Stranded at the Drive-In....

...branded a fool...

Okay, not really. But, for some reason, whenever I get stuck in an airport, that song from Grease seems to enter my head. So, here I sit. At Logan airport. At the tail end (80 minute delay for my return flight) of one of the worst travel days I have had in quite a while.

Ever wonder how we, as intelligent Americans, continually put our livelihood, schedules, trust, families, belongings, and lives in the hands of such an incredibly dysfunctional corporation as the Airline Industry? Flying out of a smaller airport, like the Greater Rochester International Airport (name is bigger than the building), you get a more intimate look at the inner workings of the airlines. As I sat this morning, watching, listening. I was amazed at the games played by the airline employees to try and adjust for the numerous cancelled and overbooked flights. Flight to Kennedy? Cancelled. LaGuardia? Cancelled. Philly? Cancelled. Dulles, by chance?? Nope. Cancelled. Lucky me, I'm going to Boston. We are just over sold, and waiting on a plane to arrive. Ever wonder where planes come from at 6am??

Games. Like a giant game of checkers. Move these bags here, because these 35 passengers won't need them until there. This will free up weight to allow this passenger to go here, as long as 4 booked passengers will agree to take a comp voucher, and fly a later flight. Move those passengers to the later flight, to allow these passengers from yesterdays cancelled flight to get home. Meanwhile, we all sit, with nary a single flight leaving the airport on schedule.

Don't get me wrong. I understand business. I understand budgets. I understand cost savings, fuel costs, etc, etc. I also realize the impact of weather (my current situation). The airlines are in trouble. I get that. But, back to my original question. Why, as intelligent Americans, do we continue to rely on such a "broken" business without demanding more?

If your car dealer delivered airline quality, you would find a new dealer. If your favorite restaurant delivered airline quality, you would find a new place to eat. But, with the airlines, we accept. We adapt our schedules to airline inadequacy. We don't plan on being on time. We don't plan on our luggage arriving. We don't plan on reliable information or service.

Does anyone else see anything wrong with this?

*This rant has been delivered to you by a tired, and disturbed traveler, wirelessly from the food-court at Logan Airport.