I DID mention there’s usually pallets of cargo in the center. But you can usually put your feet up on them… . .
Which probably means its been throughly kashered and thus since thats the higher bar its by default OK for halal as well. Either that or you may have a not so strict kosher superior giving your cert.
Some fish and other seafood are permitted under most interpretations of halal that are not permitted under the rules of kosher such as shrimp, prawns, crabs, etc. Even if its not the flesh of those animals themselves, in lots of “asian food” you find parts of them used as flavoring agents. There are other flavoring agents or processing ingredients which are OK for halal but no good for kosher.
Since processed food is a long supply chain business, inspection of every stage, ingredient and processing agent gets pretty involved. I’ve met a few rabbis with more frequent flyer miles than they will ever use who just go around the world inspecting companies which make these ingredients, agents or finished food product. You mentioned carmine, thats a good example since its derived from insects. None of the major kosher certifying agencies will allow that one.
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Not really an “airline” problem per se. Really whatever mode of transport is the cheapest will find ways to “cram them in.” In India, third class train travel is notoriously crowded. Back when the cheapest way to cross the Atlantic was by boat, most people traveled in crowded “steerage” berths. For most people, transportation is about “getting there” and not the voyage itself. So most people choose the cheapest conveyance possible. The combination of jet(or turboprop) aircraft (which are cheaper to maintain and can travel more miles in a day than piston engines) and the deregulation of the airline industry allowed/made them compete on price rather than ammenities, the race to the bottom of crowded seating was INEVITABLE.
It’s kind of annoying how you keep saying that “we” do these things while I’m telling you that I definitely don’t.
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It’s kind of annoying how you keep suggesting that business should cater to a market of one.
If there is enough demand, businesses will fill that demand. They have with first class, business class, and premium economy. The relative proportion of seats reflects demand.
It’s nice to hear that you are not complaining about airlines in this thread, though.
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Halal dietary restrictions are, in general, less restrictive than Kosher ones. Thus, Muslims can eat Kosher food but the reverse is not true.
I’ve been saying this for years. They could stack us up like cordwood on pallets and load us into cargo bays. No need for flight attendants, food, entertainment or even seats. Think of the savings!
Fedex could even offer a frequent flier program.
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Holy crud! You got neanderthal rant?! Awesomeness.
Spare nothing. Nothing!
FWIW Qatar Airways has kosher meals. The coach experience was comparable to that of Emirates and I am guessing the airfare would be the same or less (based on experience with both, although from the USA). However, unless and until they open the new airport in Doha, the layover isn’t so good (again, 1st world problem).
EDIT: I’ll also opine that unless the cabin crew just treat the passengers like shit, or routinely re-route the baggage to West Dakota, etc., that there isn’t a whole lot of difference between airlines when one sits in a coach seat on a long flight. I think one has to pony up for business or first class to see any real difference (hypothetical, as I’ve yet to do this myself).
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300 types of awful. I’m over 6’7" (and shockingly handsome) and flying commercial air sucks hard. Back in the days when I could fly military, even a cargo-strap seat on a (mostly) unheated roar-monster like a C-130 was more pleasant than today’s flying experience.
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Is it time to make this offensive comparison again yet?
Would that also include the forced unconsciousness at the press of a button, as per the movie? Because I’m not sure how that would sit with many folks.
Of course, if Ruby Rhod was on every flight, that might be somewhat different.
I’d love to know how I can get more (read: any) paid time off from my self-employed job and my adjunct teaching work so I can afford the extra 3-4 days it would take to travel overland round trip to see my parents, go to conferences, etc.
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I suffer from claustrophobia, enough that I always refuse to take the elevator if there’s any way to avoid it. This is (fortunately) not New York City, but at one point I routinely walked 16 floors rather than getting inside that little box.
I do fly, but I do a little bit of violence on myself each time. I also try to book seats in the front row or at the overwing exits. I do that partly because one of the things that’s really uncomfortable is the idea of being caught in the midst of a sea of people and not being able to do anything (if the plane is stuck on the runway for some technical reason, say, where it’s theoretically possible to be trapped for several hours); and partly, because the space available is a really big deal. By squeezing the seats that way they’re putting a lot more stress on the probably non-negligible subset of travellers who force themselves onboard in spite of claustrophobia.
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I don’t fly any more, but I learned to book right behind the bulkhead, as you get more leg room there. You lose the under-seat space for your carry-on since no one is in front, but it makes for a more peaceful and comfortable ride.
This new is pretty extreme, though. I’m betting they’re going to collect some headaches over this latest move to discriminate against. various passengers. Weight, width, height as dude above points out present new problems. Various disabilities? They gonna charge extra for those, too?
Nothing against short people - but, airlines are still considered a form of public transportation. Gonna be interesting to see whether they come up with accommodations on their own, or (as usual) just sit tight and wait for the lawsuits.
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I recently flew United and they opened the bulkhead at the bottom to put my bag under first class seats. I was in awe at this staggeringly simple solution that was an unexpected boon.
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Cool! Me rikey. Except the part where it’s, you know - United, lol.
I imagine that others will do the same thing. It’s just such an obvious solution I can’t imagine why it took us this long to do it. Kind of like seat power.
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I’m good with the forced unconsciousness for the 12-19hr flights.
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Here’s a trick for big/tall dudes I figured out on my last round-trip:
Before your flight, get a ziploc bag small enough to fit in a seat-back pocket and fill it with everything you’ll want on the flight (book, earbuds, snacks, aspirin, $10 cash for the in-flight meal, etc.) Once you’re through security, put your phone and any liquids you’ll want (hand lotion, eyedrops) in that bag, put everything else from your pockets in the carry-on, and put the ziploc in the top of the carry-on.
When you board, pull out the ziploc and your tablet/laptop, stick them in the seat-back pocket, and shove the rest of your carry-on in the overhead bin. You now have the whole underseat space to take off your shoes and stretch out your feet, nothing in your pants pockets to grind against the armrests and struggle to pull out, and all your essentials accessible without needing to access your carry-on.
Oh, and wear a shirt with a breast pocket, for quickly stashing and retrieving stuff when you can’t get at your pants pockets.
A long while back I saw a catalog selling detached airline seatbelts with buckles, so you could pretend to buckle in and avoid the flight attendant’s wrath without actually having to pinch yourself in half at the waist. I doubt you could get away with that now, though.
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