I abandoned Southwest when they adopted the "fatsos have to buy two seats" rule.

Speaking of crossing russia (I am envious), have you read Jim Rogers travel/investment books, Investment Biker and Adventure Capitalist ? Probably entertaining for your next train trip ;^)
Its so sad that the politicos/banksters/elite appear to be set on fomenting trouble with Russia. They could be a great ally and partner for Americans if liberty were to break out here and there.

I like Southwest. They don't fly out of here though. I used them a lot when I lived in Reno and Vegas.

If you think about it, there probably isn't any other way they can do the coverage without some kind of hub & spoke, although Southwest (and what limited I know of Allegiant) tend to do it a little differently. Southwest does some weird channel flight/patterns, but essentially have some kind of a modified hub - I live in Sacramento, so I can go pretty much anywhere on Southwest without a change in planes, and maybe 1 if I'm going to the East Coast - that would usually be in Phoenix, Denver, or Chicago/Midway.

I like being able to change my ticket on Southwest if I need you, you only pay the difference in airfare, or as I've actually gotten often - a credit if the other destination or time is cheaper. My last trip to Las Vegas (business) was actually free (got home last night) because last month I switched from flying into Baltimore to Flying into Washington Dulles on the same day and was $230 less.

On Delta or United, I'm sure they would have figured out some fees to charge to eat that up...

My boss flies on United... he has been Premier 1K for over a decade and has 1.6 million Marriott points, and United still treats him like dogsh*t. Need a change? no problem, $150 fee plus $400 for what was originally a $300 ticket and the seat next was probably sold for $199 to someone on Expedia. He gets no consideration, and rarely an upgrade anymore, and boarding on that stuff, if you have a regular "ticket" you are a long way behind the credit card customers, the ones with a Gold Mastercard from United, the ones with Premier 1K, the Continental Medallion customers, etc.. by the time they called me the last time I did that 2 years ago, I was the last person in the waiting area.

Southwest is pretty simple, if I buy a ticket today for a flight today, my A-list rating still gets me to be on the first pile to be boarded. If I buy it a week or so ahead, I'll always board right after business class. You get on in groups, and pick your own seat, so if I was flying on someone else with assigned-seats, I'd always be in the middle seat in front of the latrine in the last row with my weird buy-the-last-minute schedule. Basically my boss's problem, he does last minute travel, is Premier 1K, and still in the latrine seat.

I even like the snarky jokes that Southwest stewards make about United. "Don't smoke in our bathroom, its a federal felony and a $10,000 fine.. and, you know, if you had $10,000 to spare, you would be flying United right?"

Have that multi-million stock option sale burning a hole in your pocket? Book a Bedroom - private bath *and* shower, you get treated like a CEO. I somehow (don't ask me how, I haven't a clue) got bumped into one from a roomette - it was probably the *best* experience I've ever had on a train. Fortunately, I didn't have to pay full freight on it, but damn, it made me feel like I was a CEO or Congresscritter or something (and that's not uncommon for those accommodations, either...) or traveling 120 years ago. Or both.

Probably the best part is that TSA has yet to bring their special brand of "Terrorist-fear Theater" to the rails. They've wanted to for a while now, but IMO the logistics of doing that would be sketchy - too many stops, not enough militia - and ridership would plummet, which would kill the system. Anyway, between the train staff, the Amtrak cops (rare, but I have met a couple, overall damned nice guys and gals) and the other passengers, there's no need for the TSA Grope and Probe Squad.

Probably my favorite overnight train experience (don't laugh) was in Russia. There's something about traveling via train there that really does make you feel like you are traveling 70 years in the past - absolutely stellar service, good food, and great staff. Of course... that could have been hallucinations from the vodka --giggles-- but it really was fun.

Thanks, Susanne. When I said security issues, I meant TSA. I have no fear of terror attacks in the US except by the fools in DC and those pulling their strings. Delays happen in all forms of transport. Fortunately I won't be under any tight scheduling constraints. I will check out the club car, too, thanks.
My overnight 'room' trains in Oz and Thailand were bargains compared to Amtrak's offering. Probably will pass on the roomette due to cost and see a couple broadway shows instead.
I enjoyed my train travels overseas and will likely enjoy it here, too.

To bad you didn't post about United before I booked my flight. In the last few years I've only flown Southwest or Alegiant, I picked United over Alaska (price the same) because United said my guitar can be carry-on and Alaska was unclear whether it would have to be thrown into the cargo hold and squished or I'd have to buy it a seat.

It's the HUB thing that gets me, well besides tsa. Delta wanted to take me to Salt Lake, then Minneapolis, Phoenix and then to Mexico. That's crazy. As it is it will take 2 days to get there. It will all be worth it though, :) :) :)

A modern businessman just wants to get there. And a tourist thinks so little of the trip and only of the destination, that he is willing to let people herd him like cattle in a Confined Animal Feeding Operation.

We flew to Germany a zillion years ago on Pan Am, and loved it. It was glamorous. Business class was served a decent champagne in a glass glass before we left the ground.
I was impressed, at a later date, by the Israeli security - while the plame is on the ground, it is surrounded by [presumably] Israeli military, with automatic weapons, at short distances that meant one could always see 2 others. and nobody went on the plane except their staff.
They took it seriously, and what they do works.

We also flew Midwest, from Denver to Minnesota {I think}. After they reach altitude, the chocolate chip cookies go into the oven, and you can have milk, chocolate milk, coffee..... and all seats were business class size. They, of course, went out of business. The American consumer, for the most part, is driven by price because that's what advertising tells him is the only thing that matters. Midwest was what I considered at the time, slightly more expensive - but I don't remember the numbers.

I flew Continental frequently when my parents were sick and died, and they were not bad, but you are right, United was like adding black to white, it is now uniformly grey and nasty. -I can't imagine seats any smaller, and United just crowed they managed to do it. I donot ever see them going out of business though, they will scrap and scrimp and end up in BK court, where some dumbass judge will kill all their obligations to retirees and pilots and customers, and allow them to continue. Then they just get worse, but still have a whole stable of "brillian 100K/yr managers screwing things up more. If you break it, then you should be removed before any judge can step in and screw the employees. But not in America...

Indeed, look at how they price themselves, one goes up, they all do, one charges baggage fees, the others do. Southwest was a holdout, but they seem to have given in in the last couple years.

I respectfully disagree, the merge to eliminate the jobs of the middle management and pilots. The bigger the airline, the greater the inertia and inefficiency. Back in the 60's and 70's flying was actually enjoyable, polite and bearable. Now it is a frigging death match to survive.

Jan, that would make great sense in a world where good business survives and bad fail. Unfortunately, we live in a world where there is a huge herd of "educated" idiots who get jobs in "management" because they can't or won't work for real. Not that all managers are bad, but there is a huge reservoir on incompetents. They think that cutting employees, materials, quality, and safety is the way to profit, and cannot fasthom that there are results of all their "brilliant" ideas. The current state of airlines reflects their influence: merge merge merge and then cut everything, including seats. United was exultant on how they can change the seats for newer, skinny ones with less legroom and cram more people in, and saved the cost of 5 planes with this brilliant idea. Now, people think they "hae" to go somewheres and fly, so they suffer. When United is the only one you can either get, or afford, you suck it up and go on the cattle car. Theairlines own the insides of the planes and can not seem to get people to quit carrying half their wardrope packing into a "carryon" that is actually a suitcase. Not only does it weigh 80 lbs, but half the time they can't get it up into the luggage bin, it is way to heavy for the bin and sometimes they just blow the door off and crash on people. Then it takes another 10 minutes for all the goobers to get them down, with a few casualties, to get off the damn plane. I believe in the business model, where you succeed ort fail on your merits, but there are other parts of the equation, such as start up cost etc, that limit the ability to choose. I also read an article where United lost this couples luggage and they had a 2 day running gunbattle with them (complete with 40 min waits on the phone) for them to tell them "It will show up if and when it shows up". Made for a nice honeymoon. Nope, airlines are the worst customer service organizations I can think of, but I am sure there is plenty of competition, there are lots of "brilliant" college grads out there to muck things up.

... and merge in self-defense and desperation.

Then add the one item that government regs never address... the absolute requirement for the airlines to take all responsibility for any procedure or safety FAILURE resulting from their actions or lack.

Of course, applying that to the TSA might solve a lot of ground problems, but not the crowding and poor service between the Departures Entrance and the Arrivals Gate...

This happens in every industry that gets so over-regulated no new companies enter that industry.

Maybe Obama and Oprah will join forces and start the "O-line" airline. They can fix all this poor business with their new model: having people buy tickets at twice the price, and giving away half the seats to those that really need them. All the socialists will flock to them.

The real problem is the lack of competition. Any airline smart enough to advertise remedies to the complaints would quickly put the others in jeopardy, and you would see a quick change in attitude. Without fear of competition, airlines are in control and can get away with almost anything.

Security issues? Non-existent. Well, there *was* a violent nutcase on one train I was on; the conductors subdued the animal, and had him removed at the next stop. But (for now, anyway) there is no TSA Psychosis like the airlines. The conductors *are* the train bosses, and if there are any issues like that - they *will* handle them.

Biggest complaints? They can get delayed. As freight traffic is the Railroad's major money maker, freight has priority traffic on most of the routes (hey, business at its finest, as the freight can't be late), so I've seen schedules shot occasionally by an hour or so... once we were almost a day late (and the crew kept us informed throughout, and we got free food as well...) - from a derailment ahead of us, but that was the worst.. Not a biggie - just add time to your schedule. Other - internet access is spotty, tho I usually work or read so it's not that important - you upload and download near the cities you pass thru.

Overnight? Anything long distances is an overnighter, and I like it. If you have a choice of getting off a 5 hour flight rumpled, pissed, and prodded to go to a meeting sweaty and wrinkled, VS waking up in your own bed and feeling well rested and energized, and taking the meeting like a storm, well, there ya go. I **highly** recommend getting a roomette for overnight travel - it's in addition to your ticket (and not cheap), but it's like having your own cabin. I've done the coach overnight thing as well, and while it's not as nice as a roomette, it's survivable... like sleeping in a recliner at home. (At least it's not a Pullman dropdown!!).

Recommendations? Make sure you have access to a 110 outlet at or near your seat. I used to grab a table in the clubcar (which has 110) and work from there (I used to channel my inner Dagny :-) )... And get used to the idea you will both get into conversations with people around you, and find yourself smiling a lot - it's NOT an airplane! If you're in coach, and are prone to motion sickness, get a forward-facing seat (doesn't bother me, but it does some people).

The author of the article seems to want the government to do something about the airlines. I think that the government should do less about the airlines. For example: Remove TSA and let the airlines conduct their own screenings, but require that each airline publish how the screenings are done and whether there are armed air marshals aboard each flight. Then let people choose.

Jan

My last trip to Europe was in the 90's and the flights were fine then in coach at cheapest available fare (Lufthansa and Delta iirc.)

I'm considering a train trip (atlanta to NYC) in the spring. How have you found the security issues? What is your biggest complaint and highest praise for recent train travel? Done any overnight trains in the US?
All my train travel experiences have been in Europe, Thailand, and OZ.

Up until a few years ago, we used to "jump the pond" frequently. We used too try to book British Airways as their service was, for the price, very good. We also flew Lufthansa (very businesslike), Aeroflot (surprisingly good), and Alitalia (felt like home)...

We *did* have to fly an American carrier - twice. One was Delta (particularly awful cattle car experience that charged for *everything* - I have not flown *anything* Delta since) and the other was United (Overpriced, exasperating delays at every turn, and the cabin was so filthy I didn't want to sit down - for a 10 hour flight).

My stepdaughter makes the jump fairly frequently from Britain to the US - she flies Virgin because they have consistently lower fares, but you get what you pay for - the one time she flew BA (rebooked due to some issue or the other) she was shocked at how "luxurious" BA was compared to VA.

I found... that unless there's a d@mn#d good need to fly somewhere, I will either drive, or pay a couple bucks and hours more and take the train. While it's nothing like the old days, it's still far better than the Totalitarian Suspicion Advocates free x-ray strip search theater & complimentary cavity grope, and the sub-par sub-service by the US carriers. Sure, it's slower, but you have these things like legroom, decent food, and much more professional service.

It requires a paradigm shift, however - one has to get out of the "instant gratification/need it NOW" mentality, and realize sometimes that slower is indeed better.

The advantage of private business over government is the existence of COMPETITION. This is our savior and whats corrects things in favor of the customers. Government has no competition, and therefor winds up inefficient, and serving primarily itself. I think we would be better off with at a minimum independent states, and perhaps even units smaller than that which could compete with each other to attract residents.

Thanks for telling me about your experience with El Al. I haven't traveled in the region (nor on El Al elsewhere.)