policy of giving frequent travelers six more inches of legroom up in the front of coach. US Airways ain't got none of that. They had less, as far as I can tell, than the worst steerage-class sections on any other airline I've been on.
US Airways also had no movie on the flight -- they took the DVD player and DVDs out to save weight. No problem; I never watch the damn movies anyway. But it deprived all my fellow passengers of their main form of mental stimulation. Halfway through the flight I woke up from a doze and realized I'd never been on such a still, quiet plane. Looking around, I realized that everyone was out cold, head back, mouth open, dozing. Sure, there were the occasional whistles and grunts and snores, but nothing along the lines of ordinary human noises like turning pages or talking. Eerie.
And the whole charging-for-beverages? That's going over gangbusters. Four times during the flight one of the two flight attendants would walk down the aisle holding up a can of Coke and a "snack box" and ask if anyone wanted to buy a drink or a snack. Each time, no one moved. The attendant didn't even bother loading up a whole cart and pushing it down the aisle; evidently she'd already learned that people aren't going to jump out of their seats and holler "YES I MUST HAVE THAT $2 CAN OF DIET COKE YOU'VE GOT THERE."
I hadn't bothered to buy a big bottle of water to take on the plane with me so I sort of toughed it out for four hours, feeling pretty dry but adamant that I wasn't going to be the one who Broke The Code.
When the plane finally landed and we disembarked, I've never seen such a swarm of people heading straight for the water fountains and stuff.
And I'm sure as heck not going to go out of my way to fly US Airways again. My legs are still stiff from having them jammed up under my chin the whole flight.
