Andy And The Airlines

(CBS)  This segment was first broadcast on April 20, 2008.

The following is a weekly 60 Minutes commentary by CBS News correspondent Andy Rooney.

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I'd like to mount a campaign to encourage people not to go anywhere. Travel has become so expensive and unpleasant that it's hard to understand why people don't stay home.

Why are we crowding our highways and airports to get someplace else? Newspapers and magazines are filled with ads trying to get us to travel. They want us to go somewhere - anywhere but home.

Here are a few sample air fares: New York to Los Angeles will cost you $882. If you'd also like room to put your feet somewhere, first class costs $2,473.

The fare for a flight from New York to Chicago is $114 - unless you're in a hurry and want to go the next day, in which case it'll cost you $349.

People look forward to going away but there is nothing enjoyable about going to an airport, waiting for a flight and then squeezing into a seat half as big as you are. Then you wait another half an hour on the runway in order to arrive at your destination 45 minutes after the scheduled time - if you're lucky.

Why don't airlines smarten up? They're almost always late according to their own schedules. If they can't get their on time, they should change their schedules. They could add an hour or so to all their scheduled flight times and we'd all feel good about getting there 15 minutes early instead of an hour late.

Out on the runway, they don't ever tell us what the hell we're waiting for. We sit there worrying about what's wrong with the engine, or maybe we think the co-pilot noticed a small crack in one of the wings. Only the pilot knows why you aren't taking off and of course he won't tell. It may just be that he and the co-pilot are having lunch.

I like to get up and walk around when I fly but they've made the aisles narrower to get more seats in so they don't want you to move around anymore. And there isn't room for two people to pass anyway and the flight attendants aren't as thin as they used to be, either.

So my idea is this: let's make a statement to the airlines just to get their attention. We'll pick a week next year and we'll all agree not to go anywhere for seven days. At the end of the week, we'll check to see what the airlines' on time performance was.


Written By Andy Rooney
Written By Andy Rooney

[amtrakfan]

My husband and I recently took a delightful trip on Amtrak from NYC to Williamsburg, VA., a trip of 8 hours. The train was immaculately clean, conductor was very cordial and offered a smile, coach seats were big like in First Class on an airline so there was plenty of legroom, the aisle was wide enough for two people to pass and the cafe car had a wide selection of food and beverages. The train arrived in NY from Boston on time and got to Williamsburg, Virginia on time. Once in Williamsburg, we took advantage of the free shuttle busses included in our "Historic Triangle Pass" and visited the historic district, Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Battlefield. We used the excellent clean public bus to get to Busch Gardens for only $1.50 round trip. This great stress-free and car-free week illustrates that with some research and planning, you can totally avoid the rudeness that has become the "new norm" of air travel. We are already planning our next Amtrak adventure and hope to totally avoid flying for the forseeable future. Come along for the ride !!!

[messiahx4eve]

I know what Mr. Rooney wears on his troubled flights, depends. Length of flight, duration of flight, and lay overs too. The answer is this grandpa, our technology has removed the fun factor and replaced it with GREED, its not ever going to be about service any more, its not about truth or justice, its about M$O$N$E$Y!!!!!!

[boydms]

Mr. Rooney,

I would like to add to the Captain''s comments. My husband is an airline pilot and would like nothing better than the public to take a week off to send a message to airline management. I can assure you, the delay is not because of chatting in the cockpit or lunch, since most of the time he doesn''t even get his meals. You really should research your comments in this ever changing economy and world. You might recall Eastern Airlines?

[boydms]

Mr. Rooney,

I would like to add to the Captain''s comments. My husband is an airline pilot and would like nothing better than the public to take a week off to send a message to airline management. I can assure you, the delay is not because of chatting in the cockpit or lunch, since most of the time he doesn''t even get his meals. You really should research your comments in this ever changing economy and world. You might recall Eastern Airlines?

[rjcaptain1]

Mr. Rooney,

I have had in the past a great deal of respect for you and your opinion. That ended with this commentary. I am a Pilot with the airlines and was hoping that you would be a voice of sanity amongst the media, who often oversimplify. You complain about airport delays and yet I tend to be that you would rally against closing New York''s La Guardia airport but not its expansion. Yes, the airlines are to blame for controllable delays such as lack of staffing, however it is my experience that the majority of delays I personally experience are due to air traffic control. Why in an age of GPS navigation are we in aviation hamstrung and forced by the FAA to follow air routes designed in the 1950''s.

I find your comments about not being told about the cause of a delay in takeoff disturbing. I will admit that I have on occasion not informed the passengers as to the nature of a delay in a timely manner. However, did you ever stop to think that maybe as the Captain my delay in making a passenger announcement is not malice or lunch but rather ensuring that the aircraft I am about to fly is properly configured for flight. Perhaps my time is better spent on a taxiway ensuring wingtip clearance and complying with ATC instructions rather than chatting in the back.

I do agree we should all stay home for a week. Then maybe I can have a week without having someone verbally abuse me or my crew over delays which we cannot control.

[rushlimpdrug]

Ha, ha, ha, you be so funny Andy!

Yes, I believe you fly with the rest of economy class
when you fly.

Sure I believe you get crunched into those seats.

I believe you don''t fly first class or get private
flights anywhere.

I mean just looking at the cubicle you work in at CBS
demonstrates to me you are just an average Joe.

[onist_abe]

To all you people who disagree with a boycott, well then what the he11''s the answer?!
I am 6 foot tall and skinny and I have a problem fitting in the seats. And no, not just in regarding leg room.
On my last flight on United, I had to sit between two normal sized men. We were touching the WHOLE TIME. Now I am not homophobic, but i do not like rubbing against other men and I''m sure they do not like rubbing against me.
Additionally, Andy was right when he said we have less room. Yes he has gotten bigger, but we really do have less room on planes. Today if you want close to enough room to be comfortable for your hours long flight, you have to "upgrade" to "economy plus!" Give me a break.
If I pay over 500 dollars to go to Washington, don''t stick me in the back of the plane in a cramped seat and tell me I''m not good enough for "economy plus." I already feel like a second class citizen walking past the snobs in first class.
And if there are open seats in "economy plus" you damm well better let me sit in one of those open seats. Or I will never fly with your airline again, United.
Which is exactly what I am doing.
I''m behind a boycott 100% and anybody who says boycotts don''t work should take a look at how well they worked for the Civil Rights Movement.
All it takes is us making a small change to our oh so comfortable lives. Our soldiers die to give us these rights, the least we can do is use them. Last time I checked, we still have the right to assemble. You just tell us when, Andy.

[onist_abe]

To all you people who disagree, well then what the he11''s the answer?!
I am 6 foot tall and skinny and I have a problem fitting in the seats. And no, not just in regarding leg room.
On my last flight on United, I had to sit between two normal sized men. We were touching the WHOLE TIME. Now I am not homophobic, but i do not like rubbing against other men and I''m sure they do not like rubbing against me.
Additionally, Andy was right when he said we have less room. Yes he has gotten bigger, but we really do have less room on planes. Today if you want close to enough room to be comfortable for your hours long flight, you have to "upgrade" to "economy plus!" Give me a break.
If I pay over 500 dollars to go to Washington, don''t stick me in the back of the plane in a cramped seat and tell me I''m not good enough for "economy plus." I already feel like a second class citizen walking past the snobs in first class.
And if there are open seats in "economy plus" you damm well better let me sit in one of those open seats. Or I will never fly with your airline again, United.
Which is exactly what I am doing.
I''m behind a boycott 100% and anybody who says boycotts don''t work should take a look at how well they worked for the Civil Rights Movement.
All it takes is us making a small change to our oh so comfortable lives. Our soldiers die to give us these rights, the least we can do is use them. Last time I checked, we still have the right to assemble. You just tell us when, Andy.

[wolf887]

Andy,

You are correct. Flying is no fun.
I hate to fly now. You can''t walk around the aisles
must be in your seat at all times.
Bad food, small uncomfortable seats, constant delays.
ONLY FLY IF YOU HAVE TO.

[labourboss]

Taking a train is fine if you don''t have to be somewhere at a certain time. I was on one train trip from hell that was 9 hours late getting into Beaumont TX. When I woke up in New Orleans at 7 am I was still sitting there. They put me on a bus at noon and gave me a boxed lunch, and then the bus caught fire somewhere near Mobile. I arived in Jacksonville
12 Hrs.late. The return wan''t much better! As a beer truck got stuck on the tracks in Bay st. Louis and delayed us another 5 hours.As soon as we arrived in New Orleans I got a cab to the airport and took Southwest home. They got me there 15 minutes early.