Flying isn't all about getting there, it is about who you meet

[Guest John_Cillis]

I thought this was very interesting: -John

https://www.sunnyskyz.com/happy-videos/6870/Traveling-Can-Be-Lonely-So-JetBlue-Asks-People-To-Dine-With-A-Stranger

 

[Jim Young]

Not sure if I care for that idea.  "Hi!  I'm lonely.  Can I dine with you?"  "Uh, no.  I'm not lonely".  Jet Blue must have seen a market there though so, if it makes the airline become the number one airline in the world, then the marketing was successful.  Some people just want to be left alone while they travel!

[mabe54]

It is ironic that the people (in general) responsible for destroying the social fabric of the planet it is now proposing new ideas to rebuild it all back but under their own insane imagination for profit.

Not even funny.

Cheers,

 

  

[Captain Kevin]

I personally don't like the idea for the simple fact that you really don't know what the other person's schedule is like. Do they really have time to sit and chat, or are they just in and out. The last time I flew somewhere, I sat and ate at a restaurant, but I was also rushing to get it done as quick as could, so I scarfed down my food and got out of there pretty quick.

[birdguy]

Since I don't fly commercial anymore I go by train.  I'm an Amtrak fan and one of the perks is the dining car where you are seated at a table of  strangers.  I find it very fascinating. 

I just despise the airport experience where you are processed into something like the federal prison system and herded into a tiny seat in a toothpaste tube for a couple of hours and when they take the cap off  the tube and squeeze you all out you are somewhere else that looks exactly like the place where they put you in.

Over the past couple of years travelling by rail I have shared meals with an old Marine veteran of Iwo Jima travelling with his son.  I met a diver who repairs underwater oil pipelines.  A British couple where the husband was a retired Land Rover engineer.  On my last trip I met an American woman and her young son who live in England.  She's an author of children's books.  And on the same trip an older couple from Sweden.

On an Amtrak trip from Los Angeles to San Diego last year I struck up a conversation with my seat-mate who was a school teacher on her way to San Diego to help her daughter furnish an apartment.

Based on my Amtrak dining car experiences I think it's a wonderful idea to pair up people who don't know each other for breakfast or lunch or dinner.

And the same thing happens in the lounge car.  You view the passing scenery through those big windows, sipping a beer and munching a bag of pretzels and striking up a conversation with the person in the next seat.

You learn so much about average people who just happen to live in a different place and/or do something different.    

You old timers might remember the old saying, 'getting there is half the fun'.  And it was in the old propliners where you were served complimentary meals and had a choice of chicken or steak.  That experience is still alive on Amtrak and one of the best parts is meeting new people from far away places.

Last August my youngest daughter took me to San Francisco for a father-daughter week-end.  She flew out from Denver and took the train out from Albuquerque.  But when our weekend was over I had to fly back to Denver with her to spend a day with my son-in-law and my grandson.  I did not enjoy either the airport experience or even the flight itself.  

I think train people are friendlier than airplane people.  They're not in such a big hurry.  It's an environment where you can relax, let go, and be friendly. 

Noel

[Penzoil3]

If you have an Amtrak station. Must be nice. The only thing near Phoenix is 50 miles away in the small town of Maricopa. State capital, and no Amtrak service !

Sue

[n4gix]

54 minutes ago, Penzoil3 said:

If you have an Amtrak station. Must be nice. The only thing near Phoenix is 50 miles away in the small town of Maricopa. State capital, and no Amtrak service !

Sue

That's the major problem with Amtrak. The train stations are dictated by the freight system, so are frequently forced to be located in weird locations. Aside from the eastern coastal corridor, and the western coastal corridor, much of the rest of the country is poorly served by Amtrak.

As another example, the Amtrak station for Gainesville, Florida (with it's 100k plus students at UoF) is located in Waldo, Florida, which is a tiny, unremarkable 'town' of 1,500, some 20 odd miles northeast of Gainesville. The station has no public phones, there's no taxi service, and the train typically arrives long after dark. If you haven't made prior arrangements, you are simply SOL.

Worse still, service for Charlotte, NC is non-existent for all practical purposes, since the closest stop is over 40 miles away in yet another tiny, sleep 'town' with miniscule population and just as few amenities as the one in Waldo, Florida.

[n4gix]

20 hours ago, Jim Young said:

Not sure if I care for that idea.  "Hi!  I'm lonely.  Can I dine with you?"  "Uh, no.  I'm not lonely".  Jet Blue must have seen a market there though so, if it makes the airline become the number one airline in the world, then the marketing was successful.  Some people just want to be left alone while they travel!

Y'all are missing a critical point in this JetBlue experience. First of all, it was a one-off event and was done primarily so they could film the video. Secondly, everyone involved was fully informed of the design and purpose of the experience before entering the scene. It's a given that they had to sign releases to appear in the video, although not explicated in the video itself.

Every Veteran's Day I enjoy a complimentary meal served at one of several local restaurants in the area. I make it a point when being seated to mention that I'm willing and anxious to share my table with any other veterans who are waiting in line! Every time I have shared a table has been a very interesting experience, as all parties made their own decision to take part.

I've made several close friends over the years this way...

[scottb613]

20 minutes ago, n4gix said:

That's the major problem with Amtrak. The train stations are dictated by the freight system, so are frequently forced to be located in weird locations. Aside from the eastern coastal corridor, and the western coastal corridor, much of the rest of the country is poorly served by Amtrak.

As another example, the Amtrak station for Gainesville, Florida (with it's 100k plus students at UoF) is located in Waldo, Florida, which is a tiny, unremarkable 'town' of 1,500, some 20 odd miles northeast of Gainesville. The station has no public phones, there's no taxi service, and the train typically arrives long after dark. If you haven't made prior arrangements, you are simply SOL.

Worse still, service for Charlotte, NC is non-existent for all practical purposes, since the closest stop is over 40 miles away in yet another tiny, sleep 'town' with miniscule population and just as few amenities as the one in Waldo, Florida.

Hi Folks,

Yeah - Amtrak is in a no win situation but they're their own worst enemies too... My parents just took it from FL to NY a couple weeks ago - both directions - with more than 10 hours worth of delays total... That said - they had no food except a limited microwave menu - and out of the six items on the menu - four were out of stock... The heads were mostly backed up and overflowing - then closed... Amtrak for them - never again...

It's a shame - used to ride the Acela between NYC and BOS a few years back - the upgrade to first class was reasonable - around $75.00 IIRC - and included a good meal on real plates with free drinks - well worth the $75 in my book... That was a pleasant experience overall...

Regards,
Scott 

[mabe54]

Back in 77 I bought a ticket with Amtrak from LA to Albany,NY. Best movie I ever saw and I was in it to top all up. It was closed to Christmas and yes we got stuck in PA for ten hours but who cares I was young and there in front of me it was life. Met people galore. The honest and the shaby. Meals and drinks were plentiful and the real deal (no first class either just pay on the go). Roast beef and the works anyone? Best traveling training program I ever took and would serve me well later in life.  

The ticket allowed me to hop and transfer to any Amtrak for two weeks. But, I had a purpose and destination to fulfilled and memories of that trip to this day.

Cheers,

 

[birdguy]

Sue & Fr Bill - Lack of Amtrak service is a problem since the routes are limited.  My closest Amtrak station is 200 miles away in Albuquerque.  I rent a car for a one way trip and drop it at the airport and then take a taxi to the Amtrak station.

Until a couple years ago we had the same problem with airline service.  None served Roswell..  The only public transportation was Greyhound which meant a 6 hour layover in Amarillo and then arriving in Albuquerque after midnight.

We now have air service to Dallas, but it's expensive...350 dollars one way.

You have a good point Scott.  I expect delays when riding Amtrak.  About have the trains I have taken have arrived late.  I plan for that.  I never make same day connections.  If I am going to Charleston to visit my grand daughter I have to connect in both Chicago and Washington.  I stay overnight in both cities and enjoy the restaurants.

I tell people who ask me about travel on Amtrak not to do it if you are on a tight schedule.

But, I have the time.  I enjoy the ride and the meals and the people I meet...full menus on long distance trains.  I wouldn't travel any other way unless I have no choice.

Noel  

 

[Guest John_Cillis]

3 hours ago, Penzoil3 said:

If you have an Amtrak station. Must be nice. The only thing near Phoenix is 50 miles away in the small town of Maricopa. State capital, and no Amtrak service !

Sue

Yes,

I live in Phoenix and I thought it was pretty sad when they dropped the Amtrak service, and Maricopa is quite out of the way, a good hour from Phoenix, not to mention the fifteen minute ride thru the town to the station.  Maricopa became quite the ghost town during the housing crisis, they built many homes with no one to buy them once the market collapsed, but it is now recovering nicely in the Phoenix metro area.   Phoenix has plenty of air service though with a fantastic centrally located airport with nice terminals, especially terminal four with its landside shopping mall.

When I flew to Europe in May of last year I was able to take the British Airways non-stop to Heathrow and back, which although a long dragged out flight was quite convenient, without the worry of having to change planes or worry about a tight connections somewhere.  In 1982 I had to fly to Europe on TWA via Frankfurt and our flight was delayed.  They had to hold the connecting flight at JFK after it had left the gate with stand-bys that had taken our place. 

They forced the stand-bys off and put us on, but we had to run the gauntlet of them and the scowling passengers who were none too happy that about a dozen of us incomings from San Francisco had caused the flight delay (caused by ATC/traffic delays).  We made it on the aircraft, but our luggage did not and TWA had to ship it once it arrived in Frankfurt the next day down to Baden-Baden where we were then staying.  I was quite happy to reunited with my luggage, but hated that connecting flight, the only time I ever flew transatlantic without a window seat and it was about the dullest experience one could imagine.  Fortunately the German man next to me was a good conversationalist and spoke to me in German and some English during the flight.

John

[Jim Young]

2 hours ago, n4gix said:

Every Veteran's Day I enjoy a complimentary meal served at one of several local restaurants in the area. I make it a point when being seated to mention that I'm willing and anxious to share my table with any other veterans who are waiting in line! Every time I have shared a table has been a very interesting experience, as all parties made their own decision to take part.

I've made several close friends over the years this way...

I have done the same.  Veteran's Day and Jet Blue experience is not the same thing.  I think you missed MY points.