R.I.P. Trayvon Martin

Spirit Airlines...Passenger Usage Fee? WTF?

Having recently booked a flight on Spirit Airlines (New York to Fort Lauderdale), I received an e-mail asking me to complete the following Customer Satisfaction survey.

Spririt Survey question:
How likely is it that you would recommend Spirit Airlines to a friend or colleague?

(0 = I am not likely to recommend Spirit Airlines; 10 = I am very likely to recommend Spirit Airlines).

My answer…a big fat ZERO!   Why?

• VERY VERY deceptive pricing policy!   The price on Spirit.com was listed at $318 per person!
• Passenger Usage Fee?   What the heck is this and how come you don’t learn about this fee until AFTER you book the reservation!
• $10 for getting the boarding pass at the airport?
• $15 for seat selection?
• Absolutely no leg room!   I guess that’s why the seats don’t recline.
• You want water on the flight?   That’ll be $3.00 please!
• Try to (easily) find a telephone # on your site.   Oh…go to the help screen and enter the word “telephone” on the search line.   What’s so hard about that!

Above via the Huffington Post.

I just scheduled a hypothetical flight form NYC to Fort Lauderdale on KAYAK.com.   Departing April 21st, returning April 28th.   Spirit was $258.   On Spirit.com it was listed at a TOTAL of $227?   Perhaps KAYAK included the infamous “passenger usage fee” and Spirit.com didn’t?   So you add seat assignment ($15 each way) and baggage fees ($30 each way) and you’re now at $348 roundtrip!   What’s next…restroom usage fee?

The TOTAL at JetBlue was $299!!!   No baggage fee!   No seat assignment fee!   More legroom…and a private TV screen.   FREE sodas/water and FREE snacks!

I will never fly Spirit again!   Never!   Ever!

Georgia on My Mind!

"Georgia officials have once again approved a specialty license plate featuring the Confederate battle flag, infuriating civil rights advocates and renewing a debate among those who believe the symbol honors Confederate heritage and those who see it as racially charged.

The Georgia division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans requested the new plate design, and the Georgia Department of Revenue recently approved it.   The group's old plate had a small Confederate battle flag. The new one features an additional, larger image in the background that covers the entire plate."

More here!

Spirit Airlines...Flt #180...the flight from hell!

Okay...I could write an entire book on the infamous Spirit Airlines and I plan to add another blog entry real soon based on my recent Spirit Airlines booking ordeal.   I must admit that it wasn't all Spirit's fault, but yesterday was my last flight on Spirit...FOREVER!!!   I've only flown them once before, years ago, when I questioned whether or not their old dilapidated aircraft was even capable of flying!   But again...Friday was the very last time Spirit will ever see me (or my family) again!

Flight #180 (from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to New York's LaGuardia airport) was scheduled to depart at 11:30 AM...boarding to begin at 10:45AM.   Sure enough, at 10:45AM they announced boarding to begin starting with "Zone 1".   We were assigned to "Zone 4".   My wife decided to run to the ladies room and, upon her return to the gate she noticed, on one of the many terminal displays, that this flight would be delayed and not depart until 12:15.

Spirit's "customer service" gate agent told us not to believe the terminal displays because the flight was boarding now and would depart as scheduled.   We boarded when "Zone 4" was called.   Shortly thereafter, around 11:15AM, the captain announced that the flight was indeed delayed and would not depart until 12:30 in the afternoon.   He also announced that, given the delay, we could disembark the aircraft but were asked that we not leave the gate area.   We did both.

We reboarded about noon and flight #180 pulled away from the gate at 12:30PM.   Once on the tarmac...the captain announced there would be another delay based on the foggy/inclement weather in the New York City area.   (Again...no fault of Spirit.)   Engines were shut down.   That's when we, and many other passengers, became acutely aware of the family occupying row eight!   Their presence was an ordeal to remember!   After two or three announcements and twenty or so minutes later...flight #180 ran down the Fort Lauderdale runway and took off.   Finally we were airbound!

Then the agony really started!   My wife and I were in aisle seats (7C and 7D).   Behind us, in row eight, was a family of six....four adults, a male child of about 6 or 7 years old and a toddler that could be no more than two years old?   Throughout the flight, and even on the tarmac, when the children were not screaming or kicking the seats in from of them, the adults and children kept switching seats across the aisle...totally ignoring the captain's request to remain seated and fasten your seat belts.   I believe the toddler screamed damn near the entire journey!

The dialog (I believe in Chinese?), was at a deafening pitch THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE FLIGHT.   I began to wonder if these folks knew how to whisper or even talk in a lower pitch!   And it wasn't just me and the Mrs!   Everyone in several rows, for and aft, looked as though they wanted to open the exit door and push all of them out!   All of them!   If you looked around, several of the other passenger held their hands over their ears just to deal with the noise.   It got to a point that many of us just began to look at each other, shake our heads and laugh because we couldn't believe this was happening!   I longed to have a crying baby next to me!   It was that bad!

But what really astounded me (pissed me off) was the fact that the parents and the other two elders (grandparents maybe?) seemed to completely condone (or ignore) this behavior!   I was ready to reach back and grab these kids by the neck!   But not one word from the elders.   I may have heard them say, what sounded like, "stop" once or twice, but that was it...during the course of a 4+ hour journey/ordeal!

Finally we landed, around 4PM (one and a half hours behind schedule)...again no fault of Spirit.   It was the damn fog in the NYC area.   We pulled up to the gate.   A few minutes after the seat belt sign went off...the captain announced that the "jetway" operator was new (and in training) and was having a difficult time aligning the jetway to the airplane's front exit door!   Ten minutes later...the jetway trainee finally got it right and we were able to begin our exit from the flight from hell!

Epilog:
While waiting for our $30 (a piece) checked baggage to arrive on the baggage carousel...I looked down and saw my little Asian buddy trying to play on the carousel.   His Dad was completely oblivious!  

Welcome to LaGuardia!   As Joe Biden said....

"Because I love black males"

Maybe he said this because it's black history month?

Below is from People for the American Way!

Responsible politicians wouldn’t fawn over an unhinged activist who opposes civil rights and religious freedom for minorities, wants to make being gay a crime and decries his personal rivals as enemies of God, right?   But that is exactly what is taking place today in the Republican Party, as likely and declared GOP presidential candidates line up to win the approval of Bryan Fischer, a radio talk show host and spokesman for the American Family Association.

Fischer’s unabashed bigotry is on full display throughout his writings and on-air rants.   His entire career is based on leveling venomous attacks against gays and lesbians, American Muslims, Native Americans, progressives and other individuals and groups he detests.   He wants to redefine the Constitution to protect only Christians, persecute and deport all American Muslims, prohibit gays and non-Christians from holding public office and impose a system of biblical law.

While Fischer’s views are undeniably shocking, what is most disturbing is his growing influence within not only the Religious Right but also the Republican Party.

Read a whole lot more at People for the American Way!

A belated Happy Valentines! Wash the huevos!

I had a lot on my plate of "to dos" yesterday.   Run to the cleaners.   Go to the paint store.   Pick up a Valentines Day gift for the Mrs., take a shower...and a few other chores.   It was about two in the afternoon and I was running out of time!   My thirty-some year old daughter was here and I asked her to help me prioritize my "to dos".   Her response (and top priority) was "Dad wash the huevos!"   Huevos?   What?   "Dad...wash the huevos" (eggs in Spanish)...aka balls!   I cracked up and went upstairs and jumped in the shower!   You gotta luv her!   I do!   A belated Happy Valentines Day from the washed huevos!

"Why can't the world always be like this?"

Put aside the terrorist threats; hunting down homosexuals and the malfunctioning fifth ring.

Watching those 3,500 athletes from around the world enter the Sochi Olympic stadium made me temporarily forget all the ugliness going on in the world and the nasty political climate back here at home.   To see their smiles, the waving flags and the cheering crowd was a sight to behold.   The crowd roared when the infamous "Cool Runnings" Jamaican bobsled team entered the stadium.

Athletes from over 80 countries entered the stadium that night! Who ever heard of Timor-Leste?   Certainly not me!   Where is the heck is Andorra much less San Morino?

When the Russian athletes entered the stadium the home country crowd, as expected, went nuts.   That's when my thirty-something year old daughter turned to me and said..."why can't the world always be like this?"

Fast forward to Saturday and back to reality.   International articles in section one of the New York Times included the following:

• Despite Signs of Progress, Insecurity Rises in Tunisia
  Security has become the most pressing issue in Tunisia as the country tries to move forward with its democratic transition and rescue its still declining economy, which depends heavily on tourism and foreign investment.
• Crisis Deepens in Bosnia
  Thousands of angry Bosnians took to the streets on Friday for a fourth day of protests against the political paralysis and economic stagnation th
• Turkish Highjacking is Foiled
  A passenger aboard a commercial airline flight from Ukraine to Turkey tried to hijack it to Sochi, Russia, on Friday after the Winter Olympics started.
• Peril For Afghan Women
  Advocates say that women’s rights and security in Afghanistan are under mounting assault from all sides — the Taliban insurgency and the government alike — putting at risk 12 years of hard-won gains for women here.

Like I said...back to reality.   I'm sure more dosages of reality await me in today's New York Times!

Evolution...Schmevolution!

Franklin Graham...Billy's wacko son!

"This is a full-scale assault against Christianity and the followers of Christ.   When prayer is banned from the public square, when our President fails to defend biblically defined marriage, and he openly and zealously advocates for gay rights; when legislators rush to overrule existing laws to promote gay marriage; when schools and courts consistently suppress religious freedoms; we know we are locked in a war against the Christian faith, not culture.   The architect behind this offensive is none other than Satan himself.   The Scripture says that the devil, our archenemy, is bent on as much destruction as possible.   Satan knows that one day very soon, he will be cast into the lake of fire and sulfur in hell (Revelation 20:10).   As that day draws near, his malicious, hellish activity is intensifying."

More wack-a-doodle bull sh*t at Daddy Billy's website.

America the Beautiful!

I know there's a whole lot of controversy surrounding the Sochi Olympics, Coca Cola and other Olympic advertisers (MacDonalds?)...but I still really like this "behind the scenes look" at the Coca Cola Super Bowl ad.

It snowed today! 8 Inches maybe???