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On An Airplane Next To A Fat Guy

DeaconCav06 said:
Living in Atlanta, I have come to the conclusion generally that if Delta does not fly there directly then I probably don’t need to go. There are probably some exceptions.
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Had to fly non-SkyTeam (and non-direct) to Split, Croatia a few years back. Worth it, but my only non-Sky Team (and I think only 3rd non-direct) flight in at least 20 years.
 
wfudkn said:
I defs noticed this on my flights to/from Maine over xmas. There were way more wheelchair people than I'd ever seen on any flights before. This was Southwest and I was wondering if this is more common with them than other airlines because of their open seating policy.
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At least two reasons.
Southwest's boarding policy. Wheelchair users can't get exit row seats, but get first pick after the paid priority.
Some people can walk, but not the distances necessary to get through airports. Thus, better to get a wheelchair. Also helps with security.
 
We came back from traveling internationally with my 90 year old grandma once and my dad insisted she get a wheelchair to get back through customs. Was great for her comfort, and our speed. Took literally 3 minutes in Miami vs. the normal disaster.
 
tigerswood said:
Forgot to vent about our Caribbean travels after getting back last week.

1) My wife and I always book window/aisle and hope for no middle. Used to work all the time, but now rarely. On the flight from CLT - SXM, we offer the middle person the aisle (we were in the mood to sightsee out the window), and she of course takes it. Right before takeoff, she then switches with a weird old dude from the back of the plane who smells funny to go sit by her husband (also in a middle seat). Never had this happen, but not that big a deal.
2) On the flight back to CLT, wouldn't you know it, the same woman is in the middle seat. At this point we're tired, little boozed up, and I want the aisle for bathroom/comfort purposes. We offer her the window, thinking it's a no-brainer, and she declines. My wife tries to call her bluff and say we'll just sit in our assigned seats, but she doesn't budge, and we end up giving in and sitting window/middle. This woman has serious cajones, and knows how to get her way.
3) Customs in CLT is normally a breeze and took 75 minutes. People were missing their connections, panicking because they had to leave and go to the bathroom/end up at the back of the line, and it was overall chaos. One of the airport workers eventually got so overwhelmed he panicked and just yelled back to the manager "I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THESE PEOPLE". Heard them radio up to ask any more incoming international flight crews/gate agents to hold their flights because it was too crowded.

Never a dull trip. Felt like an idiot for not having the Mobile Passport Control app dialed up/completed (didn't know it existed), which basically lets you skip into the Global Entry line these days at CLT.
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you went to st maarten. stop whining
 
For the first time in a long time, the precheck Clear lane was faster than the precheck Delta Digital ID lane this morning at ATL. Very short wait for both, but a lot of people in the Digital ID make the same remark.
 
  • On-time at American: American Airlines said it led U.S. network carriers in on-time departures (69.5%) and the percentage of flights completed (98.9%) in 2023. In announcing its earnings on Thursday, Charlotte’s dominant airline said it had a record $53B in revenue in 2023.
 
not completing 1.1% of your flights seems like a big number. even if you crash, you're no longer flying
 
1.1% either being cancelled (weather, maintenance, lack of demand, etc.) or diverted doesn't seem too crazy to me.

I don't fly enough anymore for work or personally with little TW to achieve any status. @diggs @palma et al do you think it's worth just hammering the AA credit card for loyalty points in lieu of the Chase Sapphire Reserve? We're a Chase family (wife has the Freedom, I have the Amazon, and she has another I forget), and it would be a pretty big shift to forego those points and the sweet sweet 150% redemption bonus through the Sapphire, which we get for all of her points too after she transfers them to me.
 
tigerswood said:
1.1% either being cancelled (weather, maintenance, lack of demand, etc.) or diverted doesn't seem too crazy to me.

I don't fly enough anymore for work or personally with little TW to achieve any status. @diggs @palma et al do you think it's worth just hammering the AA credit card for loyalty points in lieu of the Chase Sapphire Reserve? We're a Chase family (wife has the Freedom, I have the Amazon, and she has another I forget), and it would be a pretty big shift to forego those points and the sweet sweet 150% redemption bonus through the Sapphire, which we get for all of her points too after she transfers them to me.
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I've spent the past year really diving into AA status, and basically I put my big non-category spending on the AA credit card, but keep my dining & other bonus categories on the CSR.

The best deal out there is getting the AA credit card with the free admirals passes, and booking hotels through the AA portal on that card. For many 2 night $600 hotel stays, you can get 25,000 AA points and 20,000 loyalty points. Basically works out to 50% off on hotels & fast track to Exec Platinum. I'm booking a few weekend getaway trips in Feb to reach EP, and I've spent very little on actual airfare.
 
Nice. Which AA Card do you have? Just cycled back to the in-flight deal for the Barclays card with 65K miles after 1 purchase (and no first year fee).
 
I use the citi card; it's $600 or so but that gives you club access too. I am a miles/status whore - even though I only fly maybe 10-15x/year, I want upgrades. I was able to use a combo of miles and $3k to fly to Cairo and back in business class; I'm about 75% successful on getting upgraded at the gate as EP.

I also got the Marriot Amex - platinum status for $450, so I end up getting my money back on free breakfasts. I'm 3 years from lifetime platinum status and then I will cancel that card.
 
I think if you don't care about lounge access, the Barclays card is substantially the same deal....maybe a slightly different multiplier on American spend, but otherwise pretty even.
 
tigerswood said:
Nice. Which AA Card do you have? Just cycled back to the in-flight deal for the Barclays card with 65K miles after 1 purchase (and no first year fee).
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yah I have the same card as diggs, AA executive world elite mastercard, the one with the $600 fee. That's the only one that gets ya 10x miles on hotels/car rental (but not 10x loyalty points), which stacks with when you book hotels through the portal which will tell you how many bonus miles (and loyalty points) per stay, up to 15,000 points per stay (which can be modified by up to 30% once you hit 100k LPs to make it 19,500 points/loyalty points per stay).

You can also get some decent points/mileage through their shopping portal if you have big expenses like a TV coming up.
 
tigerswood said:
I don't fly enough anymore for work or personally with little TW to achieve any status. @diggs @palma et al do you think it's worth just hammering the AA credit card for loyalty points in lieu of the Chase Sapphire Reserve? We're a Chase family (wife has the Freedom, I have the Amazon, and she has another I forget), and it would be a pretty big shift to forego those points and the sweet sweet 150% redemption bonus through the Sapphire, which we get for all of her points too after she transfers them to me.
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I got the AA Executive card a few months ago and am happy with it so far. I dont have a CS, and my only other CC is a Costco Citi card. Its nice having the lounge access, plus it covers my pre-check.
 
I am a peasant who only flies 2-3 times a year and it's never consistently one destination or one airline. So I just have a capital one venture rewards card. Am I doing it wrong?
 
BeachBumDeac said:
I am a peasant who only flies 2-3 times a year and it's never consistently one destination or one airline. So I just have a capital one venture rewards card. Am I doing it wrong?
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That's a great overall card, especially if you don't want to think too much. You can maybe a make a little more if you eat out/spend a lot on groceries by adding a 2nd card to the mix.
 
oh yeah I meant that's my only travel related card

I have an american express blue cash that is 6% cash back on groceries and a costco citi card to get the sweet extra 2% back on top of my 2% executive reward

Was thinking about trying to bump up to the Venture X to get the extra miles back on flights/hotels
 
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