La Salle Explorers

[eCat]

" I need to be no more than 20 minutes away from civilization."

I assume by civilization you mean Costco...

pretty much, although Bluefield did manage to have a Sam's club, so that why it rates higher than the other cities around there

[eCat]

on other thing, driving on route 612 between Fayetteville and Charleston, I came across the New River Company Oakwood Store.

An old Coal company store. Its abandoned but that's a piece of history that probably doesn't have very good impressions of it. I wish I had time to go to Matewan.

I was also on the Blue Ridge Parkway quite a bit. It has some beautiful spots. I had to stop in 2 spots and clear fallen branches off of it. I guess people were using it much on a cold Sunday in November

[sardis]

That area of the country is naturally beautiful, but the area is so depressed that it is even depressing just to visit. My son went 3 semesters at a university in Beckley and I drive up I-77 and rte 19 to visit back to PA twice a year. I've stayed in Bluefield, Beckley, Charleston, Wheeling, Morganton. It's just always gray and the 40 year olds look 70.

[sardis]

Fayetteville, along the New River, near the bridge would be the one place that I could possibly see myself living, but no desire elswhere.

[eCat]

maybe if I had a spot with a few acres, a view of a valley below me I would like it but its tough living out there for sure.

[hedge]

Fayetteville, along the New River, near the bridge would be the one place that I could possibly see myself living

[eCat]

SERPINTINE!

[eCat]

my wife is flying Allegiant air today against my warning a few weeks ago she'd regret it.

It might work out. I will not fly a budget airline.

She told me last night they want $5 to print out a boarding pass

[sardis]

I flew Spirit Airlines to Florida last month and it wasn't until I checked-in that I was to pay $62 per carry on each way....

[sardis]

But, then again, I flew American this past weekend and was dealing with delays. Seemed every AA flight was delayed.

[aTm]

I don’t know if or how the really small budget airlines actually make money, but you couldn’t pay me to fly on one. Air travel industry has essentially become a loss leader. Every major airline loses money flying and maintaining the airplanes. “Airlines” are essentially banks. The frequent flyer programs and card programs etc are worth billions of dollars and each flight and normal paying customer they have is a net loss, basically just continued as something they have to do to keep the frequent flyer program going. Maybe the little guys make money hand over fist, but the idea of flying an airline that might be cutting corners on maintenance to stay afloat. Then again I’m probably giving the big airlines too much credit.

[hedge]

"Then again I’m probably giving the big airlines too much credit."

I don't think so. Budget airlines really do suck...

[eCat]

she texted me 5 minutes ago she landed.

so the trip down was painless anyways.

[Jungle Rat]

But where did she land?

[innocentbystander]

and another fight



it appears that a woman fell overboard and died. coast guard recovered the body and they found physical damage to her body (not just drowning) and the cops went onboard the ship to investigate. but because the cops did that, people were not permitted to disembark, and a fight ensues

[innocentbystander]

I don’t know if or how the really small budget airlines actually make money, but you couldn’t pay me to fly on one. Air travel industry has essentially become a loss leader. Every major airline loses money flying and maintaining the airplanes. “Airlines” are essentially banks. The frequent flyer programs and card programs etc are worth billions of dollars and each flight and normal paying customer they have is a net loss, basically just continued as something they have to do to keep the frequent flyer program going. Maybe the little guys make money hand over fist, but the idea of flying an airline that might be cutting corners on maintenance to stay afloat. Then again I’m probably giving the big airlines too much credit.

The First Officer is paid like, $21,500 a year (or whatever) on Spirit and other bullshit airlines. You take a job with them when you are like a 22 year old pilot with almost no commercial flight hours. Southwest would never hire you and United/Delta/American wouldn't even look at your resume.

20 year old flight attendants on these horseshit airlines make $13/hour or whatever. When Skybus operated out of Columbus Ohio, flight attendant position paid $9.50/hour (base) plus "commission" for in-flight make up and perfume sales. It appears that airline. in-flight personnel were sales people and the plane operated partially as retail.

Gate agents, minimum wage. Ramp agents, minimum wage. Ops agents, minimum wage. They bolt the instant a real airline is hiring.

The discount airline is how newbie flight crews pay their dues in the industry until they can bolt for a real airline (which is what happened in 2021 with all the Spirit Cancellations.) The "lie" that the discount airline says for flight cancellations is mechanical issues. The "truth" is that there is no crew to staff the plane, no airport staff in logistics to get people on and off at the gate, or both.

[Jungle Rat]

I wish you would fall overboard. Off a plane.

[hedge]

[Jungle Rat]

[hedge]

Now if they'd just learn how to pronounce Beaufort...