Questioning Things: Vol. II

In the midst of March Madness, Jarred and I clearly can’t be trusted to update this blog at our usual pace.  So, once again, we’re turning things over to our readers.  We had great responses to the first edition of Questioning Things, so I’m going to give it another shot.  Each of the questions this week are inspired by a recent news story:

Emirates Air will offer in-flight showers for first class passengers flying from Dubai to New York in an Airbus A380.  Showers will cost $18,000 but that’s not the only price:

“in order to offer every first-class passenger a shower, the airline will have to add one metric tonne of water to its payload, dragging a carbon cost of around 50,000 lbs. per trip.”

Since the first class Airbus A380 experience is likely beyond our collective pay scale, let’s focus instead on a flight experience we can all relate to: coach.

1. Have you ever accepted an airline voucher in exchange for giving up your seat on an overbooked flight?  Were you happy with your decision, or did it come back to bite you in the behind?
2. What’s the worst food to be eating when unexpected turbulence rocks your tray table?
3. Do you believe that airlines should refund passengers (or pay for overnight hotels) when flights are canceled due to weather?  What about maintenance?  Do you generally believe in some sort of “passenger bill of rights,” or do you think of air travel like Jerry Seinfeld thinks about produce: “Jerry: I don’t return fruit. Fruit’s a gamble. I know that going in.”
4. What ridiculous amenity will a competing airline introduce to trump Emirates Air’s showers for first class passengers?
5. What amenity will airlines take away from the dwindling coach service as fuel costs continue to rise and airline profits continue to shrink?  What do you anticipate paying for on your next flight that you’ve previously expected as part of your ticket?

My answers after the break; your answers (pretty please) in the comments.

1. I’ve never taken a voucher, though one of my brothers is a notorious voucher-hound.  Of his past four flights, I think he paid for one of them.  His voucher luck is not perfect: on what would have been a 5 hour trip from Seattle to Milwaukee with a stop in Chicago, he ended up spending 13 hours in the Los Angeles airport before arriving the next day.  I’ll pay for the ticket, thanks.
2. Soup would be rough: it’s going to get all over your clothing…not only staining everything, but leaving you wet and cold for the rest of the flight.  I also think couscous would be particularly tragic….have you ever spilled couscous?  That stuff goes everywhere.
3. I wish airlines would value customers enough to provide lodging and/or vouchers when they screw up (i.e., when a plane is scheduled for maintenance and take-off at the same time), but I’m generally the “I know I’m taking a risk by scheduling a tight itinerary” type…and I have rotten luck with weather.
4. In-flight, Benihana-style, Japanese grill.
5. American Way Magazine.  (I read it for the articles).