Making a scene at the airport
Have the frustrations of air travel ever made you see red? Have you ever crossed the line and gone really berserk? Many have, and I am not talking about just the psychopaths or the easily irritated; I’m talking about your average housewife, businessman and vacationer. Given the right provocation, even your granny could make a scene at the airport.
Air travel: The wrong stuff
Two weeks ago, James Wysong wrote a column in praise of the things that are wonderful about air travel. He called it “Air travel: The right stuff.” Ever fair-minded, James invited readers to write in with some counterarguments. So here you have it: “Air travel: The wrong stuff.”
On the road to Beijing
James Wysong, our resident flight attendant, has recently begun serving trans-Pacific flights to China. In April, he had his first three-day layover in Beijing, a bustling city rich in history and culture that is currently sprucing itself up to host next year’s Summer Olympics. Here is James’ first dispatch on what will be a series of columns on China as it gets ready for prime time.
Air travel: The right stuff
Customer satisfaction is at an all-time low. Delays and cancellations are at an all-time high. The lines are growing by leaps and bounds, and passengers’ patience is growing ever so thin. So you might wonder, “Is there anything good to say about air travel these days?” Well, yes. James Wysong can think of 10 things right off the bat.
Scalped!
What is the funniest thing to happen to you on an airplane flight? James Wysong gets asked this question quite often, and after 18 years as a flight attendant, it is difficult for him to pick one event. But forced to choose, he goes with the infamous in-flight scalping. Yes, he said “scalping.”
Warning: Bumpy summer ahead
How is the summer season shaping up for air travel? James Wysong looks at the trends and troubles, and reprises his “Top 10 Summer Travel Tips.”
Tales from the China shop
James Wysong recently went to China, where he underwent a curious transformation. Until he arrived in the market in Beijing, James had little interest in shopping. In fact, he saw shopping as a time-consuming and monotonous activity whose end result was an empty wallet. But in China, where the U.S. dollar takes on a different value, shopping became a whole new experience.
Stranded on the runway
How many times have you been stuck on the runway for hours on end? With each update from the captain you are promised that it will be only a little while longer, but after four hours you are steaming mad. Well, get ready, because this summer is only going to be worse.
When all hope is lost
James Wysong recently lost a very good friend to suicide. In this column, James ponders the depths of depression and the limits of hope, and offers some advice to others who have friends in need.
Going, abroad
Nyilvános vécé. … Tuvalet. … Banheiro. … The loo.. “Toilet” is an invaluable word in every language, though knowing the word doesn’t always prepare you for what you will find when you travel: a gold-plated commode in one place, a hole in the ground in another. Let’s explore the personal subject of “Going, abroad.”