Catholic Info
Traditional Catholic Faith => Catholic Living in the Modern World => Topic started by: 2Vermont on November 22, 2023, 01:59:28 PM
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Is it me or is it much harder to make flight reservations? I am trying to book a flight to Florida in March and in order to avoid additional $ on the return flight, I have only ONE return flight I can choose....with a 2 1/2 hour layover in Newark (and it's on a different carrier)!
I made similar reservations last Feb and had NO issues like this.
Somebody shoot me now. :facepalm:
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It has become twice as hard to fly anywhere since the governmental attack on airlines in 2020. For lots of reasons, including staff being poisoned or fired, third-world people running the airlines, crippling governmental regulations (I heard of a flight being canceled on a family member because ONE CREW MEMBER failed to show up!), and lots of other things I don't even know about.
It's all deliberate, and part of the globalist plan. Those people HATE air travel for the common man. They don't want anyone else in the air except themselves.
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Is it me or is it much harder to make flight reservations? I am trying to book a flight to Florida in March and in order to avoid additional $ on the return flight, I have only ONE return flight I can choose....with a 2 1/2 hour layover in Newark (and it's on a different carrier)!
I made similar reservations last Feb and had NO issues like this.
Somebody shoot me now. :facepalm:
Many air carriers went bankrupt or near-bankrupt during the lockdown.
I have found that some former trans-oceanic carriers no long fly trans-oceanic routes, but mostly "in-country" with some connector flights.
So, yes, I have found that there are fewer (and more expensive) choices.
Where previously I experienced diligence, I am also finding an intolerable level of carelessness in making such reservations.
I have long avoided US flag carriers due to their low level of "service" and shitty attitudes on international flights. That has not changed.
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I, for one, have noticed fewer flights last year that there had been in previous times when I had to fly last year. So it seems to be getting progressively worse over time.
Both posters above are, I think, correct. My hope is that I will never again have to travel using those infernal airlines again. Until I die, at least. I will be buried at Mount St. Michael's cemetery in Spokane but live in Indiana. Bodies are ordinarily transported by air. I asked about using UPS Ground, but was told that wasn't an option.
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…I asked about using UPS Ground, but was told that wasn't an option.
:laugh2:
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And now it appears that some airlines don't allow for seat choice unless you pay extra. It's just too bad this trip is a have-to trip or I'd bag it altogether.
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In a travel-related matter, I am seeing another problem: fraud alerts.
So… fraud alerts. I made a change in my upcoming flight itinerary through AmEx Travel, then received a fraud alert from AmEx Fraud that they declined a charge from… wait for it… AmEx Travel. Go figure, they are such fraud experts that their right Fraud hand doesn't know what the left Travel hand is doing. Meanwhile, Travel and Fraud said they could not do a conference call with me to resolve it. Escalated to supervisor level, had the conference call, problem solved. That wasted about 90 minutes.
In the same vein of incompetence I warned a different credit card company that I was about to use their card to pay for a foreign visa (the Embassy doesn't take AmEx). Oh, you don't need to advise us of travel." (???!!! Since when?) The charge from the Embassy was declined and flagged as a fraud attempt. I received an email, "Was this charge yours?" "Yes." "OK, you don't need to do anything else." About 10 minutes later I got a text, same message, same charge: "Declined. You can't handle this online. You must call." First two front-line agents were utterly useless and ineffectual. "Just try again." Trying again failed. Finally two more calls and another 90 minutes of wasted time, I got an agent that cleared the alert, stayed on the phone while I re-submitted payment to the embassy. She said payment was "confirmed." Meanwhile the Embassy site still says, "payment is pending." :(
Go figure. The more dependent the system becomes on digital transactions, smart phones, and 2-factor authentication, the more brittle and broken the system becomes.
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And now it appears that some airlines don't allow for seat choice unless you pay extra. It's just too bad this trip is a have-to trip or I'd bag it altogether.
I have only experienced that on US carriers. Asian carriers like (JAL, Singapore, Thai) respect their customers and go above and beyond to make the entire experience pleasant.… (bonus: no porcine stewardesses).
The last time I flew a US carrier (United) trans-Pacific I saw that a friend was unexpectedly on my flight and back in Economy class, so I went back to chat with him. I squeezed in front of his aisle seat to avoid blocking the aisle. The ugly fat United Airlines bitch kept pacing back and forth and banging her hips into mine, clearly intentionally and unnecessarily. That was 30 years ago and I have never flown United again, not even domestically.
I'd rather go "UPS Ground." :laugh2:
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I flew to Florida this year in August and it was quite a bit more expensive than when I flew to Florida the same week last year, despite booking much earlier this year than than I did the year before. There were also less options to choose from.
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Is it me or is it much harder to make flight reservations? I am trying to book a flight to Florida in March and in order to avoid additional $ on the return flight, I have only ONE return flight I can choose....with a 2 1/2 hour layover in Newark (and it's on a different carrier)!
I made similar reservations last Feb and had NO issues like this.
Somebody shoot me now. :facepalm:
It MIGHT be due to the date you picked for your return flight, whether all flights that day were booked, etc. If you're flexible on the return date, or even the departure date, you might find some better deals. You might also want to consider an alternative airport ... if you have one relatively close by.
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It MIGHT be due to the date you picked for your return flight, whether all flights that day were booked, etc. If you're flexible on the return date, or even the departure date, you might find some better deals. You might also want to consider an alternative airport ... if you have one relatively close by.
Even the day of the week and time of day affect pricing.
Before the airlines put restrictions on transferring frequent flyer miles, you could get a trans-Pacific round-trip Biz Class for $1100. Check today's round-trip prices… $5000-ish+.
As for alternative airports, Tokyo is an instructive example. Haneda is on an artificial island in Tokyo with convenient train connections. Narita, built northeast of Tokyo in the 80's over the objections of rioting farmers (Did you ever imagine Japanese rioting?), is about 32 miles from central Tokyo, a righteous PITA. Narita can and does handle far more air traffic, but its distance is enough an annoyance that I think Haneda is a better option despite having fewer carriers (even allowing for the cost of transport from Narita to downtown), fewer flights for each carrier, and higher prices. I avoid Narita like the plague.
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I, for one, have noticed fewer flights last year that there had been in previous times when I had to fly last year. So it seems to be getting progressively worse over time.
Both posters above are, I think, correct. My hope is that I will never again have to travel using those infernal airlines again. Until I die, at least. I will be buried at Mount St. Michael's cemetery in Spokane but live in Indiana. Bodies are ordinarily transported by air. I asked about using UPS Ground, but was told that wasn't an option.
I don't mean to be intrusive, but as a part time assistant at a mortuary I'll take the liberty to offer some information.
If there won't be any services in Indiana (any or all of a visitation, Rosary, Requiem Mass) you'll want the funeral home's "Forwarding remains to another funeral home" package. They will do the removal from the place of death, handle the required paperwork, embalm (usually required for air shipment, but won't include cosmetology, hair care, or dressing), and arrange for air shipment to Spokane. You (or the person handling your arrangements) will want to purchase a "combo air tray" (designed to transport a body without a casket) in Indiana and purchase the casket in Spokane. The reason for this is that the airlines charge by weight and a 100 lbs. or more will be saved if the body isn't flown in a casket.
Usually a Spokane funeral home would be contacted to receive the remains at the Spokane airport. I'm sure Father Puskorius (or another priest at The Mount) would have an appropriate recommendation. If the only services in Spokane will be the committal at the cemetery (the other services having been held in Indiana), arrangements could be made for a trusted friend with a pickup (with canopy or landau cover) or van to pick you up at the Spokane airport and take you to the cemetery, that would be perfectly legal as long as they have the proper paperwork (which should arrive from Indiana with the body). I believe there is a livery service in Spokane that would provide a hearse for this, at a much lower cost that using a full service mortuary (I'd have to research this).
For a point of reference, about three weeks ago I picked up someone at the Spokane airport who was flown in from Arizona for her funeral in Kennewick, WA. The airfare was about $400. Once a retired deputy coroner from where I live had her father die in one of the Carolinas. She and her husband rented a U-Haul van, packed cold packs around the body, and drove it non-stop to our mortuary in Washington. Usually embalming would be required to cross state lines, but there are exemptions. She, having been a coroner, knew how to handle things, and was comfortable with handling the body.
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I don't mean to be intrusive, but as a part time assistant at a mortuary I'll take the liberty to offer some information.
If there won't be any services in Indiana (any or all of a visitation, Rosary, Requiem Mass) you'll want the funeral home's "Forwarding remains to another funeral home" package. They will do the removal from the place of death, handle the required paperwork, embalm (usually required for air shipment, but won't include cosmetology, hair care, or dressing), and arrange for air shipment to Spokane. You (or the person handling your arrangements) will want to purchase a "combo air tray" (designed to transport a body without a casket) in Indiana and purchase the casket in Spokane. The reason for this is that the airlines charge by weight and a 100 lbs. or more will be saved if the body isn't flown in a casket.
Usually a Spokane funeral home would be contacted to receive the remains at the Spokane airport. I'm sure Father Puskorius (or another priest at The Mount) would have an appropriate recommendation. If the only services in Spokane will be the committal at the cemetery (the other services having been held in Indiana), arrangements could be made for a trusted friend with a pickup (with canopy or landau cover) or van to pick you up at the Spokane airport and take you to the cemetery, that would be perfectly legal as long as they have the proper paperwork (which should arrive from Indiana with the body). I believe there is a livery service in Spokane that would provide a hearse for this, at a much lower cost that using a full service mortuary (I'd have to research this).
For a point of reference, about three weeks ago I picked up someone at the Spokane airport who was flown in from Arizona for her funeral in Kennewick, WA. The airfare was about $400. Once a retired deputy coroner from where I live had her father die in one of the Carolinas. She and her husband rented a U-Haul van, packed cold packs around the body, and drove it non-stop to our mortuary in Washington. Usually embalming would be required to cross state lines, but there are exemptions. She, having been a coroner, knew how to handle things, and was comfortable with handling the body.
Good to know! Thank you for sharing!
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The airfare was about $400.
Hmmm, that's a pretty good fare. I could pretend that I'm dead and ride cheap. Then could also get ground transportation when I arrive in a hearse.
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Before the airlines put restrictions on transferring frequent flyer miles, you could get a trans-Pacific round-trip Biz Class for $1100. Check today's round-trip prices… $5000-ish+.
In 1999, before I married, I got a bit of a longer vacation one time (my new manager didn't know the company discouraged more than a week off at a time and approved 2 weeks), so I decided on a whim to fly to Rome. I went to a travel agent to get a fare for ASAP, and she found me one for $375 round trip, with zero advance notice. Only drawback was I had to fly back from Milan. So, I got on the plane with basically one smallish suitcase. There was a delay because the connecting flight from Cleveland to New York got delayed (broke down in Kansas City), so they put me on a different plane that went through Paris. That was a very confusing airport (when I knew very little French apart from Je ne parle pas francais. Eventually got to Rome much later in the evening (my luggage didn't make it) and had not booked any place to stay (as this was just on a whim). I took a cab to the vicinity of Vatican City and just walked around until I found some random hotel (it was called "Hotel Florida"). It was pretty lousy and overpriced, but I didn't have many other options due to not having planned much. Next day I found a hostel to stay for real cheap. I had to go back to the airport to find my luggage. I went to JP2 Wojtyla's Wednesday audience twice. First time I got there very early to get a spot way up front, but then realized that his pope-mobile actually went around the back, and the best spot was in the back. So the next time I made sure to be in the back and got some pictures of Wojtyla riding by on his pope-mobile from about 10 feet away. I had asked one of the Swiss guard where to get tickets, and he pointed me upstairs ... where an English-speaking priest gave me a few tickets (perhaps he detected from my Italian that I had an American / English accent). I basically walked around with a little pocket ("Gem") Italian dictionary looking up words I didn't know, having a rudimentary knowledge of Italian grammar. But many Italians spoke English in the tourist sections. I had to take a train back to Milan for the return flight, and was evidently sitting in the wrong section of the train ... and so they kicked me out of the car and moved me further back.
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You made the case for non-stop flights and carry-on only!
When I was a teen my dearly beloved Grandma taught me her travel rule: "Take half as much clothing and twice as much money."
Her rule has served me well… and I fondly remember that when she'd decide to go to Europe, she's stuff some undies in her purse and a wad of hundreds in the traditional woman's hiding place and off she'd go.
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You made the case for non-stop flights and carry-on only!
When I was a teen my dearly beloved Grandma taught me her travel rule: "Take half as much clothing and twice as much money."
Her rule has served me well… and I fondly remember that when she'd decide to go to Europe, she's stuff some undies in her purse and a wad of hundreds in the traditional woman's hiding place and off she'd go.
That's actually good advice. I tend to take way more than I need when I travel.
I'm kind of tied the the ol " Better to have and not need, than to need and not have".
I guess the question is, what do you really NEED.
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The real reason of the sky rocketing costs and difficulty in travel, is they really want travel restrictions for the common folk so with the TSA, Homeland Security and " safety" bs, they can treat us like farm animals while they rob our pocket books.
2020 and the scamdemic was just an extension of the 911 nonsense to gain more control of the populace.
This govt is a complete clown show.:clown:
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The real reason of the sky rocketing costs and difficulty in travel, is they really want travel restrictions for the common folk so with the TSA, Homeland Security and " safety" bs, they can treat us like farm animals while they rob our pocket books.
2020 and the scamdemic was just an extension of the 911 nonsense to gain more control of the populace.
This govt is a complete clown show.:clown:
Flying was much more enjoyable when it was cost prohibitive to the lower classes.
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Have flown to Spokane a couple times, and the flight was always $400. Of course, I only fly with Delta and take only a carry-on since the carry-on is free. Not a checked bag person here- unless it’s absolutely necessary and that last time was a trip to California.
Also, I have purchased tickets only on Expedia since it’s a bit cheaper. Delta website is $200 more. If you move dates around, the prices do vary.
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Have flown to Spokane a couple times, and the flight was always $400. Of course, I only fly with Delta and take only a carry-on since the carry-on is free. Not a checked bag person here- unless it’s absolutely necessary and that last time was a trip to California.
Also, I have purchased tickets only on Expedia since it’s a bit cheaper. Delta website is $200 more. If you move dates around, the prices do vary.
In preparation for an upcoming biz trip, I priced a trans-Pacific itinerary on the usual online sites (CheapAir, Kayak) that do a meta-search including Expedia. I compared the itinerary with AmEx Travel and, while there was some give and take on the various legs, the overall cost on AmEx was several hundred dollars cheaper.… PLUS… because I booked online, AmEx offers a special travel insurance that includes medical coverage overseas, evacuation costs, and even full refund for cancellation for any reason within 48 hours of departure.
It was only on the trans-Pacific legs that there was a significant cost savings. For the "in-country" legs it was a wash, prices within a few dollars of each other.
When it came to accommodations, Agoda was significantly cheaper on all bookings except for one. AmEx saved me about $600 on that one because it was with one of AmEx's contracted "Hotel Collection." Agoda also had the advantage of offering a variety of options: pay now, pay by, and pay at the hotel.
It's a pain to spreadsheet the flights and hotels, but doing so saved me about 25% of the expense. Well worth the effort.
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It's a pain to spreadsheet the flights and hotels, but doing so saved me about 25% of the expense. Well worth the effort.
Well good. You do you! All of us have different preferences/what works under the circuмstances. If one is good at it, they can find a good deal on flights. (For example, others I know wanted to fly to Italy and only could find tickets for $1100 or more. But we did some digging, and found flights around $800, with added baggage and whatnot for reasonable prices. Better than nothing, of course.
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Well good. You do you! All of us have different preferences/what works under the circuмstances. If one is good at it, they can find a good deal on flights. (For example, others I know wanted to fly to Italy and only could find tickets for $1100 or more. But we did some digging, and found flights around $800, with added baggage and whatnot for reasonable prices. Better than nothing, of course.
Was there something in my post that made you imagine that I was commanding you to be me???
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Was there something in my post that made you imagine that I was commanding you to be me???
Goodness no. I was simply overjoyed that you were able to find something that worked for you, as you stated. Must have been a misunderstanding on how I wrote the last post. Apologies
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Thanks for clarifying.
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Speaking of flying… https://www.takimag.com/article/die-in-the-air/
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Speaking of flying… https://www.takimag.com/article/die-in-the-air/
Meh, the 737 Max is a disaster waiting to happen. It's just that those two crashes happened outside the United Stated, but it was still caused by the cheapness of an American company ... lest the US FAA and the American airline industry take credit for no crashes in the last 14 years "in America". FAA also looked the other way despite whistle blowers regarding the 737 Max.
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Speaking of flying… https://www.takimag.com/article/die-in-the-air/
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During the race riots of 2020, numerous companies promised to start hiring more minorities. I think United is the most woke of American airlines, and they promised to change their pilot roster so that half or so of their pilots would be black or women. Other airlines started making similar promises in the media, though to a lesser degree than United. I watched this aghast, waiting for planes to start falling out of the sky.
But they didn't. I am not sure what to make of that. My theory is that they made a bunch of false promises in the media and then made absolutely no changes at all and kept their pilot roster exactly the same and based on their qualifications, not their race/sex. I don't see any other explanation.
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Delta earned my blackball with their COVID "vax" mandates and other (((woke))) attacks.
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Meh, the 737 Max is a disaster waiting to happen. It's just that those two crashes happened outside the United Stated, but it was still caused by the cheapness of an American company ... lest the US FAA and the American airline industry take credit for no crashes in the last 14 years "in America". FAA also looked the other way despite whistle blowers regarding the 737 Max.
Indeed. I scrutinize my itineraries to exclude that h0Ɩ0cαųst model.
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delete
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I don't mean to be intrusive, but as a part time assistant at a mortuary I'll take the liberty to offer some information.
If there won't be any services in Indiana (any or all of a visitation, Rosary, Requiem Mass) you'll want the funeral home's "Forwarding remains to another funeral home" package. They will do the removal from the place of death, handle the required paperwork, embalm (usually required for air shipment, but won't include cosmetology, hair care, or dressing), and arrange for air shipment to Spokane. You (or the person handling your arrangements) will want to purchase a "combo air tray" (designed to transport a body without a casket) in Indiana and purchase the casket in Spokane. The reason for this is that the airlines charge by weight and a 100 lbs. or more will be saved if the body isn't flown in a casket.
Usually a Spokane funeral home would be contacted to receive the remains at the Spokane airport. I'm sure Father Puskorius (or another priest at The Mount) would have an appropriate recommendation. If the only services in Spokane will be the committal at the cemetery (the other services having been held in Indiana), arrangements could be made for a trusted friend with a pickup (with canopy or landau cover) or van to pick you up at the Spokane airport and take you to the cemetery, that would be perfectly legal as long as they have the proper paperwork (which should arrive from Indiana with the body). I believe there is a livery service in Spokane that would provide a hearse for this, at a much lower cost that using a full service mortuary (I'd have to research this).
For a point of reference, about three weeks ago I picked up someone at the Spokane airport who was flown in from Arizona for her funeral in Kennewick, WA. The airfare was about $400. Once a retired deputy coroner from where I live had her father die in one of the Carolinas. She and her husband rented a U-Haul van, packed cold packs around the body, and drove it non-stop to our mortuary in Washington. Usually embalming would be required to cross state lines, but there are exemptions. She, having been a coroner, knew how to handle things, and was comfortable with handling the body.
Moneil....bumping this post to ask you something related to your work/experience.
What happens in the following scenario?
An agreement was made years ago with a funeral home in VT. The people moved to Florida a couple of years ago.
I'm fairly certain agreement was for cremation and most likely did not take into account any future move out of VT.
Thank you.
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Moneil....bumping this post to ask you something related to your work/experience.
What happens in the following scenario?
An agreement was made years ago with a funeral home in VT. The people moved to Florida a couple of years ago.
I'm fairly certain agreement was for cremation and most likely did not take into account any future move out of VT.
Thank you.
Most prepaid funeral prearrangements freeze the cost of defined goods and services at their price at the time the arrangements were made and paid for, with the payments (which can be made over time) deposited into a trust account or life insurance policy arranged by the funeral home. In the case of a life insurance policy, if the person dies before everything is paid for, they are still covered in full in most cases. These arrangements, and the prepaid funds, are usually portable ... i.e. they can be moved to another funeral home. These things are regulated by each individual state and one would need to check with a local provider to see how it all works.
In the above scenario, if there doesn't need to be a formal funeral with the body present in Vermont, the cremation could be done in Florida. If the family wants the remains then sent to Vermont for a memorial service and / or burial, it only costs about $100 to mail an urn (the post office provides special handling).
Most prepaid funeral arrangements wouldn't cover the extra cost of transporting whole body remains a long distance, so if they want to be returned to Vermont before cremation they need to start saving for that. There are insurance policies available for situations where one dies away from home and wants to be returned home for their funeral or burial. Many seniors here in the northwest spend their winters in Arizona, and if they die there the policy will cover the cost of flying them home for their funeral and burial.