Friday, March 13, 2015

Untied Airlines: Smashing Guitars Is Just For Starters

United is "outsourcing" its baggage handling operations at a lot of airports. Which means that your luggage will soon be tossed across the tarmac by workers who weren't able to get a job at Walmart or Micky D's.

So besides the surly gate agents, flight attendants and copilots on those RJs who make a skosh over minimum wage, now the people who you're trusting to handle your stuff are also going to be among the lowest paid workers. The pilots and FAs have signed up for the "glamor", but who the hell signs up for the glamor of being a ramp rat?

You know that those low-pay baggage-smashers are also going to have safety gear and ramp equipment that are the cheapest pieces of shit available.

If you have to fly on a Untidy flight, you might consider shipping your stuff ahead.

(Or flying on Southwest, renting a car, or just staying home.)

5 comments:

  1. Since my first commercial flight experience in the 60's it seems the airlines have gone out of their way to make flying more and more tedious. They seemed to have really stepped up the pace in the last 15 years. We are to the point if you can't drive or go Soutwest we aren't going. I will miss the Caribbean.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I flew Space-A on a C130 once while I was a young enlisted pup. The jump seat may not have been very comfortable, but the flight crew and the price couldn't be beat. I think I'll have to check out the local base for Space-A flights if I ever want to go anywhere by air again - the seating will be just as comfortable at the commercial airlines, and I won't have to put up with missing luggage since it will be strapped to the deck with the rest of the cargo in front of me.

    ReplyDelete
  3. A ramp rat can make a lot more than minimum wage if he's a part of the undocumented pharmaceutical & firearms logistic network. Google 'baggage handler smuggling' for a sample.

    Al_in_Ottawa

    ReplyDelete
  4. Just think, it wasn't that long ago that if one was employed by a major airline (didn't have to be in the cockpit or a flight attendant) it was a living wage with good benefits and that old dinosaur "retirement." You gotta admire this new and efficient economy we have.

    ReplyDelete
  5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo&list=FL_LJVlulDmu7LUlgpP3XzeQ&index=103

    Dave Carroll's ordeal with United.

    ReplyDelete

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