USVI-On-Line

I also remember we paid $524 for airfare our first trip too, which isn't much less than the $550 or so we paid in February.

Hot food! I remember a British Air flight with multiple courses, my own bottle of wine, and a real blanket (which is still in the back of my car) and I was sitting in coach.

I find the weight issue quite frustrating.

I’m at the low end of the scale for what adults weigh, yet a 400 lb guy next to me adds a few hundred additional pounds to the weight of the plane and it is fine, but if I put an extra 2 lbs in my checked bag I’ll have to pay for it.

Rob7 wrote:There is no reason why a person cannot go to STJ for a couple of weeks with just a single carry-on.

There are plenty of reasons. For one thing, my husband's and my snorkel equipment does not fit in any carry-on bag. There are size restrictions for carry-ons, and our fins are over the limit. I'd rather not sneak in an over-sized bag and be a jerk and take up more than my share of the over-head compartment. I've seen people do exactly that and I think it's really inconsiderate.

Secondly, I have some unfortunate dietary restrictions that are rather severe and require me to take food on trips because many of the things I can eat are not available in STT or STJ. So I need to check a bag just for food for myself. When I travel domestically for work, which is quite frequently, I do carry-on only because I can go to a grocery store, but I can’t count on finding the things I need in the islands.

The point is that there are very legitimate reasons many of us have to check luggage. We're not just a bunch of self-absorbed over-packers who have to bring our entire house with us when we travel.

I need a vacation

Rick G summed it up for me. Pack lighter and have a better vacation. You won't need most of it. I do try to check one bag on any trip over 3 days. My personal space becomes less crowded in the plane which makes me happier. If they lose the bag, there's a Super 24hr Wal-Mart somewhere to get me by for a day or so. Only been burned twice in 30 years, so pretty good odds so far by checking when necessary.

I'll add a little first hand experience to the "old days" of flying subject. Over 20 years ago, mid 80s, I took a business trip to Japan and Taiwan. At the time, our company policy was to fly business class to Asia for ANYONE, even me, a young engineer a few years out of school.

So I have a front row aisle seat in business, tons of leg room, flying a 747 from Seattle to Tokyo. Flight attendant asks me if I'm traveling alone and would I mind taking a different seat to accommodate 2 people traveling together. Well, I'd specifically reserved this seat well in advance and was hesitant, until he leaned close and said quietly "I have 1B open". Uh, that would be up in first class, eh, yea, I guess I'll change. Most of us are wearing suits or blazers, traveling on business, you have one less thing to pack. The flight attendants wore white gloves and brought silver trays of hors d'oeurves (sp?) around, we had glass wine glasses that were being filled from bottles, it was an upscale cocktail party! And towards the front of the cabin where it narrows, there is a fair amount of open space, it was 5-8 feet from my seat to the bulkhead, you could mill around!

Then, on the leg from Tokyo to Taipei, I was on Singapore airlines, famous at the time for being rated #1 in customer service/flight experience/whatever. I rode in the 2nd level of a 747, which was pretty neat. Cockpit doors are in front of you, there were not too many rows, it hardly felt like you were on a big plane. Service was great, the meal was lobster, it was wonderful.

Now I think about that trip and compare it to squeezing into my coach seat - I'm about 20 pounds overweight, better than some, but still I should lose some, but my shoulders are wider than the seat! And despite being under 6', my knees whack the seat in front of me. Then they want me to pay several dollars for a sandwich that's like something out of a vending machine. Quite a comparison.

As has been posted, the fares have not gone up and I can see where they don't make money. IIRC, I read once that airline INDUSTRY as a whole, over it's entire life, has not turned a profit. But it's supply and demand, if they raise the prices to where they make money, I think it will reduce the demand because fares will be high enough for people to look for other alternatives. Less trips, other destinations, drive, etc. There is sooo much capacity.

irbgolfin