Airplane Advice

[sisabet]

I'm buying my plane tickets for Vividcon today (squeeee!!!)and I have two flights I am considering:

United Flight on a Canadair Regional to O'Hare

ATA Flight on a Saab 340 Turboprop to Midway

Both are nonstop and within $10 in price so my major consideration is now: which plane is least likely to kill me? Seriously - I have no idea as I actively avoid thinking about planes as much as possible. My initial reaction is the Saab 340 Turboprop sounds very scary. But what is a Canadair Regional? Is it manufactured in Canada? Would mrmonkeybottoms know? Which plane is bigger? If I crash, I at least want to make the news for a couple of days so the bigger the better. Why did I decide to fly again?

My fear of heights is intact. Everytime I board a plane I am convinced that I will die. Every. Time. I'm not show-offy at all, though. I face my mortality with grace and white knuckles. Maybe a leetle bit of hyperventillation - very understated, almost just shallow fast breathing, really. I will then attempt to take my mind off my horrific impending death with self-congratulations of my stoicism. But that's just cause I'm all classy.

Comments

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Sweetie.
United.
O'Hare.

O'Hare is 5 minutes from the hotel. Midway is 45 at least. You won't die.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

You're certain I won't die?

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Promise. If you die, I'll give you double your money back!

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Okay - bought 'em.

Found out the reason the United Flight is so cheap is I leave Lexington at 6:45am. This will actually work for me as I will not be able to feel fear - or anything at all, really - that early.

[luminosity]

O'Hare! It's close to the hotel. VERY close.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Tickets are purchasd, reservations intact. Vids sent.

I think I'm ready. Am I forgetting something, I know I am forgetting something...

[luminosity]

Bring an extra toothbrush. That way, even if you have forgotten something, you can still feel smug about the toothbrush.

oh! And bring me a VCD of your vids. *cough*

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Yes! Vids. And toothbrush. I will have vids and clean teeth - and really if I have that, then I have everything.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

I'm terrified of heights, bugs, commitment and crying in public. That is the short list of my fears.

[pileofashes.livejournal.com]

technically, American Trans Air has yet to have a fatal accident.
United has had a few, BUT the catch is, that United has flown 18 million flights, while ATA has only done about 330,000 (at the time of the saftey chart i found)

have a look for yourself here (http://web.ask.com/redir?bpg=http%3a%2f%2fweb.ask.com%2fweb%3fq%3dwhich%2bairline%2bis%2bthe%2bsafest%253f%26o%3d0%26page%3d1&q=which+airline+is+the+safest%3f&u=http%3a%2f%2ftm.wc.ask.com%2fr%3ft%3dan%26s%3da%26uid%3d0A40F6430019ECEE3%26sid%3d18EDB8E6DE89523F3%26qid%3d51EF8244B9F5404BB0C13E81D9AD41DD%26io%3d9%26sv%3dza5cb0dd9%26ask%3dwhich%2bairline%2bis%2bthe%2bsafest%253f%26uip%3d181f83b6%26en%3dte%26eo%3d-100%26pt%3dTop%2b10%2bAirline%2bSafety%2bQuestions%26ac%3d4%26qs%3d1%26pg%3d1%26u%3dhttp%3a%2f%2fwww.airsafe.com%2ften_faq.htm&s=a&bu=http%3a%2f%2fwww.airsafe.com%2ften_faq.htm)

so yes, while ATA sounds more appealing, keep in mind that United has flown over 50 TIMES the amount of flights that ATA has.
personally, i would go with United. but then again, seeing as you are 37 times more likely to die in a car accident (http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/204-04102003-71505.html) in your life than a plane crash, i'd be more worried about your drive to the airport than the plane ride itself. ;)

good luck!

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Yes! Thank you very much. I like data, data is good.

[momentsintime.livejournal.com]

I'm one of those land not sky lovers, is there a fast train there,lol?

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

No trains in Lexington. And I could drive - but I'm being all adventurous and daring...plus the flights are really cheap commuters.

[saraslash.livejournal.com]

Q. Which plane is least likely to kill me?
A. Either is less likely to kill you than a car.

Seriously, planes are *really* safe. That's why it makes the news when they crash--it's rare.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Rationally I know this. I am often not rational.

[mrmonkeybottoms.livejournal.com]

Dude, I was gonna tell you to take the Canadian flight, cause really, who wants to blow up a Canadian? Oh, but they I saw you had a flying phobia and it was about crashing, not terrorists...and then I thought, self, maybe saying that would not be of the good. But then I saw you were gonna bring an extra toothbrush and I figured all was good.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

I am taking the Canada plane deal. If it crashes can I haunt you? I promise to be very entertaining and I will poke Kevin a lot.

[missmurchison.livejournal.com]

I'm glad the United flight is winning. O'Hare is a miserable airport, but at least it lacks the "Yield to Aircraft" sign that you see from the ATA shuttle bus at Midway. I'm never actually scared there, but I always check to make sure the bus driver does yield. (I'm terrified of heights, but for some bizarre reason the only thing that bothers me on airplanes is the crowding and having to use those nasty bathrooms.)

But O'Hare will be fine. Well, not fine, it's an airport, but that just means overpriced bad food and loooong walks through terminals.

Just keep thinking about what a blast you'll have when you get there.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Eye on the Prize and all...

[loves-bitch.livejournal.com]

*whimpers* you coming to Chicago and I'm not gonna get to meet you. This sucks! I have Dragon*con so all my money is going to that. NO FAIR!

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Awww.. but it is the vidding convention! An entire weekend of nothing but vids and vidders and vid talk. I imagine Heaven is similar, but without lines.