United Airlines used that slogan from 1965 to 1996 then dropped it. I think air travel was starting to lose its luster around then for numerous reasons hence goodby friendly skies.
The days of efficiency and warmth at United Airlines and their competitors are long gone in the 21st Century. Air travel has turned into a hellscape for travelers.
Pandemic mask regulations turned air travel into a nightmare for passengers with people freaking out about wearing their masks and causing flights to be sidetracked. Assaults have become commonplace in the last two years.
This July 4th weekend travelers are watching their flights vanish in a chaos of cancellations because the airlines can't handle the massive demand. There are not enough pilots, air traffic controllers, steward and stewardess, ground crews, and on and on.
More than 1,500 flights in the US were cancelled yesterday and many more cancellations are expected this weekend.
This chaos can be blamed on the pandemic. Airlines were downsizing due to lack of customers, and they were encouraging pilots to take early retirements. Apparently, no one planned for the day the pandemic was no longer an issue and customers would return.
You don't want to be in an airport anywhere in the country today. There's a lot of pissed off people who spent significant amounts of money for their first weekend escape in two years who are watching their plans collapse in crowded airports.
All but two of the 13 major airlines have higher cancellation rates this year compared to pre-pandemic averages in the same time period between 2017 and 2019.
On one hand I get it. People want to travel. But it seems to me the odds of flying are a risky proposition this year. Turn on the news for confirmation. I'm just saying there's other methods of travel.
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