10/24/2009 Bash On the Boat (I'm with BOB) - Thread #7

[Scouter]

Andy, I forgot to tell you good-bye and wish you a nice vacation,
so if you're catching up online down there, I hope you read this and have a wonderful trip

 

[Hockeychic]

DH and I are flying SW Oct 19 - 26 direct flights for $399.00 return. Can't beat that price and so far SW I believe is still letting you have 2 bags.....I hope

 

[DISNEYDUET]

But think about it, $15 isn't that much in the scheme of things.

Don't mind him folks. He's one of those WI people with the money tree!

 

[Scouter]

Don't mind him folks. He's one of those WI people with the money tree!

Yeah! Hey Jeff! Pay for my cruise!

 

[Timon]

Please note...this evening is very important to us "over-achievers". Just go along with us. [/SIZE]

Yeah, go along with my charts and graphs and videos and slideshows ok??

Thanks MG

I'm not going to cry, I'm going to party when I get home

Rose, by that time, I think I will feel the same way as you

I got one of where he ate lunch today.

You feel like sharing number boy?

We always fly SW into Orlando or Tampa, depending on if it is a disney trip or we like to cruise out of Tampa alot and they have a great airport.

I love SW and have never had a issue really, our last flight was delayed a hour but that was due to weather and you can't do anything about that.

I refuse to fly out of Canada as our flight prices are crazy. Our last flight BUF to TPA was $1500 for 4 of us during spring break, out of Toronto it was 3700.00 We pay huge taxes. Good thing I am only a 2 hour drive to Buffalo.

DH and I are flying SW Oct 19 - 26 direct flights for $399.00 return. Can't beat that price and so far SW I believe is still letting you have 2 bags.....I hope

I hear you on the prices Kim! We have never paid less than about $550 per ticket to Orlando. I wish we lived close to a US airport!

 

[minnieandmickey]

I'll cancel my flights tonight once I get home as long as they're refundable. If not, then they are going to be on the receiving end of a letter and I will never fly with them again unless it's coming out of someone else's pocket (read ... the bank).

I'd much rather pay a higher fare and be treated with a little more consideration. Southwest here we come!

We are flying Southwest for August, depending on how well I pack, I am expecting to pay $25 for one of us carrying a 3rd bag.

You know what is frustrating though (with the exception of SW) about this baggage fee. When we were waiting for a flight I saw them loading mail packages on the plane, how much do they pay for that? I am sure not $15 per piece.

I'm hoping one of my kids brings home a "little souvenir" but not the kind you put in a suitcase. Wink-wink.

That would be great wouldn't it. My nephew is coming over tonight to spend the next few days with us (his lil sis is having her tonsils out), and he is a DL souvenier.

I'm not going to cry, I'm going to party when I get home

Sure, I'll miss mine, but my home will be clean, I won't have to pick up after him or shout at him constantly to do his chores or homework or to TAKE A SHOWER!, the cats will be throwing a party too because he won't be there to maul him anymore, I can use my car and tv whenever I want!

Oh, my life will be good!

I'll miss him, but I'll be texting him or IMing him probably a lot that he'll ignore me anyway!

Less than twelve weeks to go


Sorry, I know I should be more motherly and sad and stuff, but

HURRAH!

I'm so glad you posted this, I was starting to feel like a horrible mother thinking that I can't wait til the kids are out.

 

[Scouter]

I'm so glad you posted this, I was starting to feel like a horrible mother thinking that I can't wait til the kids are out.

Yeah, Becky, there are other parents out there like us.

Maybe Joanne had a sweet loveable teen and not like my ST (stinky teen)
(as Andy so nicely put it).

I do applaud you Joanne!
I wish I was feeling more loving and sensitive, but the way that my teen age son talks back to me
I just can't tell you how happy I am he's going all the way to Florida,

I remember his younger years fondly though
before he turned 15
He used to love me and be nice way back then, we actually used to be closer than any of our own friends!

So my missing him was way back then when I wished he'd turn into that sweet little buddy of mine

But Becky,
YIPPEE!

 

[oybolshoi]

Really want to get steamed? Those packages you saw Becky aren't even subject to the kind of screening that our checked and carry-on bags are. Too many packages and not enough time or screeners means that the bulk of cargo shipped on passenger planes never gets screened.

That's why I get so annoyed over things like not being able to carry a bottle of water through security check-points at the airport.

Best not to think about it all, really. That's one more reason that I've started drinking heavily while traveling.

 

[oybolshoi]

Would take way too long. I'd drive first.

But think about it, $15 isn't that much in the scheme of things.

If you and your wife and your son each pack one bag and check it before your flight that's $45 one way and $90 round trip. That's a lot of money for a service that should be included in the ticket price.

 

[Scouter]

Best not to think about it all, really. That's one more reason that I've started drinking heavily while traveling.

I like that idea Brenda!

 

[JLDSMD]

Don't mind him folks. He's one of those WI people with the money tree!

Just hope we get some rain here soon to water it.

 

[oybolshoi]

I like that idea Brenda!

If you make it to the cruise next year Rose, I'll buy you a drink and we can start the week off in style!

 

[JLDSMD]

Yeah! Hey Jeff! Pay for my cruise!

Hey, you just got some $ from Uncle Sam. I told you to use that.

Although you may want to bank it because it will just be sent back after the 2009 tax year.

 

[JLDSMD]

You feel like sharing number boy?

Well Technology Girl, it was sent to me via text message on my phone and I have no idea how to get it from there to the web. I know numbers, not computers (except for Excel).

Trust me, it wasn't all that exciting, just Steak and Shake. I went to one in St. Louis when I had a conference there and like it. They have them here in MKE now. He sent me a TM saying he got down there and was at S&S and I told him I liked that place. So when he left he sent me a pic. He was making me hungry.

 

[JLDSMD]

We are flying Southwest for August, depending on how well I pack, I am expecting to pay $25 for one of us carrying a 3rd bag.

You know what is frustrating though (with the exception of SW) about this baggage fee. When we were waiting for a flight I saw them loading mail packages on the plane, how much do they pay for that? I am sure not $15 per piece.

I expect to have more than 1 bag per person coming home. IF, and who knows if they will, Midwest implements the extra charge for more than one bag, and IF they charge people who bought tickets prior to that date, I plan on paying the $15. Just easier.

I may look to pack 4 checked bags on the way down to begin with. We can do 4 - 75% bags that we can then go to 100% on the way home. Depends on how Suz does her packing.

Since we are telling DS next Friday (5/30) about the cruise, I'm sure once our friend who is coming in to watch DS for 2 weeks before summer camp starts, leaves, the suitcases will be on the guest bed and the packing will begin - 2 months early. This is rare for us, as we usually pack no earlier than the weekend before and sometimes the night before.

 

[JLDSMD]

If you and your wife and your son each pack one bag and check it before your flight that's $45 one way and $90 round trip. That's a lot of money for a service that should be included in the ticket price.

Or you could have the airline raise the round trip from MKE to MCO from $190 to $225 and still keep your free bag.

Now the times when we go down for a 4 night weekend, we go 100% carry-on. I'll be paying that $90 ($105 in my example) regardless and I don't have any bags.

Luckily, like I said, Midwest hasn't even gone to the 2nd bag charge yet.

I think it is going to backfire on AA though. But, look for tickets to go up and fuel surcharges that will never disappear to be tacked on.

 

[JLDSMD]

All caught up, time to do some afternoon work.

Oh, and to steal an FO.

 

[JLDSMD]

BTW, did you catch this part of the story:

Its proposed fee for a first checked bag would exempt people who belong to elite levels of its frequent flyer programs, those who bought full-fare tickets and those traveling overseas.​

Looks like they're only going to "stick it" to the domestic vacation traveler. Guess we know who they want as their customers.

I think the airline industry will see 2 airlines gone by the end of 2009, either through merger or bankruptcy.

 

[GOS]

I expect to have more than 1 bag per person coming home. IF, and who knows if they will, Midwest implements the extra charge for more than one bag, and IF they charge people who bought tickets prior to that date, I plan on paying the $15. Just easier.

I may look to pack 4 checked bags on the way down to begin with. We can do 4 - 75% bags that we can then go to 100% on the way home. Depends on how Suz does her packing.

Since we are telling DS next Friday (5/30) about the cruise, I'm sure once our friend who is coming in to watch DS for 2 weeks before summer camp starts, leaves, the suitcases will be on the guest bed and the packing will begin - 2 months early. This is rare for us, as we usually pack no earlier than the weekend before and sometimes the night before.

We're flying premium economy with Virgin in August (probably told you this a thousand times before!), and we get two checked-in cases to a maximum of 32K each case. If we flew economy, we would still get two cases but only 22K each case. We do pay more for the Premium seats, but it's worth it.

 

[oybolshoi]

Southwest still doesn't charge until you check a third bag, and that's per passenger. I wonder what's so different in their business model that the other carriers haven't been able to copy after all these years?

I would rather pay a higher ticket price (and we already are - our ticket prices at both AA and Southwest are higher this year than last). I don't want to get to the airport and suddenly be smacked with all these additional fees so the airline can try to pad its already miniscule margin.

I think increased ticket prices / fares are reasonable given the cost of oil and jet fuel and I think that most people wouldn't complain about it (much ... ). But charging travelers for their luggage strikes me as the most unreasonable thing that a carrier could do, short of charging us a toll to actually board the plane. Or maybe they could start charging us to exit the plane? Maybe they can start weighing all of us at the ticket counter and if we exceed the recommended weight for our age and height they can charge a dollar per-pound overage fee.

And maybe I have a new career waiting for me in the ludicrous surcharge department.