Air Rage - Don't Loose Your Cool

Who knows if there will be another air rage story by the time this posts but the latest was another ridiculous explosion of bad behavior, this time on the part of the air passengers. When I saw the latest incident with the brawl in the Ft. Lauderdale airport over Spirit Airlines cancellations of flights, I joked that it was tough for all those cruise passengers to leave their ship and hit reality again. But really, when you have made plans and they all of a sudden go bad to worst it gets frustrating. There's no reason to lose your cool though.

Instead of starting a fight, put that energy into alternative planning. There is always a way around a problem even when it seems out of your control. Take a deep breath and think. It may cost you some extra money and/or time which may not seem fair but getting to your destination whether home or somewhere else will give you a few degrees of separation from the event and certainly a cooler head to go about finding compensation for your inconvenience or problem.

Hopefully airlines will ease off on their overbooking after some of the recent bad customer experiences but there are also a few things we as passengers can do as well. First of all arrive at the airport early enough so that you are not rushing through security. It's not a fun experience. I get that. But be prepared for it and don't get there so late that if there is a line you aren't tapping your foot and making your blood pressure soar. Having time for a cup of coffee or a perusal of the airport's venues will put you in a better mood for the next hassle--boarding.

Most airlines order their boarding either by customer priority or by seating arrangements. The most organized is when they board from the rear of the plane to the front and/or the two inside seats first then the aisle seats. Unfortunately everyone feels they are owed priority with their loyalty points and they jostle for position in the lines that are assigned them. It is laughable that the first two lines to board are getting longer and longer as loyalty points are liberally handed out.

Of course if you are among the last to board, you may lose opportunity to put your luggage in the overhead. No one wants to be asked to check luggage that has valuables in it. That's why I always suggest trying to get your carry on down to one that will fit under the seat--just in case.

Now I know that airlines are charging more and more for checked luggage. Maybe if they would ease up on that some of the air rage might dissipate. That, less overbooking and a little more knee room might make flying a bit more fun and less of a hassle. All I can say is thank goodness they don't allow guns on planes. There's enough blood shed in the road rage incidents.