Gene. Gene. Former airline supervisor here. 1) That's not water on the lav floor. 2) Don't walk on airliner carpeting in socks, or worse, barefoot. 🤢 🤮
I doubt I am the only one, but my feet swell up on flights until the shoe is cutting into the flesh. I wear nice clean socks and remove my shoes at the first opportunity. And if I get some pee on them... they wash.
In the late 70s, I had occasion to fly in and out of Moscow a few times. Unlike in the West, when people would applaud when they landed, people there would applaud when takeoff occurred.
I've taken that U.S.-South Africa flight several times, sometimes when it stretched to 16+ hours in the air. I called them "Academy Award" flights because I could catch up on all five Best Picture nominees (when there were five, not ten) on the same flight. Unless I took a bathroom break.
And the song is, of course, based on the movie by the great Val Lewton, which is based on Jane Eyre, which I suppose is the ultimate going-mad-in-a-confined-space story ...
I was wondering how you could see what the other man had that you don’t (hint: your being a Jewish male), unless he unzipped outside. I also wondered what difference it made in the restroom. Then, you said “shoes.” ;-)
Seriously, at our ages (I’m 70), it’s not safe to fly in such cramped conditions on such a long flight, because of potential blood clots. When my husband and I went from LAX nonstop to the UK this year, we budgeted to fly business class. It was well worth it.
Time spent on a plane, hmmmm. I thought back on the time that I sat on a flight bound for Europe, at the gate for three hours, at Washington Dulles. (they pulled out and de-iced the wings twice.) So a flight that should’ve taken about seven hours ended up taking about 10 1/2 hours.
When I was in grad school for my library degree at University of Hawai'i in Honolulu, I saw an e-mail about a spring study abroad program in Australia. Was it in any way related to my degree? Heck no. Was it my best opportunity to get to visit Australia at (relatively) low cost via a (relatively) short flight? Heck yes. It was an amazing trip - I learned a lot about the impacts of tourism on fragile ecosystems, heard about the Indigenous culture from elder Aboriginals, and saw manta rays while SCUBA dive on the Great Barrier Reef. It was still something like 12 hours in the air to get there, but considering I was already in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it was actually quite a bit less than from anywhere else I've lived.
I had to check the website I made about our trip to Japan to figure out how long our flight was (San Francisco to Osaka, 13 hours). This was in 2004, and we had a much pleasanter experience than Gene, as I recounted at http://ssbarnhill.com/Japan/Itinerary/Day2.htm. When we flew to London in 2008, I wrote, "The flight departed about an hour late and made up only a small fraction of that time in flight, arriving about 50 minutes behind schedule. The intervening eight hours were, let us say, not exactly an advertisement for international travel," concluding "All in all, not that bad an experience, but it did not compare favorably with our flight from San Francisco to Osaka."
Ahhh, memories of Dulles to Saigon via Korean Airlines. One really long flight followed by just a long flight. Eat, try to sleep, eat again, try to sleep again, play games on onboard screen, eat breakfast again...
So, you paid United over a grand each to put yourselves through hell. Assume by the time the first meal service made it back to you and Rachel, it was time for breakfast. Also assume another unfortunate was in the middle seat (?) Seems about right these days when our tax dollars are paying for us to get screwed by Demento and his Merry Band of Marauders. Here's a seat map of the "NightmareLiner" Much prefer the A350 (if available) for long-hauls. Btw --- if you plan to fly Turkish Airlines non-stop from Cape Town to Istanbul, you'll be on another 787 NightmareLiner. But then it'll only be for a little more than um...11 hours. Suggest you invest in one of those hospital urinal bottles for yourself and an Easywee or TinkleBelle for Rachel.
I have hated United ever since they offered lame excuses rather than return my money for a cancelled international flight during the pandemic. A formal complaint filed with the Dept. of Transportation did the trick though. That likely wouldn’t work anymore as DOGE has probably fired the DOT.
United’s seats must be designed to be uncomfortable. I have flown economy on Air France and they were much better.
Gene. Gene. Former airline supervisor here. 1) That's not water on the lav floor. 2) Don't walk on airliner carpeting in socks, or worse, barefoot. 🤢 🤮
Oh, I know it wasn't water. That is why I didn't go in. I was in socks.
I doubt I am the only one, but my feet swell up on flights until the shoe is cutting into the flesh. I wear nice clean socks and remove my shoes at the first opportunity. And if I get some pee on them... they wash.
Try compression socks.
That pee on your socks is also on your feet. Gross.
Compression socks are key. I wear them on any flight longer than an hour.
Huh. Shoes. I’d guessed a plunger.
I guessed toilet paper.
Toilet paper was a good guess. But no... the floor was bright with pee.
yuck
That might be even more plausible.
Exactly what was unusual about your flight?
In the late 70s, I had occasion to fly in and out of Moscow a few times. Unlike in the West, when people would applaud when they landed, people there would applaud when takeoff occurred.
Just like Cleveland.
Oh my God, you poor things. You have got to spring for economy plus, it doesn't sound like much but it makes a WORLD of difference.
As I found when we flew to Osaka.
I've taken that U.S.-South Africa flight several times, sometimes when it stretched to 16+ hours in the air. I called them "Academy Award" flights because I could catch up on all five Best Picture nominees (when there were five, not ten) on the same flight. Unless I took a bathroom break.
And the song is, of course, based on the movie by the great Val Lewton, which is based on Jane Eyre, which I suppose is the ultimate going-mad-in-a-confined-space story ...
I was wondering how you could see what the other man had that you don’t (hint: your being a Jewish male), unless he unzipped outside. I also wondered what difference it made in the restroom. Then, you said “shoes.” ;-)
Seriously, at our ages (I’m 70), it’s not safe to fly in such cramped conditions on such a long flight, because of potential blood clots. When my husband and I went from LAX nonstop to the UK this year, we budgeted to fly business class. It was well worth it.
Time spent on a plane, hmmmm. I thought back on the time that I sat on a flight bound for Europe, at the gate for three hours, at Washington Dulles. (they pulled out and de-iced the wings twice.) So a flight that should’ve taken about seven hours ended up taking about 10 1/2 hours.
When I was in grad school for my library degree at University of Hawai'i in Honolulu, I saw an e-mail about a spring study abroad program in Australia. Was it in any way related to my degree? Heck no. Was it my best opportunity to get to visit Australia at (relatively) low cost via a (relatively) short flight? Heck yes. It was an amazing trip - I learned a lot about the impacts of tourism on fragile ecosystems, heard about the Indigenous culture from elder Aboriginals, and saw manta rays while SCUBA dive on the Great Barrier Reef. It was still something like 12 hours in the air to get there, but considering I was already in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it was actually quite a bit less than from anywhere else I've lived.
San Francisco nonstop to Melbourne Australia — almost 16 hours. After an almost 6 hour IAD - SFO flight. With the layover, 24 hours. G’day, mate.
Key is to stop over in Hawaii for a night. Only way to make that slog.
I had to check the website I made about our trip to Japan to figure out how long our flight was (San Francisco to Osaka, 13 hours). This was in 2004, and we had a much pleasanter experience than Gene, as I recounted at http://ssbarnhill.com/Japan/Itinerary/Day2.htm. When we flew to London in 2008, I wrote, "The flight departed about an hour late and made up only a small fraction of that time in flight, arriving about 50 minutes behind schedule. The intervening eight hours were, let us say, not exactly an advertisement for international travel," concluding "All in all, not that bad an experience, but it did not compare favorably with our flight from San Francisco to Osaka."
Ahhh, memories of Dulles to Saigon via Korean Airlines. One really long flight followed by just a long flight. Eat, try to sleep, eat again, try to sleep again, play games on onboard screen, eat breakfast again...
So, you paid United over a grand each to put yourselves through hell. Assume by the time the first meal service made it back to you and Rachel, it was time for breakfast. Also assume another unfortunate was in the middle seat (?) Seems about right these days when our tax dollars are paying for us to get screwed by Demento and his Merry Band of Marauders. Here's a seat map of the "NightmareLiner" Much prefer the A350 (if available) for long-hauls. Btw --- if you plan to fly Turkish Airlines non-stop from Cape Town to Istanbul, you'll be on another 787 NightmareLiner. But then it'll only be for a little more than um...11 hours. Suggest you invest in one of those hospital urinal bottles for yourself and an Easywee or TinkleBelle for Rachel.
https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/company/aircraft/boeing-787-9-dreamliner.html
I hate airlines.
I have hated United ever since they offered lame excuses rather than return my money for a cancelled international flight during the pandemic. A formal complaint filed with the Dept. of Transportation did the trick though. That likely wouldn’t work anymore as DOGE has probably fired the DOT.
United’s seats must be designed to be uncomfortable. I have flown economy on Air France and they were much better.