Comments on: Flying in 2022

By: Lydia Casaro

Lydia Casaro — Fri, 30 Dec 2022 16:14:08 +0000

I have a 1 acre property with airstrip access for sale. Perfect for a small plane!

By: Tod Davis

Tod Davis — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 20:56:18 +0000

Patrick, sorry if this comment/ question is somewhat unrelated.
I’m not sure if you would have heard about the Jetstar incident the other day. The flight from Melbourne to Bali was turned around not far from the destination because the airline apparently didn’t have permission to use the 787 for the flight.
Obviously there are rules in place and someone seriously stuffed up but why does the aircraft type matter with clearances etc? I’m not going off at Indonesia but just curious about the approval process etc and how it can go so wrong

By: Patrick

Patrick — Wed, 28 Dec 2022 00:31:53 +0000

In reply to Anand Kelkar.

And so, the clear question is, if nobody is working at these jobs, where did these people all go?

Are they sitting home playing video games and smoking weed? Did they find other, better jobs? Where are they?

Service workers have been always been an integral part of the workforce. If, in fact, this is a labor shortage issue, where has this sector been displaced to?

By: Anand Kelkar

Anand Kelkar — Tue, 27 Dec 2022 14:24:26 +0000

Patrick,

Normally your comments are really insightful and well thought out. Now I feel compelled to rant a bit because the whining presented here really needs some real world context. There are many reasons for the decline of service quality post Covid. The one you are missing is the plight of what I call the invisible workers. These are the people who stock the shelfs, drive the trucks, offloads bags, update all things in hotel rooms and many more for very little upside but simply a job to make ends meet. We are the lucky ones who get to do what we love and use air travel and hotels as part of the jobs or fun we do. The reality of the invisible workers is not that exciting. So when the labor market is strong they are the ones who leave for better opportunities and rightly so. So between the government help that is absolutely deserved, better potential wages somewhere else they have left their current jobs and moved in large numbers. Just look at the help wanted signs everywhere. Thus the lack of glass in your room.

The question you should be asking is how we create and support an environment where any work is valued, rewarding, pays fair wages and benefits so people feel pride in their work and thus do it the best way they can. The expectations we have from the world at the expense of suboptimal outcomes for others is not the path. Sorry for being all philosophical but wanted to give some additional context.

Regards,
Anand

By: Gail Fowler

Gail Fowler — Sun, 25 Dec 2022 14:48:10 +0000

I’m with you on this one…all the way. Merry Christmas, anyway. Your columns are always a good read. Thank you!

By: Paul S

Paul S — Sun, 18 Dec 2022 16:53:18 +0000

Unfortunately, your assessment is spot-on, Patrick, and not just for airlines. “We can’t offer (fill in blank) because of COVID” has become the excuse du jour, mainly because it sounds better than, “We’re trying to skimp on staffing and amenities, and we know you sheep will accept it.”

By: Patrick

Patrick — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 18:16:46 +0000

In reply to Mark R.. I’ve probably seen that film ten times. Recently I watched it again, for the first time in ages. This time I was a little disappointed. I don’t know that it’s aged well, and it kinda goes on forever. Certain scenes really lag.

By: Rod

Rod — Tue, 13 Dec 2022 16:53:13 +0000

Man, I just fly easyJet, the European low-cost carrier. Twice in the past three months, most recently a return flight to Tenerife (which, at ~4 hrs each way, is over half the time it takes to fly all the way to Montreal).
It’s absolutely no-frills: you just pack a sandwich & buy a drink on board.
But all four flights left on time & checking in & security were a breeze.
And flying is always fun; got photos of the PS10 Solar Power Plant, ships at sea & the Rock of Gibraltar.
Anecdotal, I know. But it was great.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PS10_solar_power_plant

By: Mark R.

Mark R. — Tue, 13 Dec 2022 15:14:28 +0000

This is a good time of year to watch Terry Gilliam’s “Brazil.” Speaking of declining customer service …

Peak everything is the real issue. Covid just accelerated it.

By: MWnyc

MWnyc — Tue, 13 Dec 2022 09:45:12 +0000

I suspect that, in a lot of these cases, when an airline or hotel or other service provide tells you that service is reduced “because of COVID,” what that really means is “We let go of or lost a lot of staff during COVID, and not enough of them have come back.”

So, for instance, your room is only cleaned every three days because the hotel doesn’t have enough housekeepers to clean the room every day.