I’ve only had to fly five times in the last year. Lucky me!
Four of those trips were long-delayed, although not as long-delayed as my luggage, which came the next day after three of those fights.
The other flight — a planned pilgrimage to Seattle to see the Green Bay Packers — didn’t make it out of Kelowna.
The Horizon plane that was supposed to take us to Seattle never arrived, although a WestJet plane had no trouble landing in the same conditions only five minutes earlier.
An anonymous Canadian pilot says that Horizon pilots are well known in the industry as wimps, afraid to land in the slightest chill or snowflake of Canadian weather.
An airport spokesman denies that Horizon pilots are fraidy-cats, but what’s he supposed to say: “You’re right, them Yank pilots are just plain chicken, or plane chicken, heh, heh. They won’t fly without a Teddy bear and courtesy pillow under their arms.”
No, airport manager Roger Selleck would never say that. Even if it is true.
Do you remember when flying was exciting? Maybe you were going somewhere exotic or interesting — or even Toronto — and you had the sense that as an airplane passenger you were worldly and more sophisticated than those low-brow land travellers.
We used to look down on those thread-like lines that were highways and, sipping a glass of wine — or even eating what was once considered at least an OK meal — think to our young selves: “I am above those people, literally and figuratively.”
But the sin of arrogance has flown home to roost.
Today, airline travel and airports are supersonic pains in the sphincter. Aside from the speed of the jet, if it ever gets in the air on time, the experience of air travel is — and I don’t state this without thought — worse than bus travel.
I sympathize with people who have to fly all the time for a living, wondering how they keep their patience or sanity. My nephew flies all the time, so I asked him how he copes with the frustrating and
tedious experience.
“I spend a lot of time in airports reading,” he said. “But this is OK because I’m getting paid overtime.”
I don’t know what business travellers do without the benefit of overtime.
I hope they don’t jump. But it’s better only by degree to go shopping in the over-priced airport mall. No one shops in an airport except to kill time rather than themselves.
My wife and I recently had two clubhouse sandwiches (processed chicken meat) and two glasses each of the house wine at Sea-Tac airport. The price was US$49 plus tip. Isn’t economic terrorism against a captive audience against some law?
Airline delays increased sharply last year to record highs. In the U.S., aircraft were delayed 22.1 million minutes.
Undelivered luggage has also become a regular occurrence, with an increase in misplaced bags up from three to four million pieces over the last year, according to
recent U.S. reports.
There are bags left behind on virtually every flight. People look at the baggage carousel like looking at their lottery numbers. You can see the defeated looks on their faces when their bags don’t come in.
About 98 per cent of all misplaced luggage is returned eventually. This means two out of 100 lost bags are gone forever. Where do they go? Do they fall out of the plane somewhere over Saskatchewan?
Travellers are partly to blame. They buy luggage the size of a dumpster on wheels and take half the house with them on vacation.
Speaking of my wife, one of her bags didn’t come in on a recent flight to Mexico. When it arrived the next day, a wheel had been ripped out of the suitcase. We were dealing with American Airlines at this point because the Horizon flight (wimpy pilots) didn’t get off the ice-covered runway in Kelowna on time for Horizon’s partner in Seattle, Alaska Airlines, to allow a connection. So they had to book us on American. Long story short, which is the only way to tell an air travel horror story, we left the house at 4 a.m. and arrived in Puerto Vallarta at 11 p.m. with her broken luggage left to catch up.
We were told we had 30 days to make a claim on the broken luggage and must present the broken article at the American counter in Dallas. We had come through Dallas on the way down but had no plans to go back that way in hopes that Alaska – i.e., Horizon- wouldn’t chicken out again.
They needed our claim in 30 days, but wished to take up to 90 days to “repair or replace” the luggage.
I think airlines make things so difficult that customers just say ‘screw it’ and go away.
When we returned to Kelowna, my only piece of luggage wasn’t there. It was delivered the next day to my house, but not before I made the following claim, which all travellers should remember if they want improved service from the airlines. You should say: “I have essential medicine in that luggage. My health could be in danger. ”
A Horizon/Alaska employee said the increase in left-behind luggage is largely the result of the scare over taking liquids on board. People, such as those of the gender that needs hand creams and other cosmetic lotions, are checking their bags rather than carrying them on. Planes can’t accommodate that increase in checked luggage.
Also, people are travelling with laptop computers and other electronic gear. I’m guilty, but it just adds weight that wasn’t previously anticipated. Consequently, bags aren’t so much lost as they are just left behind for weight, balance and capacity reasons.
Just one thought on having to take off your shoes, jacket, watch, spectacles and testicles before going through security: If you could secret a bomb in your shoes, couldn’t you put it in a pants pocket, or perhaps tape it to the inside of your leg, just as easily? How long will it be before they make us take off our pants before going through security?
You may want to rent a car when you get to your destination.
Whatever quote you get online, plan to pay up to three times as much in Mexico and most countries south of here, once liability insurance, airport fees and taxes are added on. Good B.C. drivers will pay at least 10 times as much per day for liability insurance as they pay ICBC for liability coverage at home.
The total car rental bill will be four times as much as quoted online if you add on collision coverage from the rental company, although you may have that coverage as part of your credit card.
I know of no business that is as misleading in its advertising as car rental companies. That includes all the majors.
I plan to fly again in August to the States for my mother’s 90th birthday.
I’m looking forward to the party when I get there.
If I get there.
. Poulsen is an Okanagan Saturday reporter.
You and I both know from working there, that there was a greater chance, when the weather turned bad, that Horizon would cancel than any other airline. I doubt it was the pilots making that decision though, as most of these were cancelled before they even left Seattle.
I'd probably say that their dispatch was a little over-cautious on many occasions.
What an ignorant comment to make..."Horizon pilots are wimps." That pisses me off...why because they used judgement at the time and didn't risk your life so that u could go to Mexico? We all know how the weather can change from above to below mins in minutes. Comparing a plane that landed five minutes early to one that missed 5 minutes later is soo obtuse...wow that makes me angry. (whew..almost blacked out there)
and another thing..... COulsen u seem to know all about air travel and its cons. Not sure if anyone put a gun to your head to make u travel by air but if its such a problem for u....stop complaining and take the bus to mexico...jeez
When I was working there, it was only the offset LOC/DME approach, and Air Canada would cancel their Airbus just as quick, if not quicker, then Horizon would cancel the Dash 8. I would have thought that the ILS would put an end to all that. Interesting to note though, that the glide path was down in Kelowna for over a week and just got fixed in the previous couple days. In that case, that would've made the difference between between Westjet making it in on the RNP and Horizon missing on the LOC/DME.
I would not call any pilot a "wimp" for making a safe decision in wx, and ya it probably was not even there call anyways. This guy who wrote that article sounds like an ignorant rich punk from kelowna. If hes such a hotshot, maybe he should jump in that seat and fly that mountain approach in 0 vis. ANyways I travel all over the country, and I am very satisfied with my travel most of the time. I use WJ and Canadian North quite often and they are both stellar airlines. I do use AC on occasion but i try to avoid them as they have left me high and dry on a few occasions. ANyways air travel is still the way to go, and if this guy wants to go when and where he wants, i suggest that he buy himself a citation and hire some hot dog to fly it!
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Son, Your gonna have to make your mind up about growing up and becoming a pilot.. You can't do both!!
i suggest that he buy himself a citation and hire some hot dog to fly it!
and natural selection should take care of that problem!
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"The ability to ditch an airplane in the Hudson does not qualify a pilot for a pay raise. The ability to get the pilots, with this ability, to work for 30% or 40% pay cuts qualifies those in management for millions in bonuses."
Well the international carriers are limited by the minimum t/o vis on their Jepps. Sometimes this is restrictive on their operations when we can often apply a reduced vis ops spec and go to 600 or 1200RVR and they're limited to 1/2 stat mile. Even though they're in Canada they still have to stick to their approved limits.
As far as being wimps, well these wimps have the professionalism to stick to their limits. Good for them. This is an operational issue not a pilot dick swinging contest to see who'll go or not.
To the author and his opinions on luggage, I'd suggest he get used to flying in the new age of increased security. It's not about to undergo a major metamorphosis any time soon.
Or it could be the fact that Kelowna has been LOC only for the last little while which bring the minimums up to something like 1100 feet. Westjet on the other hand has their RNP approaches which were enabling them to get in while many others didn't.
OK FESS UP who was the anonymous Canadian pilot that would make such a dumb statement .Come on fessup so we can all laugh at how stupid you are for talking to a tabloid journalist with nothing nice to say about anybody.Did you really think that your off the record comments would not be printed .
Are you that dumb ???
On second thought .I think the journalist made the quote up to stir the pot.I have no proof of that .It is that i have never met a Canadian Pilot that dumb to make such a dumb comment about another pilot's decision making .
Perhaps it was a slow news day or the journo had spent the morning reporting from one of the many great wine making vinards in the valley .
Pilots are paid to take it to the numbers.Numbers that have been decided by people who know how far you can safely take it before you even get in the airplane.If the numbers say you cannot do it .You would have to be in a lot of trouble to break em
joe to go wrote:Or it could be the fact that Kelowna has been LOC only for the last little while which bring the minimums up to something like 1100 feet. Westjet on the other hand has their RNP approaches which were enabling them to get in while many others didn't.
As I understand it, the WJ RNP minimums for 16 are only 100 feet lower than the localizer approach and having tried and missed last week myself - it wouldn't have made a difference either way.
The US has had to deal with more restrictive approach bans for years that have only just come into effect for us.
I recall 2-3years back shooting the ILS into R12 in YHM to minimums, RVR 1200 (we got in ) in a B200. A UPS 757 was behind us and had to break off the approach and head to their alternate, I think it was Pittsburg, because the RVR was too low for them. This is our new world now, as well.
Just one thought on having to take off your shoes, jacket, watch, spectacles and testicles before going through security: If you could secret a bomb in your shoes, couldn’t you put it in a pants pocket, or perhaps tape it to the inside of your leg, just as easily? How long will it be before they make us take off our pants before going through security?
Far-be-it for him to actually inquire about procedures before spouting off about them. If he had he would have known that bombers have previously hidden components in their shoes because the walk through detectors only start detecting from about the ankle up. Hell, doesn't he watch Mayday?
Boo, friggin, hoo..your flight got cancelled. Couldn't have happened to a more rational person.
