Kaptin M,
You asked for a pros and cons list of Rafferty's rules when it comes to seating. As Blastoid noted, some of the less attractive side of human nature is brought out, but I find far worse at supermarket cashiers. If people want to run over somebody to achieve a better seat, well, that's life. For the life of me on a 60-90 minute flight what these people think they are gaining is beyond me, apart from the first 8 or so in the queue who get the extra legroom. Me, I'm happy to be the last one on board, avoid the queueing and take whatever's left. It's a seat, ferchrissakes.
I assumed the roped off rows were for reasons of trim and weight balance, in which case they shouldn't really apply on full flights, should they? Dunno.
Realistically, there is only one "pro", and that is the same pro which excuses having to manoeuvre your own baggage between connecting flights and, most extraordinarily of all unless what I hear is incorrect, a forfeiture of your money if you are late for a connecting flight even if it was bad weather or Jet*'s fault that you were late.
It's fairly obvious what that pro is. I recently had to attend two funerals in Brisbane in a week. Over the net on short notice I purchased a total of five return airfares for my family and self on short notice for less than $1000 through Jet*. On the particular flights I booked Virgin didn't even look interested in competing with Jet*'s prices. QF's "compassionate" fare was $660 return.
WE may not feel altogether comfortable with some of the aspects of low cost airlines, but times they are a'changin', and Freddie Laker is being proven to have been 35 years ahead of his time. This isn't a third world country, and Dick Smith notwithstanding, I'm happy enough with the safety regulatory authority in this country to allow my family to fly on Virgin or Jet* at any time without fear of poor maintenance leading to a disaster.
As for the media's whipping boy, I think Timmeee protesteth too much. The media doesn't really discriminate when it comes to "seconds from disaster" stories; anybody will fit the bill.
P.S. Unless somebody can assure me that the forfeiture of fare I mentioned above is incorrect, I think I'll be giving Jet* a miss for connecting flights!
Last edited by Binoculars; 6th Aug 2004 at 14:40.