Air Travel Hell - part 1, Istanbul to London

As I sit at the back of a tin can, arms pinned close to my body, knees actually a luxurious 4 inches from the non-reclined seat in front of me, I wonder once again why we accept this inhumane treatment from the airlines.  Are we cattle?  Would we accept this from any other of the “service” industries?  Why are the airlines the only industry in the word that doesn’t care about customer satisfaction?  So inconsequential is it to them that they add insult to injury by making us pay for this torture!  And pay and pay.  I’m waiting for them to charge for the toilets.

We had first class, business class and coach.  Now they have added “economy plus” for a mere $700 - $1400 more.  This buys you a little more leg room and the chance to be upgraded to business class.  I'm most sure but I think there are various class distinctions within Econ Plus.

This happened to us on our flight across the pond.  The only seats available when we booked the flight were “economy plus.”  Cost= $1400 for the two of us.  However, we were upgraded to club when we checked in.  This meant we got a bed!  A bed that lay flat!  With a pillow and a blanket!  I slept the entire way across from Denver to London.

No upgrade here on the return flight.  I tried to check in on-line but my booking reference number wouldn't work.  Probably because it was from 5 weeks before.  So anyway, we arrive at the airport in Istanbul and have to take what's available.  We did manage to snag 2 seats together, which is not longer a guarantee on British Air.

If you want to sit together, it may cost extra.  It says so right on their website.  Sure enough, there was a man trying to get another passenger to switch with him so he could sit with his wife and kids.  But the seat he was assigned was not as good as the stranger's seat next to his wife, so the stranger wouldn't give up his seat.  

In the world of Air Travel, it really is dog eat dog.