5 ms·

I feel like I'm missing something. He needs a "stack of magazines" to read during taxiing, take-off, and landing? To my knowledge, I'm not a slow reader, nor d

by nknight 15y ago

I feel like I'm missing something. He needs a "stack of magazines" to read during taxiing, take-off, and landing? To my knowledge, I'm not a slow reader, nor do I have an unusual amount of patience (quite the contrary), but I can't imagine making it through a magazine, much less a stack of them, during the time I usually spend unable to use electronics on a plane.

mgkimsal 15y ago
I thought the same thing, but... if someone's a frequent flyer, the routine is going to get monotonous. You'll need a moderate stack of magazines if you're stuck on the runway for another half hour. Change planes once or twice, and you'll really be wishing you had a lot more reading material. magazines are generally half ads, so you'll get tired of those reading those. Overall, I sort of agree with you - it seems a little over the top, but it's probably not unreasonable for many people. A stack of newspapers would be lighter, but they're usually too big to deal with for extended reading in economy/coach seats.
raldi 15y ago
You must not be from New York. At LGA or JFK, it's quite common to sit on the runway for 45-60 minutes when taking off, or to be held in a holding pattern for at least as long when landing.
- nknight 15y ago
  No, west coast, my reference points are mostly SJC/SFO/PDX/SEA/TPE. An hour between doors closing and taking off is largely unthinkable. I'm not even sure it took an hour when I had to go through ORD in really crappy weather a few years ago. I've heard the occasional story about long tarmac waits in New York, but didn't realize that 45-60 minutes could be anywhere near typical. Is Newark any better, or basically in the same boat?
  - jonnathanson 15y ago
    Consider yourself blessed. NY airports are a nightmare. Same with LAX, ORD, ATL, DEN, and most other major hubs. (DFW seems to be a sole exception to the hubs-are-sucky axiom; I've rarely has anything but pleasant experiences from that airport, and I think I've connected through it over 100 times in the last 12 months). Of all of these hubs, I hold a special pocket of hatred in my heart for my hometown airport, LAX. It's not the biggest or most crowded airport in the country, but it seems to be the worst run. Security lines take at least 45 minutes a pop, even if there are only about 10 people in line. Pre-takeoff delays on the tarmac routinely run 60 minutes or longer. Etc. It's about as well-managed as a DMV, and every bit as infuriating. SFO tends to suck, too. I'm actually surprised you haven't had worse experiences there. It's routinely rated as one of the worst airports in the country for delays. (SJC, by comparison, ranges from painless to downright pleasant).
anghyflawn 15y ago
I agree, though I'm assuming it really can take a long time at some airports; even in Europe there is the infamous Heathrow take-off queue, or the Polderbaan at Schiphol which is like half the country away from the terminal (I don't know how it is with the holding pattern; at least here in Norway the seatbelt sign tends to light up pretty late, and certainly not when the plane is holding). But from what I understand a big reason for the "taxi, takeoff and landing" routine is that somebody completely absorbed by their iPad is the last thing the crew want when things to pear-shaped, and when this happens, it's at these points rather than on cruising altitude. Now of course you might the same argument for a book (although it's a strong one for music players), but just my $0.02

by nknight 15y ago

mgkimsal 15y ago

I thought the same thing, but... if someone's a frequent flyer, the routine is going to get monotonous. You'll need a moderate stack of magazines if you're stuck on the runway for another half hour. Change planes once or twice, and you'll really be wishing you had a lot more reading material. magazines are generally half ads, so you'll get tired of those reading those. Overall, I sort of agree with you - it seems a little over the top, but it's probably not unreasonable for many people. A stack of newspapers would be lighter, but they're usually too big to deal with for extended reading in economy/coach seats.

raldi 15y ago

You must not be from New York. At LGA or JFK, it's quite common to sit on the runway for 45-60 minutes when taking off, or to be held in a holding pattern for at least as long when landing.

nknight 15y ago
No, west coast, my reference points are mostly SJC/SFO/PDX/SEA/TPE. An hour between doors closing and taking off is largely unthinkable. I'm not even sure it took an hour when I had to go through ORD in really crappy weather a few years ago. I've heard the occasional story about long tarmac waits in New York, but didn't realize that 45-60 minutes could be anywhere near typical. Is Newark any better, or basically in the same boat?
- jonnathanson 15y ago
  Consider yourself blessed. NY airports are a nightmare. Same with LAX, ORD, ATL, DEN, and most other major hubs. (DFW seems to be a sole exception to the hubs-are-sucky axiom; I've rarely has anything but pleasant experiences from that airport, and I think I've connected through it over 100 times in the last 12 months). Of all of these hubs, I hold a special pocket of hatred in my heart for my hometown airport, LAX. It's not the biggest or most crowded airport in the country, but it seems to be the worst run. Security lines take at least 45 minutes a pop, even if there are only about 10 people in line. Pre-takeoff delays on the tarmac routinely run 60 minutes or longer. Etc. It's about as well-managed as a DMV, and every bit as infuriating. SFO tends to suck, too. I'm actually surprised you haven't had worse experiences there. It's routinely rated as one of the worst airports in the country for delays. (SJC, by comparison, ranges from painless to downright pleasant).

anghyflawn 15y ago

I agree, though I'm assuming it really can take a long time at some airports; even in Europe there is the infamous Heathrow take-off queue, or the Polderbaan at Schiphol which is like half the country away from the terminal (I don't know how it is with the holding pattern; at least here in Norway the seatbelt sign tends to light up pretty late, and certainly not when the plane is holding). But from what I understand a big reason for the "taxi, takeoff and landing" routine is that somebody completely absorbed by their iPad is the last thing the crew want when things to pear-shaped, and when this happens, it's at these points rather than on cruising altitude. Now of course you might the same argument for a book (although it's a strong one for music players), but just my $0.02