United cancelled evening before trip

[Philip Glass]

This, but the little guy has no recourse and they never suffer any consequences.

I only had one setback with United which resulted in an extra hunting day when they reduced their number of flights. Other than that it was smooth and pleasurable. That said I can't ignore the many troubles since my time with them in Sep.

So the question is, who would I fly with next time? Delta is expensive. Qatar is mentioned often but unless you can afford business class it's a long trip in those tiny seats. Ethiopian I'm not sold on.

The Qatar routes are really not that much longer depending on where you are going. Their coach is very good and you don’t need a hotel night in JNB to make connections. I look at all options annually but I’m not seeing anyone getting my business at this point but Qatar. Delta is too high and unreliable and United well they have really stepped in it now!
PG

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

I am waiting on US 188 now. So far no big issues other than when landed in Newark sat on tarmac for about 45 min. Waiting on an open gate to dock at. As of now 188 is on schedule. We will see how that flight goes. I will say Polaris Lounge is fairly nice.
Not as good as Qatar’s tho.

 

[mdwest]

Definitely like the Polaris Lounge in Newark (its about the only thing I like in Newark lol...)..

Glad to hear you are on your way Mark!

Stay away from the bushbuck! I dont need to hear any excuses from @Bos en Dal SAFARIS in July when they tell me "sorry.. Mark took all of them!"

 

[geoff rath]

A couple of incidents over the years; flying out of Darwin, Australia, bound for Townsville, my late darling Mother and I were loaded and a third of the way down the runway with a storm approaching when I saw the lightning strike hit ground out of my window, we could feel the pilot push the throttles to the stops. my sister and husband, on a following flight were grounded for four hours ... Trying to fly out of Sydney, en route to Jo-burg we were refused permission to board because our luggage, with ammo properly packed, could not be transitted across the hardstand from our inbound domestic flight into Sydney. Had to overnight in Sydney before flying out the next day. Disrupted some activities in Afrika.
It could have got worse, a passenger in front of me fell ill (food poisoning, and she new it). with the help of a Doctor and his Nurse Lady wife (Passengers) the ill woman was stabilised with oxygen. Chief purser told me that considerations were given to land in Adelaide, or Perth if necessary/essential. All the "bottled" oxygen supplies were exhausted, and tapping into on-board supply was considered. That's a $100,000+ cost that passenger would have had to bear.
Interesting times ...

 

[CJW]

The Qatar routes are really not that much longer depending on where you are going. Their coach is very good and you don’t need a hotel night in JNB to make connections. I look at all options annually but I’m not seeing anyone getting my business at this point but Qatar. Delta is too high and unreliable and United well they have really stepped in it now!
PG

Roughly an extra 8 hours seat time from Chicago to Windhoek with only 2 hours inbetween 13.5 and 8.5 hour legs to get to JoBurg. Not a big deal for most but at 6'2" and hips and back that don't like long periods of sitting, that's quite a bit. Gracy got me premium plus on United and it was great for me. Prices for economy and business class on Qatar had doubled since my trip last Sep.

I wish you could try out airline seats before you put money down.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Roughly an extra 8 hours seat time from Chicago to Windhoek with only 2 hours inbetween 13.5 and 8.5 hour legs to get to JoBurg. Not a big deal for most but at 6'2" and hips and back that don't like long periods of sitting, that's quite a bit. Gracy got me premium plus on United and it was great for me. Prices for economy and business class on Qatar had doubled since my trip last Sep.

I wish you could try out airline seats before you put money down.

Wish Elon Musk would design a "transporter" like on Star Trek, so we could be "beamed up" to Africa instead of spending a good portion of our lives getting there! LOL

 

[CJW]

Wish Elon Musk would design a "transporter" like on Star Trek, so we could be "beamed up" to Africa instead of spending a good portion of our lives getting there! LOL

It's not even the time for me but the greedy small seats, no leg room and increased prices we're seeing. Maybe the Qatar seats are much better than other economy seating, but having not sat in them myself I can't say one way or the other.

 

[CoElkHunter]

I just Googled this. At 68F in dry air, the speed of sound is about 767mph. So why are we flying at an average of 460-575mph in a commercial aircraft? And that 575mph seems high? We have bullet trains and cruise ships that hold more passengers and move faster than ever and we're creeping along in the sky. I don't want to hear about fuel economy or any other BS excuses. New engine designs using higher performance fuel (jet fuel/kerosene has been used since WW2!) have to be found. Maybe compressed oxygen like in our rockets? Bring back a high passenger capacity SST using oxygen fueled engines! LOL

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Definitely like the Polaris Lounge in Newark (its about the only thing I like in Newark lol...)..

Glad to hear you are on your way Mark!

Stay away from the bushbuck! I dont need to hear any excuses from @Bos en Dal SAFARIS in July when they tell me "sorry.. Mark took all of them!"

Don’t worry about the bushbuck around main camp
We are headed into Limpopo for them and waterbuck I hear

 

[Hombre]

I guess what's stuck in my craw the most is I bought the Premium Plus in January and they bump me and I end up next to the toilets. I'm 6'2" and my wife has issues so the flight is getting pretty hard to handle hence the better seats. If I ran a business like that, I'd be out of business before the water got hot.
Africa has been my mistress since 1988 so you put up with a lot to see her again. There's no fool like an old fool.

 

[wesheltonj]

Years ago, I used to live with a girl that worked for AA and then SABRE. Weather is an excuse not to pay compensation for delay or cancellation.

That said, DFW will shut down with a lighting strike anywhere near there. I guess when you crash a plane on approach from wind shear, the tower gets more conservative.

 

[Hogpatrol]

I just Googled this. At 68F in dry air, the speed of sound is about 767mph. So why are we flying at an average of 460-575mph in a commercial aircraft? And that 575mph seems high? We have bullet trains and cruise ships that hold more passengers and move faster than ever and we're creeping along in the sky. I don't want to hear about fuel economy or any other BS excuses. New engine designs using higher performance fuel (jet fuel/kerosene has been used since WW2!) have to be found. Maybe compressed oxygen like in our rockets? Bring back a high passenger capacity SST using oxygen fueled engines! LOL

Wind is your enemy and your friend. Air speed could be 100 mph and you could be going backwards. Over twenty years ago, a WW2 pilot friend of mine always wanted to go supersonic. He booked a one way ticket from NY to Paris, cost was $5000. Although there a few privately owned supersonic aircraft, there's a reason only governments fly them, fuel burn is off the scale.

 

[Philip Glass]

Roughly an extra 8 hours seat time from Chicago to Windhoek with only 2 hours inbetween 13.5 and 8.5 hour legs to get to JoBurg. Not a big deal for most but at 6'2" and hips and back that don't like long periods of sitting, that's quite a bit. Gracy got me premium plus on United and it was great for me. Prices for economy and business class on Qatar had doubled since my trip last Sep.

I wish you could try out airline seats before you put money down.

For my route of travel comparing, SJT-DFW-DOH-JNB and SJT-DFW-ATL-JNB, it is about 5 hours longer to go on Qatar but no hotel night.
I know what you mean about wanting to try an airline seat before hand. It is so hard these days to know what the experience will be like. I rely heavily on YouTube videos from other travelers to see what the seat and service are like on different airlines and seat types.
Philip

 

[Bullthrower338]

You ain't kiddin'. I circled Atlanta like a turkey buzzard for 70 minutes then the pilot says, "Atlanta is closed because of weather but we're low on fuel so we're landing in a closed airport...fasten your seat belts." I could literally see the runway from my side window we were crabbing into the wind so hard. The pilot snapped it straight and landed without much of a problem - everyone clapped.

Hell that sounds like a routine landing at Midland/Odessa in west Texas!

 

[revturbo9967]

For my route of travel comparing, SJT-DFW-DOH-JNB and SJT-DFW-ATL-JNB, it is about 5 hours longer to go on Qatar but no hotel night.
I know what you mean about wanting to try an airline seat before hand. It is so hard these days to know what the experience will be like. I rely heavily on YouTube videos from other travelers to see what the seat and service are like on different airlines and seat types.
Philip

My route will be a bit longer then that on Emirates but I think its the best route. I'm 2 hours from JFK but being advised not to fly out of there with firearm's. I will need to fly to Atlanta or Detroit then back to JFK then to Dubai then Harare. its a big jump around but not a terrible run.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Well? On UA188 right now Polaris seat. All I will say is it not even close to Qatar!
I will go back to Qatar after this trip (if not sooner for return!) Newark was a cluster mess on departure. Has me worried how return will be.

 

[BRICKBURN]

You’re headed to Africa. Enjoy.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

You’re headed to Africa. Enjoy.

That’s the bright side!!
All that makes it worth it.

 

[Areaonereal]

I flew United Polaris in March from Ord to Jnb. My reservations were cancelled twice 6 weeks before departure. UA188 attendants in Polaris over and return…pathetic, MIA after takeoff except for the meal which was in itself a Cluster F. Polaris comfort….like lying in a coffin. Never again. Returning thru Newark with a firearm…great service from Customs with no issues and very timely. Just tell the Customs agent when clearing customs that you have a firearm to secure. Was hand held from there to transfer to next flight.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

I flew United Polaris in March from Ord to Jnb. My reservations were cancelled twice 6 weeks before departure. UA188 attendants in Polaris over and return…pathetic, MIA after takeoff except for the meal which was in itself a Cluster F. Polaris comfort….like lying in a coffin. Never again. Returning thru Newark with a firearm…great service from Customs with no issues and very timely. Just tell the Customs agent when clearing customs that you have a firearm to secure. Was hand held from there to transfer to next flight.

Nailed it on flight. Same for me !