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airlineinsights · 1 year

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Fly with Confidence: American Airlines Complete Guide

American Airlines is one of the major airlines in the United States and a prominent player in the global aviation industry. Founded in 1930, it has a rich history and has grown into one of the largest airlines in the world. With its headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, American Airlines operates an extensive network of domestic and international flights, serving destinations across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and beyond.

American Airlines had a fleet size of over 870 aircraft, consisting of various models from manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus. The airline offers a range of services to cater to different travel needs, including first class, business class, premium economy, and economy cabins.

American Airlines is a founding member of the global airline alliance, Oneworld, which allows it to provide seamless connections and reciprocal benefits to passengers traveling with its partner airlines. It also has codeshare agreements with numerous other airlines, further expanding its reach and connectivity.

The airline has faced various challenges over the years, including economic downturns, competition, and the impact of events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly affected the aviation industry. However, American Airlines has continuously adapted and innovated to navigate these challenges, implementing initiatives to improve customer experience, enhance operational efficiency, and prioritize safety and sustainability.

Overall, American Airlines has established itself as a prominent player in the airline industry, offering a wide range of services and connectivity options to travelers across the globe. With a focus on customer satisfaction and continuous improvement, it continues to play a vital role in shaping the future of air travel.

How to make Reservations for American Airlines?

When it comes to making easy American Airlines reservations, there are a few key points to keep in mind. Here are the main aspects to consider:

Booking Options: American Airlines provides multiple channels for making reservations. You can book flights online through their official website or mobile app, by calling their customer service hotline, or by visiting one of their ticket offices or airport counters.

Flight Selection: American Airlines offers a vast network of domestic and international destinations, allowing you to choose from a wide range of flight options. They operate numerous daily flights to popular destinations, ensuring flexibility in scheduling.

Fare Classes: American Airlines offers different fare classes to suit various travel needs and budgets. These typically include First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy. Each class comes with its own set of amenities and services.

Additional Services: During the reservation process, American Airlines provides options to select additional services like seat upgrades, preferred seating, checked baggage, in-flight meals, and Wi-Fi access. These services may have associated fees.

Loyalty Program: American Airlines has a frequent flyer program called AAdvantage, which rewards loyal customers with miles that can be redeemed for flights, upgrades, and other benefits. It's worth considering joining the program if you plan to fly frequently with American Airlines.

Flexible Booking Policies: American Airlines has implemented flexible booking policies that allow passengers to make changes or cancel their reservations under certain conditions. It's advisable to review the specific terms and conditions associated with your ticket, as they may vary based on fare type and booking channel.

By considering these main points, you can ensure a smooth reservation process with American Airlines, tailored to your preferences and travel requirements.

What is the American Airlines Cancellation Policy?

Here are the main points of the American Airlines cancellation policy, however, please note that policies and terms may have changed since then, so it's always advisable to check the most up-to-date information on their official website or contact American Airlines directly for the latest details.

24-Hour Cancellation Policy: American Airlines allows passengers to cancel their reservations within 24 hours of booking without incurring any cancellation fees, regardless of the ticket type. This applies to both refundable and non-refundable tickets.

Non-Refundable Tickets: If you cancel a non-refundable ticket after the 24-hour window, you may not receive a refund. However, the value of the ticket may be eligible for future travel credits, subject to certain conditions and fees.

Refundable Tickets: Refundable tickets offer more flexibility. If you hold a refundable ticket and decide to cancel, you can typically receive a full refund of the ticket's value, regardless of the cancellation timeframe.

Cancellation Fees: For non-refundable tickets, if you cancel after the 24-hour window, a cancellation fee will usually apply. The fee amount varies depending on factors such as the fare type, destination, and ticket class.

Basic Economy Tickets: Basic Economy tickets, which typically have more restrictions, may have stricter cancellation policies. It's essential to review the specific terms and conditions associated with Basic Economy tickets before making a purchase.

Elite Status and AAdvantage Members: Passengers with elite status or AAdvantage membership may have additional benefits and flexibility regarding cancellations, such as waived fees or enhanced refund options. These benefits depend on the member's tier and the specific terms of the program.

It's always recommended to consult the official American Airlines website or contact their customer service directly for the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding their cancellation policy.

American Airlines Manage Booking with the Official Website

When it comes to managing your booking with American Airlines, there are several key points to be aware of. Here are the main aspects of American Airlines manage booking feature:

Online Access: American Airlines provides an online platform where you can conveniently manage your booking details. Visit their official website or mobile app and navigate to the "Manage Reservations" section.

Retrieve Booking: To access your booking, you will typically need to provide relevant information such as your last name and booking confirmation number. Alternatively, you may log in to your AAdvantage account if you have one.

Itinerary Review: Once you have accessed your booking, you can review the details of your itinerary, including flight dates, times, routes, and passenger information. Ensure that all the information is accurate and up to date.

Seat Selection: American Airlines' manage booking feature allows you to select or change your seats, subject to availability. You can choose seats that suit your preferences, such as extra legroom or seats together with your travel companions.

Upgrades: If you are interested in upgrading your seat to a higher class, such as upgrading from Economy to Business or First Class, the manage booking feature may provide options to explore and request upgrades. However, availability and eligibility for upgrades may vary.

Special Requests: You can use the manage booking feature to make special requests, such as dietary requirements, wheelchair assistance, or other specific accommodations. Ensure to provide the necessary details well in advance to allow the airline to make suitable arrangements.

Flight Changes: Depending on the fare type and specific conditions associated with your ticket, you may be able to make changes to your flight details through the manage booking feature. This includes modifying travel dates, routes, or even canceling and rebooking flights.

Baggage Additions: If you need to add checked baggage to your booking or modify your existing baggage allowance, the manage booking feature often provides options to do so. Note that additional fees may apply for excess or overweight baggage.

Check-in: Some manage booking features also allow you to check in for your flight online, saving time at the airport. You can select seats, receive electronic boarding passes, and complete the necessary check-in process ahead of your departure.

Payment and Refunds: In certain situations, you may be able to process payments for outstanding amounts or request refunds through the manage booking feature. However, refund eligibility and processes may vary based on fare type and specific circumstances.

It's important to note that the available options in the manage booking feature can vary depending on factors such as ticket type, fare rules, and the specific services offered by American Airlines. Therefore, it's always advisable to review the details and instructions provided on their official website or contact their customer service directly for the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding managing your booking.

How to Rebook American Airlines?

When it comes to rebooking your flight with American Airlines, here are the main points to consider:

Flight Changes: If you need to modify your travel plans, American Airlines allows you to rebook your flight. You can change your flight date, time, or even the destination, subject to availability and fare rules.

Change Fees: Depending on the fare type and the specific conditions associated with your ticket, rebooking may incur change fees. Non-refundable tickets generally require payment of a change fee in addition to any fare difference.

Fare Differences: When rebook American Airlines, fare differences may apply if the new flight has a higher fare than your original booking. Conversely, if the new fare is lower, you may be eligible for a refund or travel credit for the price difference, depending on the fare rules.

Flexibility Policies: American Airlines has implemented flexible policies, particularly during unforeseen circumstances or exceptional events. These policies may provide additional flexibility for rebooking without change fees, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic or severe weather conditions. It's essential to review the current policies and any associated timeframes or limitations.

Booking Channels: You can rebook your flight through various channels, including the American Airlines website, mobile app, or by contacting their customer service. The specific options available may depend on the fare type and the original booking channel.

Elite Status and AAdvantage Members: Passengers with elite status or AAdvantage membership may have additional rebooking benefits, such as waived change fees or enhanced flexibility. These benefits vary depending on the member's tier and the specific terms of the program.

Timeframes and Restrictions: It's important to be aware of any timeframes or restrictions associated with rebooking. Some fare types may have limitations on how far in advance or close to departure you can make changes. Additionally, certain promotional fares or discounted tickets may have specific rules and restrictions regarding rebooking.

Contacting Customer Service: If you encounter any difficulties or have specific requirements for your rebooking, it's recommended to contact American Airlines' customer service directly. Their representatives can provide guidance, assistance, and information regarding available options and any associated fees or requirements.

Remember that the rebooking process and associated policies can vary based on ticket type, fare rules, and the specific circumstances. It's always advisable to review the details and instructions provided by American Airlines on their official website or contact their customer service directly for the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding rebooking your flight.

American Airlines Change Flight Policy

Here are the main points of the American Airlines change flight policy. However, please note that policies and terms may have changed since then, so it's always advisable to check the most up-to-date information on their official website or contact American Airlines directly for the latest details.

Change Fees: American Airlines typically charges change fees for modifying your flight. The amount of the fee depends on factors such as the fare type, destination, and ticket class. Non-refundable tickets generally require payment of a change fee in addition to any fare difference.

Fare Differences: When changing your flight, fare differences may apply if the new flight has a higher fare than your original booking. Conversely, if the new fare is lower, you may be eligible for a refund or travel credit for the price difference, depending on the fare rules.

Change Options: American Airlines offers various channels for changing your flight. You can make changes online through their official website or mobile app, by contacting their customer service, or by visiting their ticket offices or airport counters.

Timeframes and Restrictions: It's important to be aware of any timeframes or restrictions associated with changing your flight. Some fare types may have limitations on how far in advance or close to departure you can make changes. Additionally, certain promotional fares or discounted tickets may have specific rules and restrictions regarding changes.

Flexible Policies: American Airlines has implemented flexible policies, particularly during unforeseen circumstances or exceptional events. These policies may provide additional flexibility for changing your flight without change fees, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic or severe weather conditions. It's essential to review the current policies and any associated timeframes or limitations.

Elite Status and AAdvantage Members: Passengers with elite status or AAdvantage membership may have additional benefits when changing their flights, such as waived change fees or enhanced flexibility. These benefits vary depending on the member's tier and the specific terms of the program.

Refundability: The refundability of your ticket depends on the fare type and its associated rules. Non-refundable tickets typically do not qualify for a refund, but the value of the ticket may be eligible for future travel credits, subject to certain conditions and fees.

Booking Channel: The availability of changing your flight through specific channels may vary based on the original booking method. For example, if you booked through a third-party website or travel agency, you may need to contact them directly for changes.

Remember to consult the official American Airlines website or contact their customer service directly for the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding their change flight policy.

What is the Change Name Policy on American Airlines Tickets?

American Airlines did not have a specific policy regarding name changes. However, airline policies can evolve over time, so it's best to refer to the most up-to-date information on the American Airlines website or contact their customer service directly for the latest details. That being said, here are some general points to keep in mind regarding American Airlines name change Policy:

Name Correction: Airlines typically allow minor name corrections free of charge, such as fixing a misspelled name or correcting a typographical error. These changes are usually made to ensure that the name on the ticket matches the traveler's identification documents.

Name Change: Most airlines have restrictions or fees associated with changing the name on a ticket. In many cases, name changes are not permitted or are subject to specific conditions. This is primarily to prevent the misuse of tickets or fraudulent activities.

Transferability: Airline tickets are generally non-transferable, meaning they cannot be transferred to another person's name. This policy helps prevent ticket scalping or unauthorized reselling.

Flexibility: Some airlines offer more flexible ticket options that allow for easier name changes, typically at a higher price. These may include refundable tickets or tickets with flexible change policies.

Documentation: When requesting a name change, airlines may require documentation, such as a copy of the passenger's identification or a marriage certificate in the case of a name change due to marriage.

Remember, these points are general guidelines, and specific policies can vary between airlines. It's always advisable to consult the airline directly or refer to their website for their specific name change policy and any associated fees or requirements.

How to Get Help through American Airlines Customer Service?

American Airlines customer service can be contacted through phone, online support, social media, or at airport service desks. For specific contact information and assistance, visit the American Airlines website or refer to their social media accounts, here are some general ways to contact American Airlines customer service:

Phone: You can reach American Airlines customer service by phone. The specific phone numbers may vary depending on your location and the nature of your inquiry. Visit the American Airlines website and navigate to the "Contact Us" or "Customer Service" section to find the appropriate phone number for your region.

Online Support: American Airlines provides an online support portal where you can find answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) and submit specific inquiries. Visit the American Airlines website and look for the "Contact Us" or "Customer Service" section. There, you may find options to submit a form, start a live chat, or access self-service tools.

Social Media: American Airlines maintains an active presence on various social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. You can try reaching out to their customer service team through these channels by sending them a direct message or tagging them in a public post. However, keep in mind that social media responses may not be as prompt or comprehensive as other customer service channels.

Airport Customer Service: If you're already at an airport, you can visit an American Airlines customer service desk or counter for assistance. The staff there should be able to address your concerns or provide you with relevant information.

Remember that these methods are subject to change, and it's always a good idea to check the American Airlines website or contact their customer service for the most up-to-date information on how to reach them.

#American Airlines Reservations #American Airlines Cancellation Policy #American Airlines Manage Booking #Rebook American Airlines #American Airlines Change Flight Policy #American Airlines Name Change Policy #American Airlines Customer Service

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7qasearchh · 2 years

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how to contact american airlines phone number?

American Airlines is US based significant airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within Dallas. It makes everything possible when you reserve your flight ticket on its official booking website. It is the largest airline in the world when measured by fleet size; scheduled passengers are securely carried to various destinations on time. If you find some trouble or cannot manage your booking, you will contact an American Airlines phone number that is available to assist you at a specific time in a decent manner. You will be a lucky person to manage your flight when you wish to change and cancel your flight to a particular time with the help of the customer representative team available to assist you at the right time.

How to contact American Airlines phone number?

When you wish to book your low fare airline and wiling to get complete guidance of the booking, you must share your queries with a live person. You will find a major guide to contact a representative using a phone call that you easily get from a booking website is available to assist you at the right time suitably. You will earn miles that you can use to upgrade your seat for the class of booking. You can connect with a live person by just making a phone call at and share your queries with a live person who is free to assist you at a certain time easily. You can check with the cancellation and ensure you can find a compensation after the flight cancellation and use it for the next trip at a certain time specially.

Following are the ways to contact American Airlines phone number:

· First, open an internet browser, visit the booking website of American Airlines, and go to the booking page.

· Ensure you can check with the contact section, select the contact mode section, and select the phone number.

· You can dial the phone number you will find on the booking website with different services to connect with a live person.

· Check with the IVR command that prompts you to select your language after pressing one and select the available language by pressing two keys.

· Press 3 for the new and existing booking, press 4 to change and cancel a flight ticket, and press 5 to get a refund and voucher.

· You must press 6 for deals and offers and 7 for the other services, and press * to share your queries with a live person from American Airlines.

· You will check with the other important information after contacting the phone number of American Airlines and share your queries to get the answer at the right time in a decent manner.

Use other contact resources to get the phone number:

American Airlines makes you always active in connecting with a live person when you need help finding the phone number. You will find an email service, social media services, phone call, and live chat to share your queries and get the answer related to flight booking at a specific time securely. The American Airlines customer service team is always actively assisting you with direct guidance for flight booking service at a particular time securely.

#american airlines #airlines #flights #air #airbus #booking #american airlines customer service

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financereview · 22 days

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uh-oh-its-bird · 3 months

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I'm seeing all sorts of articles about how "some flight attendants confess to having to sleep in cars because they can't afford a home" and "flight attendants find out they qualify for food stamps" etc. Etc. And I keep going yeah lmao duh before I remember that like. Oh. Right. That's a bad thing.

The thing ab being a flight attendant is they say that they pay you 27-30ish an hour (american airlines numbers there) but they only actually pay you that specifically for flight time (aka once the plane door is closed and locked)

(Yes that means boarding time does not count, nor does it count the hour you're supposed to be at the airport before that, or the hours between your flights when you're still stuck in the airport waiting for your next job— whether it's bc that delay between work was scheduled or because had weather has you trapped somewhere for hours)

Otherwise you are literally making upwards of $1.50 an hour. That is an actual number. I, as a flight attendant, am payed $1.50 an hour for my time away from base.

They're actually very squirley about saying what you get paid for what— they like to brag about that 27-30 number but when you realize its for flight hours only and start asking stuff like, "Ok well then how much do I get paid for standby (staying at the airport as a potential substitute for flights if smthn goes wrong, usually either in 6 to 8 hour shifts depending on your company (mine does 8 hours rip)) or while boarding the plane" they just straight up don't fucking answer you. I had multiple trainers dodging this question and none of the flight attendants I've thought to ask know either.

On top of that they can legally make you work for 14 hours a day!!!! 14 !!! Hours !!!! Nonstop!!!!! And you might only get paid for 3 fucking hours of it depending on how that day goes!

Oh right! Also there are no lunch breaks. Nor are there mandatory periods of time where they have to give you some room to breathe within flights. Hahaha yeah. They can schedule you for back to back to back flights with literally not a single minute between boarding and you just kind of have to deal with it.

You can call in to request a lunch break to try to find food at the airport— but only for the big boy bases, like Dallas or Miami. That's bc they'll send people to board your flight for you, so you have the time to get your food. But oh, right, they will often keep you on hold for upwards of 20 minutes at a time, and again, only possible at the big bases, so even if you can do it it's often too fucking late bc now everyone's on the plane and if you leave it'll stall the whole flight from leaving and then your ass will risk getting fired

(Also there's this odd guilt of doing it?? Like you really have to go out of your way to beg them on the phone to send a pre boarder. It makes me feel bad and guilty even tho it SHOULDNT)

(ALSO also, that's considering the airport youre in even HAS food that's a) close enough to get quickly, b) affordable to your budget, or c) something you can eat if you have diet restriction)

That's not even STARTING on the hell that is trying to pack a lunch that can last you potentially an entire week (all while being safe to eat after days of being in a hot plane) that also isn't having to pack the same meal for every single fucking trip + having to deal with lugging it around + like, you're going to want fresh food. But that means money.

There's literally a joke about "the flight attendant dinner" where you eat literally nothing all day other than the chips and cookies in the snack basket because its all you fucking have and you aren't in the position where you can buy food (either bc there is physically no time or place to get it or you're genuinely too poor to afford it)

(There have been days where I've legit eaten nothing other than 3 bags of chips and some preserved olives and soda)

People are always like "Oh wow a flight attendant!! You must make sooo much money" girl I qualify for food stamps and if things keep going the way they are I think I'm gonna have to go for it

That's not even STARTING on the living situation, holy shit yall don't even want me to start on that trust me. I've heard so many horror stories about crashpads (flight attendant specific houses that usually rent out by the bed) and know multiple FAs who not only live in their car but brag about it, because "its sooo much better than a crashpad" (and honestly sometimes they aren't wrong!)

It's soo bad and when you complain about it or the actual physical pain it's been causing you to friends and family they just go "oh... but have you been to hawaii yet tho 🥺" GIRL IM TOO PHYSIFALLY EXAUSTED TO GO FUCKING GROCERY SHOPPING IM ABOUT TO FALL OVER AND DIE !!!!

The economy is in shambles and some of our most glamorized and romanticized jobs are in fact just as fake and shitty as the rest of the "good jobs" out there

Anyways, all of that is to say this;

As a flight attendant, they can have me work 14 hours a day, then only give me either 6 or 5 hours to sleep (depending on whether I choose to waste time eating dinner + shower and change) before I have to wake up at 3am for a 4am shuttle to the airport to work another 13 hours that day.

And then only get paid $200 for it.

(The worst days of my life have been working this job)

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mostlysignssomeportents · 6 months

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Why Millennials aren’t leaving Tiktok

I'm on tour with my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me TOMORROW NIGHT (Mar 22) in TORONTO, then SUNDAY (Mar 24) with LAURA POITRAS in NYC, then Anaheim, and more!

The news that Gen Z users have abandoned Tiktok in such numbers that the median Tiktoker is a Millennial (or someone even older) prompted commentators to dunk on Tiktok as uncool by dint of having lost its youthful sheen:

https://www.garbageday.email/p/tiktok-millennials-turns

But "why are Gen Z kids leaving Tiktok?" is the wrong question. The right question is, why aren't Millennials leaving Tiktok? After all, we are living through the enshittocene, the great enshittening, in which every platform gets monotonically, irreversibly worse over time, and Tiktok is no exception:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/21/potemkin-ai/#hey-guys

To understand why older users are stuck to Tiktok, we need to start with why younger users relentlessly seek out new platforms. To some extent, it's just down to youth's appetite for novelty, but that's only part of the story. To really understand why people come to – and leave – platforms, you have to understand switching costs.

"Switching costs" is the economists' term for everything you have to give up when you change products or services. Switching from Ios to Android probably means giving up a bunch of your apps and purchased media. Switching from an airline where you're a high-status frequent flier to another carrier means giving up on free checked bags and early boarding.

In an open market, rivals have lots of ways to lower these switching costs (it's an open secret that you can call an airline and say, "Hi, I'm a 33rd Order Mason on American Airlines, will you make me a Triple Platinum Diamond Sky-Baron if I switch to Delta?"). Of course, big incumbents hate this, and do everything they can to increase their switching costs, finding ways to impose high switching costs that punish disloyal consumers who have the temerity to go elsewhere.

With social media, lock-in comes for free, thanks to the "collective action problem." Getting people to agree on a given course of action is hard, and as you add more people to the picture, the problem gets harder. It's hard enough to get half a dozen people in your group-chat to agree on where to go for dinner or what board-game to play. But once you're reliant on a social media service to stay in touch with friends, relatives around the world, customers, communities (say, rare disease support groups), and coordination (like organizing your kid's little league car-pool), the problem becomes nearly insoluble. Maybe you can convince your overseas relatives to switch to a Signal group, but can you do the same for your small business's customers, or your old high-school pals?

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/29/how-to-leave-dying-social-media-platforms/

Taken together, switching costs and collective action problems make platforms "sticky," and sticky platforms inevitably enshittify.

Platforms, after all, generate value. They connect end-users with each other (say, little league parents) and they connect end-users to business customers (you and your small business's customers). That value needs to be parceled out among end users, business customers, and the platform's shareholders. A platform can make life better for business customers at its end users' expense by increasing the number of ads (hello, Youtube!), and it can make life better for its shareholders at its business customers' expense by decreasing the share of ad revenue given to publishers or performers (oh, hello again, Youtube!).

From a platform's perspective, the ideal state is one in which end users and business customers get no value from the platform, because it's all being captured by the platform's shareholders. But if Youtube interrupted every 30 seconds of video for ten minutes of ads and paid the video creators nothing, both users and creators would ditch the platform – and advertisers would follow:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dab8sKg8Ko8

So platforms seek an equilibrium: "what is the least value we apportion to end-users and business customers without triggering their departure?" Maybe that means giving more value to end-users (for example, keeping Uber fares low by suppressing wages), or to business-customers (crowding more ads into your social media feed).

Every business – including brick-and-mortar, non-digitized ones – wants to find some kind of equilibrium between the value going to its suppliers, its customers and its owners, but digital businesses have an advantage here: digital systems are flexible in ways that analog, hard-goods businesses are not. Digital businesses can alter pricing, payouts and other dynamics from moment to moment – second to second – and make a different offer to every supplier and customer. They have a bunch of knobs, and they can twiddle them at will:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/19/twiddler/

Well, not quite at will. Businesses face constraints on their twiddling. If they get too greedy, users or business customers might weigh the cost of staying against the switching costs and decide it's not worth it. But the more expensive – the more painful – a platform can make leaving, the more pain they can inflict on the people who stay.

In other words, there's two ways to keep a customer or supplier's business: you can make a better service so they won't want to leave, or you can make leaving the service so painful that they stay even if you mistreat them.

There's three ways a digital company can make things worse for their customers and users without losing their business.

First, they can eliminate competition (think of Mark Zuckerberg buying Instagram to recapture the users who'd fled Facebook to escape his poor management):

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/03/big-tech-cant-stop-telling-on-itself/

Second, they can capture their regulators and avoid punishment for trampling their suppliers' or users' legal rights (think of how Amazon has raised the price of everything we buy, both on- and off Amazon, through its "most favored nation" deals):

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/25/greedflation/#commissar-bezos

Third, they can use IP law to prevent competitors from modifying their services to claw back some of that value (think of how Apple used legal threats to block an Android version of Imessage, blocking Apple customers from having private conversations that included non-Apple customers:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/12/youre-holding-it-wrong/#if-dishwashers-were-iphones

Companies can't just use this tricks at will, of course. Antitrust laws can block companies from making anticompetitve acquisitions or mergers. Regulators can punish companies for cheating their customers, workers and users. Technologists can come up with clever ways of modding or reconfiguring existing services with "interoperable" add-ons that let users bargain for better treatment by refusing to accept worse:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/07/adblocking-how-about-nah

Day in, day out, the decision-makers at tech companies test these constraints, twisting the knobs that shift value away from users to shareholders. Their bosses and boards motivate them with "KPIs" that dangle the promise of huge bonuses and promotions for any manager who successfully enshittifies part of the company's products:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/28/microincentives-and-enshittification/

Decades of pro-corporate, pro-monopoly policy has loosened those knobs. 40 years of lax antitrust meant that companies had a lot of leeway to buy or merge with rivals – that's changing today, but it's tough sledding:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/14/making-good-trouble/#the-peoples-champion

As sectors grew more concentrated, they found it easier to capture their regulators, so that they no longer fear punishment for price-gouging, spying, or wage-theft, so applying the same amount of torque to the "break the law" knob cranks it a lot further:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/06/05/regulatory-capture/

Once you've captured your regulators, you can aim them at your competitors. A monopoly-friendly policy environment has transformed IP law into a bully's charter, allowing powerful companies to strangle would-be competitors who dare to offer their customers tools to shield themselves from enshittification, like scrapers, ad-blockers and alternative clients. Big companies can crank the enshittification knob all the way over and know that smaller rivals knobs won't turn at all:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/20/benevolent-dictators/#felony-contempt-of-business-model

At one point, bosses faced one more constraint on knob-twiddling: their workforce. Many tech workers genuinely cared about their users' welfare, something bosses encouraged as a sneaky trick to get techies to put in long hours without exercising their leverage by quitting rather than destroying their lives to meet arbitrary deadlines. These workers would fearlessly slap their bosses' hands when they reached for the enshittification knob, threatening to quit rather than allowing the products they'd given so much for to be enshittified. Today, after hundreds of thousands of tech layoffs, tech workers are far less like to challenge their bosses' right to twiddle, and far more likely to get fired if they try:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/10/the-proletarianization-of-tech-workers/

All this means that tech bosses don't have to change their approach at all, and yet, their services will grow steadily worse. The boss who twiddles the enshittification knob in exactly the same way as he did a year or a decade ago will find it turning much further, because his customers are locked into his platform, his regulators won't protect them, the same regulators will stop his competitors' attempts at countertwiddling, and his workers fear losing their jobs too much to speak up for their users.

That's the contagion that produced the enshittocene: the forces that constrained companies (competition, regulation, self-help and labor – all melted away, allowing every company's MBA-poisoned knob-twiddling leaders to shamelessly caress their knobs with every hour that God sends:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/30/go-nuts-meine-kerle/#ich-bin-ein-bratapfel

Which is why people want to leave platforms. When a platform loses its users, those users have weighed the switching costs against the pain of staying and decided that it's better to bear those costs than to stay.

So why have Tiktok's younger users found the costs too high to bear, and why have their elders remained stuck to the platform?

For that, we have to look at the unique characteristics of young people – characteristics that transcend the lazy cliche that kids are easily bored, fickle novelty-seekers who hop from one service to another with unquenchable restlessness.

Whether or not kids are novelty-seekers, they are, fundamentally, a disfavored minority. They want to do things that the platforms don't want them to do – like converse without being overheard by authority figures, including their parents and their schools (also: cops and future employers, though kids may not be thinking about them as much).

In other words, kids pay intrinsically lower switching costs than adults, because a platform will always do less for them than it will for grownups. This is a characteristic kids share with other supposedly technophilic, novelty-seeking "early adopters," from sex-workers to terrorists, from sexual minorities to trolls, from political dissidents to fascists. For those groups, the cost of mastering a new technology and assembling a community around it is always more likely to be worth bearing than it would be for people who are well-served by existing tools:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/06/21/early-adopters/#sex-tech

Pornographers didn't jump on home video because of its superiority as a medium for capturing flesh-tones. Home video was a good porn medium because it was easier to discreetly get into the hands of porn consumers, who could, in turn, discreetly view it. The audience for porn in the privacy of your living room is larger than the audience for porn that you can only watch if you're willing to be seen marching into a dirty movie theater.

Every new technology is popularized by a mix of disfavored groups and neophiles, who normalize and refine it – and yes, infuse it with their countercultural coolth – until it becomes easy enough to use to become mainstream. As more normies drift into the new system, the switching costs associated with leaving the old system declines. It gets easier and easier to find the people and services you want in the new realm, and harder and harder to find them in the old one.

This is why tech platforms have historically experienced sudden collapse: the platform that gets more valuable and harder to leave as it accumulates users gets less valuable and easier to leave as users depart:

https://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2022/12/05/what-if-failure-is-the-plan.html

If you're a Gen Z kid on Tiktok, you experience the same enshittification as your Millennial elders. But you also experience an additional cost to staying: as late-arriving adult authority figures become more fluent in the platform, they are more able to observe your use of it, and punish you for conduct that you used to get away with.

And if you're a Millennial who isn't leaving Tiktok, it's not just that you experience the same enshittification as those departing Gen Z kids – you also face higher switching costs if you go. The older you get, the more complex your social connections grow. A Gen Z kid in middle school doesn't have to worry about losing touch with their high-school buddies if they switch platforms (they haven't gone to high school yet – and they see their middle school friends in person all the time, giving them a side-channel to share information about who's leaving Tiktok and where they're headed to next). Middle-schoolers don't have to worry about coordinating little league car-pools or losing access to a rare disease support group.

In other words: younger people leave old platforms earlier because they have more to gain by leaving; and older people leave old platforms later because they have more to lose by leaving.

This is why Facebook is filled with Boomers. Yes, their kids bolted for the exits to avoid having their parents (or grandparents) wading into their sexual, social and professional lives. But the reason the Boomers were late joining younger users' Facebook exodus – or the reason they never joined it – is that they stand to lose more by going. Facebook deliberately cultivated this dynamic, for example, by creating a photo hosting service designed to entice users into uploading their family photos while disguising how hard it would be to take those photos with them if they left:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/facebooks-secret-war-switching-costs

The irony here is that tech has intrinsically low switching costs. All other things being equal, a new platform can always build a bridge to ease the passage of users from the old one. There's no (technical) reason that moving to Mastodon, or Bluesky, or any other platform should mean cutting ties with the people who stayed behind.

A combination of voluntary interoperability (where old platforms offer APIs to allow new services to connect with them), mandatory interop (where governments force tech companies to offer APIs) and adversarial interop (where new companies hack together their own API with reverse-engineering, scraping, bots, and other guerrilla tactics) would hypothetically allow users to hop between networks as easily as you change phone carriers:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/19/better-failure/#let-my-tweeters-go

Tech platforms tend to offer APIs when they're getting started (to ease the inward passage of new users) then shut them down after they attain dominance (locking the door behind those users). The EU is tinkering with mandatory APIs through the Digital Markets Act (though bafflingly, they're starting with encrypted messaging rather than social media). Restoring adversarial interoperability will require extensive legal reform, which is getting started through Right to Repair laws:

https://www.techdirt.com/2024/03/13/oregon-passes-right-to-repair-law-apple-lobbied-to-kill/

The people who are stranded on social media platforms shouldn't be mistaken for uncool, aging technophobes. They're not stubborn, they're stranded. Like the elders who can't afford to leave a dying town after the factory shuts down and the young people move away, these people are locked in. They need help evacuating – a place to go and a path to get there.

Name your price for 18 of my DRM-free ebooks and support the Electronic Frontier Foundation with the Humble Cory Doctorow Bundle.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/03/21/involuntary-die-hards/#evacuate-the-platformsr

#pluralistic

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sometipsygnostalgic · 4 months

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Due to a series of unfortunate events (a cancellation of all direct flights for 2 days), im going to be spending between 90 minutes and three hours in IRELAND of all places. The REPUBLIC of Ireland. I was not expecting this on my american adventure.

I wont get to do any irish things but im flying both flights with Aer Lingus instead of British Airways.

Here is my review of Aer Lingus which is by extension my review of Ireland:

- Holy SHIT this airbus is half the size of the boeing i was going to take. I expected it to have insane turbulence like the KLM washing machines but honestly it's no different to the boeing

- it is nice to hear announcements made in a celtic language first again, even if it's Gaelic and not Cymraeg. I look forward to seeing the "Casnewydd/Newport" sign when i finally take the train home, it's the first symbol of being in Wales.

- We left early. EARLY. On one hand this is leagues above all my BA flights that have never left on time. On the other hand if it left just 60 seconds late, id have recieved a free change of transfer plane. Now i gotta hope we get there "early" enough for me to get through customs and find my next flight. Better prepare to run but theres not much i can do about this. I just hope British Airways dont force me to pay for a rebooked flight because they decided 60 minutes international transfer time was enough (hah!) and i dont have superhuman speed.

- Im sat by an emergency exit. This has funny side effects. I get sliiiightly more leg room, but also im sat by the exit and the door is way, way colder than any other wall in the plane. It's not bothersome but it's funny how i have a free Cooling Wall.

- Internet is about same price as BA and i can use discord (good) but i cant use youtube (very bad, you should probably only go for for the im service)

- The dinner was about the same quality as the British airways food, but they had TWO meat options instead of one. I took the Beef Stew. Very yummy. They had cheese and tomato on the side instead of the cursed tomato couscous yoghurt that looks like strawberry muesli which british airways keep serving (prison food). I also really liked the chocolate mousse, slightly easier to eat than the chocolate brownie i get with BA, but i find it weird aer lingus serve most of their drinks in tiny cartons. Why??? At least i get a tiny water bottle with BA, like a souvenir. Also theres a tinier bread roll and no cheese with it, but the cheese felt out of place anyway. Not as out of place as the tiny creamer pot i get on both airlines, with no coffee in sight. It's like a shot.

- you dont get any free alcohol on this flight, you have to pay for your 1 can can of lager. With a credit card. Mine was in the overhead locker. Thankfully a guy on my aisle was feeling generous and bought my can. Downgrade from BA including 2 alcoholic drinks in the flights

- instead of a nice pasty or bacon egg roll for breakfast they gave me a tiny carton of orange juice and a Nature Valley granola bar. Horrible

- the in flight entertainment is on a screen from 2009 instead of 1999. There is no funny controller that stops working randomly. It is a normal ass touch screen. Unfortunately i lost my provided earbuds at the start of the flight so i havent done anything with it

- no reclining chair on this airbus :( it's an overnight flight. My chair is missing an arm but i assume thats because it is by the emergency exit

- BA do this thing where they dim the lights and turn them back on an hour before arrival. Aer Lingus have decided to "dim" the lights by having these purple lights on, instead of turning them off.

More to come when i arrive at the airport

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airsllides · 19 days

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airsLLide No. 19672: LV-YPA, McDonnell Douglas DC-9-41, Dinar Lineas Aereas, Buenos Aires-Aeroparque, November 30, 2000.

Argentinian Dinar focussed mainly on domestic flights from its base in Salta, but also flew selected leisure flights to destinations in Brasil and in the Caribbean. Founded in 1992 with two Fokker 28 leased from the Argentinian Air Force, it had switched to flying a mix of DC-9 and MD-80 aircraft by the year 2000. It enjoyed a high customer regard for its over-average service and punctuality, but was no less victim to the difficult economic situation in Argentina with its high inflation and uncertainty than its competitors ranked lower by the travelling public.

In October 2002, Dinar had to cease operations. Its remaining assets were acquired by American Falcon.

As a side note: The latest livery of Dinar, shown above, had a striking ressemblance to the livery of European commuter airline Crossair of the period. This applies especially to the two-colored 'blots' along the fuselage and in the tailfin that were red and blue with Crossair, as opposed to green and blue with Dinar. The similarity was however anything but a coincidence: In 1996, Dinar leased its first MD-82 from Crossair stock, later deciding to acquire more aircraft of the same type. In the initial deal, the CEO's of the two airlines were reported to have respected each other's concepts and ideas so much that they agreed on Dinar being allowed to adopt this livery as its own identity. The MD-80s were even painted accordingly by Crossair before their ferry to Argentina.

HB-INW, McDonnell Douglas DC-9-83 (MD-83), Dinar Lineas Aeres, Zürich, May 4, 1997.

Having returned from its seasonal lease with Dinar just the night before, HB-INW, the first MD-80 to operate for Dinar, returns to flying for its owner Crossair. Due to the immediate entry into service here, she does so still wearing the full colors and titels of the Argentinian carrier. She will be repainted into the standard Crossair livery within a few days time, keeping all the local photographers on their toes trying to catch her while she still is in her 'exotic' dress.

#aviation #mcdonnell douglas

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runwayrunway · 1 year

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No. 43 - Porter Airlines

I consider myself very lucky to live near enough to an airport, located directly beneath one of the main departure paths, that I can regularly see airplanes flying overhead on their way off to wherever. Depending on the plane, they can pass over my house as low as 3,000 feet! ...which is still way too high for my phone's camera! So while I can see the plane decently, even make out details of the livery, what my camera sees is...this.

Okay, so my planespotting hobby mostly consists of literally spotting them (I am very good at this part! It's the photography that I struggle with!) because I'm unable to shell out for a telephoto lens, but thanks to the magic of flight tracking software I'm able to identify the exact airplane that this is, rather than being forced to base my review off this crunchy "photograph".

So, I'd like to introduce you all to our subject for today, C-GLQR! And, by extension, Porter Airlines - requested by @fungaloids, plus an anon.

First flown in February of 2009 and delivered in December of the same year, C-GLQR has served her entire fourteen-year career with Porter Airlines. She's actually only slightly younger than the airline itself. Porter was founded in 2006, featuring executives who formerly served in similarly high positions in Canadian regional airlines Air Ontario and Canada 3000, American Airlines, and...apparently the former US ambassador to Canada for some reason. They're about as large as you can get while still more or less being a regional airline, and they fly a fleet I'd call medium-sized of Embraer E195-E2 jets and an even larger number of Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 turboprop planes, like the pictured C-GLQR, out of their hub in Toronto.

One interesting thing about Porter (inconsistently stylized as lowercase-p porter, but it lacks the clear intent of something like condor so I'm not going as far as to write it that way myself) is said hub. See, when I say Toronto, you probably think of the worst airport in the entire world, Toronto Lester B. Pearson International Airport. Thankfully for Porter's customers they do not have to go to the labyrinth of human misery which is Toronto Pearson, and are instead corralled into Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, colloquially known as Toronto Island Airport, potentially because it's changed its name twice and the local population got sick of remembering what it's calling itself now.

image: DXR

The 'island' designator is quite literal. This is a teeny tiny airport, just barely large enough to land the Q400 and definitely too small to land jets. The fact that Porter flies to Chicago-Midway, Washington-Dulles, and Boston-Logan is a testament to the Q400's absolutely wild range rather than an indication that this tiny scrap of land is in any meaningful way an international airport. It has two runways and both are shorter than the ones at the smallest airport I've ever flown into that had an actual terminal, Vieques. I'm surprised they can operate a Q400 there. In fact, they can't - they had to pick a seat configuration smaller than the standard in order to be able to use the runways at Billy Bishop. (Incidentally, this means their seats have a more generous pitch, so I suppose that's a point for them.)

So why would they want to put the biggest passenger turboprop in service in the West onto this tiny airstrip? Well, Porter's...reason for existing, so it seems, is to force the Toronto Port Authority to expand the airport and build a bridge to the mainland despite the fact that nobody who lives in the area wants this. Hilariously, they have been entirely unsuccessful in this venture and now operate a second hub in Pearson. That's where they put the jets - after all, if you tried to land an E195-E2 at Toronto Island you would have a very wet plane and some very mad passengers on your hands very quickly.

youtube

I mean, to be fair, getting to not go to Pearson is a selling point.

I don't have any other place to put this but they have an adorable raccoon mascot named Mr. Porter. I'm not sure why a raccoon, but I like him. He doesn't appear on the livery at all - heaven forbid we do something interesting - but he's there and he's cute. I do have to point out, though, that this is one of the worst names for SEO I've seen in a while, given Mr. Porter is the name of the men's department of extremely popular luxury fashion outlet shop Net-a-Porter.

I think raccoons could be a pretty nice source of inspiration for a livery, what with their colorblocking and stripes. You could even make the planes' engine cowlings look like weirdly human little hands. I would hate that, but I would respect it! Instead Porter has taken the approach of making the plane mostly white. Revolutionary for sure.

I'll begin with the good and say that I really like this grey underside with its little outlines - I think this is an absolutely brilliant design for the Dash 8. Unlike the ATR series, which I've talked about a fair few times before on this blog, the Q400 is about as angular as a plane can get. I've never touched on that shape before, but I've discussed how carriers, though I'm sure it's by accident and they never consider this, work with the shape of the ATR to good effect. The curvaceousness of the ventral fairing on the ATR is complemented by long swoops like the ones used by Azul, IndiGo, and Air Astra. The Q400, in contrast, stores its landing gear in the engine cowlings, allowing for a very flat belly and uninterrupted fuselage that looks best with sharp long lines and blocky geometric shapes. If this livery had any other details, this would be such a nice touch - they even hammer the point in with the same design on the bottom of the cowlings.

Unfortunately, it's so light-colored that it's difficult to notice. You could mistake it for shadows settling on natural grooves in the airframe if you didn't know what the bottom of a Q400 is supposed to look like, and it isn't as if you can see it when the plane is parked.

You may well not see the wordmark, either. While the sans-serif font chosen is almost gratingly boring it is at least not hideous, but it's located in such an out-of-the-way location it almost feels like they're ashamed of it. It's so needlessly far back and low-sitting that the wing blocks it from half the possible angles, and it's not like it's accentuated in any way. You could so easily miss it. This wordmark is honestly Lufthansa-tier.

Another thing I don't like is the use of the tail. It's blocked out very Detached Tail Syndrome style, refusing to engage with the large block leading from it to the fuselage. I would understand, though not approve, if this was because they didn't want to redesign the balance of the tail when applying the livery to a new style of plane, but the Q400 is what they started with! The livery was designed for this plane and it seems to want you to just not notice this significant chunk of fuselage! It makes the whole airframe look so desolate and empty. The kindest thing I can say for it is that it looks lazy, but really it looks more unfinished. I just struggle to understand why these choices were made, in all honesty. Surely this isn't the best you can do.

Right, right, okay. There's something I've been dancing around on purpose and I think it's obvious what it is. I just wanted to get in an entire review first because there's sort of no going back once I've mentioned it. Everything I said before, while very important, is subordinate to this one...utterly perplexing choice which turns failure to infamy.

PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER PORTER

Grade: Z-

#tarmac fashion week #era: 2000s #era: 2010s #era: 2020s #grade: z-#region: north america #region: canada #regional airlines #porter airlines

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sapphyreopal5 · 6 months

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I’m sorry for being rude in the first ask , you are right maybe I came off hot there and you thought I was attacking your blog.

I’m sorry 😞

My spelling mistakes not only because I don’t know English very well, it’s also because I write fans and angry , I’ll work on that .

Thank you for allowing civil criticism and not blindly follow the actor you favor, like jensen for example, i have no problem calling him out on something that I thought was offensive or tasteless, I don’t see him asa god , but jared’s fans refuse to acknowledge that he is human and does make mistakes and it’s ok .

No they think the best way to defend jared is by going after jensen, like that makes it all right.

Anyway,I’m sorry again and thank you for being class act

Well hello there again Anon, thank you for the apology. As I've said before, I've always been open to discussing criticism and even praise in a civil manner. I am going to have to disagree that Jared stans only go after Jensen to defend him, nor do they all think Jared is a Saint. I don't care for participating in the Jared is better vs Jensen is better social media battle because really, that's an ongoing thing that will just go round and round in a hamster wheel leading no where. I think it's fair like I said Jared felt excluded from TW as it's the so called prequel to the franchise he was a big part of for 15 years along with Jensen. Sure it may have been a business move to do TW but was it a smart one? No, it was poorly executed and also led to a man being struck by lightning who is currently suing Jensen, Danneel and others. Jensen also was rather rude towards those with valid questions about the said prequel. He ended up saying something along the lines of asking people if they were ever fans to begin with when faced with such questions. Plus the whole ignoring the drivers text saying the car was ready at the race track as he talked about at the Charlotte con August 2023, which I actually went to myself. Also, I am gonna say this but Jensen and Misha's YANA in my opinion was 💯 a meek and to ultimately failed attempt to replace Jared's AFK campaign, as it was questionable if Jared was going to leave Supernatural or not. I don't buy the whole "it's clear Jensen didn't want to do it". You're allowed to say no people, you're allowed to say no which Jensen clearly didn't do here....

Jared isn't so innocent either, he too has said and done questionable things. Plenty of people see aware of the public intoxication and assault charges filed against him in October 2019 after he was arrested for such. He had a time in his life where he called out hospitality and customer service departments on social media. One of the waitresses he posted about got death threats. Mind you, I believe she's one of the ones who had her photo included in Jared's post about her "poor service". Now, it's one thing to mention names when making a complaint or bad review. However, to add a photo of the person while doing so is in extremely bad taste. This waitress ended up deleting her online profiles after getting attacked by a lot of Jared fans. He also did this for a man who worked at a Las Vegas casino (included a photo again yes), not sure what exactly happened with him or what the end result is. He also swore to never fly with American Airlines again after a bad experience as well. He even got upset with Verizon Wireless over them requesting to folks a police report for someone making a fraudulent account in his name. He did also insult singer Justin Beiber in the past in multiple posts and Taylor Swift as well, and even wished for Tony Romero to have a career ending injury. I provided some screenshots below that I found throughout various receipts posts. Not gonna lie, this does in a way challenge what his mission with Always Keep Fighting is about. I also am aware of an online bullying video he posted on his Instagram on Oct 10, 2022 I linked to below. I hope this video is a sign he reflected on the errors of his ways from his past behaviors on social media essentially doxxing people.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjiwgGSLj8A/?igsh=c2VwMWMwMnJhZm8w

I will say on a personal note, I certainly care about this tidbit for multiple reasons, including a personal incident that happened to me in high school. (EDIT: added 30 min after initially posting, personal story): One of the so called "popular girls" in my school answered a series of questions on a Myspace bulletin, one of which was something like "if you were to shoot anyone who would it be and why?" To which she responded my first and last name "because she talks to herself and is annoying", way to spread rumors about me saying false things about me and threatening my life. Needless to say we had an unpleasant confrontation in gym class a few days later and I admittedly told her she's not worth time in prison. She started shaking and said "well geez it was just a joke", "you don't joke about things like killing people D". Interestingly enough, she apparently lost her right leg after falling in her backyard tripping over a rock (multiple surgeries and almost died twice in the process) actually in mid August 2022, the same year Jared got into his car accident back in April 2022. But that can't be a coincidence on her part, they have to be separate things and not karma surely enough right?

Now, I don't hate Jared. In fact, I like Jared overall but I will say he is an impulsive character who has lashed out online at times both BEFORE and AFTER his breakdown in 2015. Rumor has it he went to a facility for a couple weeks to a month or so. I say this did NOT help him in the long run clearly. The people like Gen who probably convinced him to go to said facility have no sense of discernment in determining whether it would actually benefit someone with suicidal ideation and such to go to such a facility. My senses tell me this was greatly detrimental in the long run and clearly had no longer term benefits. To me, the above things I mentioned and other things I mentioned in other posts seems to point to my being right in my assessment here. It seems Jared is still troubled to this day with anxiety and depression 💯

I think he struggles more with anxiety than depression based on what I've read in his chapter in that book Family Don't End with Blood along with how he talks and expresses himself and such. Yes he has symptoms and signs of both but anxiety seems more dominant than depression, which he was initially diagnosed with in 2007. He's often described as a worry wart and cares very much what people think of him. He even used to get anxiety with cons and such when he first started out doing them. Anxiety is characterized more with feelings like fearfulness, paranoia, extreme stress, sense of dead, worry or apprehension, tightness in chest, etc.

I myself was diagnosed with depression in 2006 probably about 14 months before Jared was, as I attempted suicide via overdose at the age of 15 on 9/18/2006, which actually was only a year and 5 days after Supernatural first aired on 9/13/2005. I mention this because Jared described his suicidal ideation during his 2015 breakdown as more or less an intrusive thought and ended up feeling fearful he would do so and didn't want to burden his wife or friend Brian with being the last persons that he spoke to, or his kids being without a dad type of deal. In my case, I was very convinced by my brain that I was better off dead, the world would be better off without me, etc. I still at times am consumed with thoughts about dying and leaving this world behind, this "stupid rock" as I so affectionately call it at times ha ha. Depression is really more or less accompanied by things like disinterest in things, guilt, worthlessness, hopelessness, etc. Both conditions can lead to decrease in energy levels, over- or under- sleeping, irritability or anger, problems concentrating, etc.

They coexist a lot but do you see why I am saying he seems more anxious than depressed? No mental illness, be it anxiety, depression, etc. can excuse his poor behaviors whatsoever, same with Jensen and anyone else. Now Anon, do you see that I have my criticisms of both and also praises of both J2?

Instead of sending me more anonymous asks and risking having more people go after you in reblogs and whatnot, I encourage you to send me a PM. Anything you say to me is between us if that is what you'd like.

#j2 #spn family #jared critical #jensen critical #always keep fighting #you are not alone #anon answered

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 8 months

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Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

January 19, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

JAN 19, 2024

President Joe Biden today signed the continuing resolution that will keep the government operating into March.

Meanwhile, the stock market roared as two of the three major indexes hit new record highs. The S&P 500, which measures the value of 500 of the largest companies in the country, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which does the same for 30 companies considered to be industry leaders, both rose to all-time highs. The third major index, the Nasdaq Composite, which is weighted toward technology stocks, did not hit a record high, although its 1.7% jump was higher than that of the S&P 500 (1.2%) or the Dow (1.1%).

Investors appear to be buoyed by the fact the rate of inflation has come down in the U.S. and by news that consumers are feeling better about the economy. A report out today by Goldman Sachs Economics Research noted that consumer spending is strong and predicted that “job gains, positive real wage growth, will lead to around 3% real disposable income growth” and that “household balance sheets have strengthened.” It also noted that “[t]he US has led the way on disinflation,” and it predicted further drops in 2024. That will likely mean the sort of interest rate cuts the stock market likes.

The economic policies of the Biden-Harris administration have also benefited workers. The unemployment rate has been under 4% for more than two years, and wages have risen higher than inflation in that same period. Production is up as well, to 4.9% in the third quarter of 2023 (the U.S. growth rate under Trump even before the pandemic was 2.5%).

The administration has worked to end some of the most obvious financial inequities in the U.S., such as the unexpected “junk fees” tacked on to airline or concert tickets, or to car or apartment rentals. On Wednesday the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced a proposed rule for bank overdraft fees at banks that have more than $10 billion in assets.

While banks now can charge what they wish if a customer’s balance falls below zero, the proposed rule would allow them to charge no more than what it cost them to break even on providing overdraft services or, alternatively, an industry-wide fee that reflects the amount it costs to deal with overdrafts: $3, $6, $7, or $14. The amount will be established after a public hearing period.

Ken Sweet and Cora Lewis of the Associated Press note that while the average overdraft is $26.61, some banks charge as much as $39 per overdraft. The CFPB estimates that in the past 20 years, banks have collected more than $280 billion in overdraft fees. (One bank’s chief executive officer named his boat “Overdraft.”) Over the past two years, pressure has made banks cut back on their fees and they now take in about $8 billion a year from those overdraft fees.

Bankers say regulation is unnecessary and will force them to end the overdraft service, pushing people out of the banking system. Biden said that the rule would save U.S. families $3.5 billion annually.

The administration has also addressed the student loan crisis by reexamining the loan histories of student borrowers. An NPR investigation led by Cory Turner revealed that banks mismanaged loans, denying borrowers the terms under which they had signed on to them. Rather than honoring the government’s promise that so long as a borrower paid what the government thought was reasonable on a loan for 20 or 25 years (undergrad or graduate), the debt would be forgiven, banks urged borrowers to put the loan into “forbearance,” under which payments paused but the debt continued to accrue interest, making the amount balloon.

The Education Department has been reexamining all those old loans to find this sort of mismanagement as well as other problems, like borrowers not getting credit for payments to count toward their 20 years of payments, or borrowers who chose public service not receiving the debt relief they were promised.

Today the administration announced $4.9 billion of student debt cancellation for almost 74,000 borrowers. That brings the total of borrowers whose debt has been canceled to 3.7 million Americans, with an erasure of $136.6 billion. Nearly 30,000 of today’s relieved borrowers had been in repayment for at least 20 years but never got the relief they should have; nearly 44,000 had earned debt forgiveness after 10 years of public service as teachers, nurses, and firefighters.

Biden has been traveling the country recently, touting how the economic policies of the Biden-Harris administration have benefited ordinary Americans. In Emmaus, Pennsylvania, last Friday he visited a bicycle shop, a running shoe store, and a coffee shop to emphasize how small businesses are booming under his administration: in the three years since he took office, there have been 16 million applications to start new businesses, the highest number on record.

Biden was in Raleigh, North Carolina, yesterday to announce another $82 million in support for broadband access, bringing the total of government infrastructure funding in North Carolina during the Biden administration to $3 billion.

On social media, the administration compared its investments in the American people to those of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal in the 1930s, which were enormously popular.

They were popular, that is, until those opposed to business regulation convinced white voters that the government’s protection of civil rights, which came along with its protection of ordinary Americans through regulation of business, provision of a basic social safety net, and promotion of infrastructure, meant redistribution of white tax dollars to undeserving Black people.

The same effort to make sure that ordinary Americans don’t work together to restore basic fairness in the economy and rights in society is visible now in the attempt to attribute a recent Boeing airplane malfunction, in which a door panel blew off mid-flight, to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Tesnim Zekeria at Popular Information yesterday chronicled how that accusation spread across the right-wing ecosystem and onto the Fox News Channel, where Fox Business host Sean Duffy warned: “This is a dangerous business when you’re focused on DEI and maybe less focused on engineering and safety.”

As Zekeria explains, “this narrative has no basis in fact.” Neither Boeing nor its supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, is particularly diverse, either at the workforce level, where minorities make up 35% of Boeing employees and 26% of those at Spirit AeroSystems, or on the corporate ladder, where the overwhelming majority of executives are white men. Zekeria notes that right-wing media figures have also erroneously blamed last year’s train derailment in Ohio and the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank on DEI initiatives.

The real culprit at Boeing, Zekeria suggests, was the weakened regulations on Boeing and Spirit thanks to more than $65 million in lobbying efforts.

Perhaps an even more transparent attempt to keep ordinary Americans from working together is the attacks former Fox News Channel personality Tucker Carlson has launched against Vice President Kamala Harris, calling her “a member of the new master race” who “must be shown maximum respect at all times, no matter what she says or does.” Philip Bump of the Washington Post noted yesterday that this construction suggests that Harris, who identifies as both Black and Indian, represents all nonwhite Americans as a united force opposed to white Americans.

But Harris’s actions actually represent something else altogether. She has crossed the country since June 2022, when the Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that recognized the constitutional right to abortion, talking about the right of all Americans to bodily autonomy. That the Supreme Court felt able to take away a constitutional right has worried many Americans about what they might do next, and people all over the country have been coming together in opposition to the small minority that appears to have taken over the levers of our democracy.

Driving the wedge of racism into that majority coalition seems to be a desperate attempt to stop ordinary Americans from taking back control of the country.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#Letters from An American #Heather Cox Richardson #US Economy #Kamala Harris #reproductive rights #women's rights #income inequality #student loans #stock market

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beardedmrbean · 6 months

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https://apple.news/A3f8u6tXeTaqMtF6EF6ebMw

Now isn’t that odd 🤔

A Florida man on an American Airlines flight was put in a headlock, removed from the aircraft and arrested after he called fellow passengers "blue-eyed white devils" and threatened to "take this plane down with all you motherf---ers on it."

Shail Patel, 29, was drunk when he boarded the flight from Tampa to Philadelphia on Tuesday and began "antagonizing passengers, calling flight attendants names, threatening passengers and aggressively moving through the aircraft," court documents show, according to WFLA.

The report stated he was acting hostile after he boarded and "began acting erratically, yelling and cursing at the passengers."

Patel called passengers "blue-eyed white devils" and threatened to "take this plane down with all you motherf------ on it," according to court documents. He is also accused of slapping a passenger on the hand and face and spitting on them.

Video footage of the incident showed Patel yelling an antisemitic slur at a flight attendant before he was put in a headlock by a fellow passenger and removed from the aircraft. "I'm trying to get to my home country and you people made it harder for me to get to my home country," he was heard yelling at one point in the video.

A flight attendant used the aircraft's public address system to ask if any off-duty police officers were on board who could help restrain Patel. Police said six off-duty law enforcement officers stepped in and took him off the plane.

"Prior to departure of American Airlines flight 2506 with service from Tampa (TPA) to Philadelphia (PHL), law enforcement was requested to the aircraft due to a disturbance in the cabin involving a disruptive customer," American Airlines said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "We thank our team for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience."

The flight had a 30-minute delay because of the incident.

Patel was arrested on two counts of battery and one count of disorderly intoxication. He is being held at the Hillsborough County Jail on a $2,150 bond. __________________________

First thought was Patel is a Indian name, was confused about the home country bit but given the fact that he was drunk it's safe to assume guys not Muslim.

Still this is the end result of DEI policies and similar programs that are just ways to pin the blame on white people for everything, Missouri AG pointing to the same thing and attaching some of the blame for that young girl that got her head bashed into the sidewalk on this nonsense.

#anonymous

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championofravens · 1 month

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TLDR;

1. FTC has proposed requiring companies to make cancelling subscriptions or services simple, and the FCC is considering having similar requirements in the communications industry (ex: cancelling your phone bill)

2. DOT is mandating airlines refund you automatically and in full if your flight is cancelled or majorly changed (and you choose not to accept an alternative booking)

3. Both the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor are putting the squeeze on private insurance companies to make it so health claims can be submitted online (whoa!)

4. Mandating federal employee health benefits and post service health benefit **plans** (so they currently get benefits but do not have a structure in place to make viewing and managing benefits easy)

5. CFPB in the process of mandating companies offer a one button option to talk to service reps. FCC will follow suit, and private insurances are also being pressed on this

6. Crackdown on chatbots especially at financial institutions and a case is being built to tackle the legality of thinking you're talking to a real person when you are Not

The white house site currently has comments open and is urging people to submit more issues they can tackle in this vein of processes that are needlessly long/complicated and eat up your time and money

#text #news #from yesterday

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charmre · 2 months

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The American Airlines debacle continues! We never got our partial refund so I'm waiting on a phone call from their customer service queue O-|<

If you heed anything from me let it be this, NEVER fly with American Airlines. Literally nothing but headaches and frustration and delayed flights for days...

#personal #gonna see about taking a nap but I'm also waiting on this phone call #I'll just...lay here then

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tocitynews · 2 months

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A Widespread Microsoft Outage Disrupted Flights, Banks, Media Outlets And Companies Around The World On Friday And Highlighted Dependence On Software From A Handful Of Providers – New York City reporting

The issue affected Microsoft 365 apps and services, and escalating disruptions continued hours after the technology company said it was gradually fixing it.

Microsoft 365 posted on X that the company was “working on rerouting the impacted traffic to alternate systems to alleviate impact in a more expedient fashion” and that they were “observing a positive trend in service availability.”

Major disruptions reported by airlines and airports grew. Flight tracking website Flightaware reports more nearly 1,000 flights canceled and over 12,000 more are delayed. Chicago O'Hare, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, Newark , La Guardia and Boston Logan International Airport lead Flightaware's "misery map" with the most delays and cancellations.

In the U.S., the FAA said the airlines United, Delta and Allegiant had all been grounded. American Airlines lifted its ground stop just after 5 a.m ET, saying they were able to "safely re-establish operations."

An earlier ground stop for Frontier Airlines was lifted just after midnight, and the carrier said they had resumed normal operations, for now.

Travelers at Los Angeles International Airport slept on a jetway floor, using backpacks and other luggage for pillows, due to a delayed United flight to Dulles International Airport early on Friday.

Across the pond, Edinburgh Airport said the system outage meant waiting times were longer than usual. London’s Stansted Airport said some airline check-in services were being completed manually, but flights were still operating.

The budget airline Ryanair said they are "experiencing disruption across the network due to a global third party IT outage which is out of our control. We advise all passengers to arrive at the airport at least three hours before their scheduled departure time.”

Widespread problems were reported at Australian airports, where lines grew and some passengers were stranded as online check-in services and self-service booths were disabled. Passengers in Melbourne queued for more than an hour to check in, although flights were still operating. Airlines Virgin Australia and Qantas were severely affected by the outage.

News outlets in Australia — including the ABC and Sky News — were unable to broadcast on their TV and radio channels, and reported sudden shutdowns of Windows-based computers. Some news anchors broadcast live online from dark offices, in front of computers showing “blue screens of death.” Telecommunications providers, banks and media broadcasters were also disrupted as they lost access to computer systems. Outages reported on the site DownDetector included the banks NAB, Commonwealth and Bendigo, as well as internet and phone providers such as Telstra. The New Zealand banks ASB and Kiwibank said their services were down.

Television stations in the United Kingdom were being disrupted by the computer issues.

Hospitals in Britain and Germany also reported problems.

Israel’s Cyber Directorate said that it was among the places affected by the global outages, attributing them to a problem with the cybersecurity platform Crowdstrike. The outage also hit the country’s post offices and hospitals, according to the ministries of communication and health.

In South Africa, at least one major bank said it was experiencing “nationwide service disruptions” as customers reported they were unable to make payments using their bank cards at grocery stores and gas stations.

Numerous European airlines are using manual check-in.

#microsoft #System breakdown

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