Random Thoughts Thread

[trinacriabob]

On 3/5/2026 at 2:06 PM, A Horse With No Name said:

We did wind up buying the 2026 Camry Hybrid, so I am now a Hybrid owner. Happy so far. 

I am very happy for you. 

I've had a few as rentals and even reviewed one here. The exterior is more attractive, the ergonomics of the interior are better, and it keeps its 2.5 engine, but adds (an) electric motor(s). 

Sounds like a plan!

- - - - -

I am extremely unhappy with domestic automakers that not a single sedan for everyday people is anywhere to be found in their portfolio of offerings. I think that there would be a market for one good one, and not necessarily a "rental agency darling."

[Robert Hall]

On 3/1/2026 at 7:35 AM, trinacriabob said:

What I was really going to post ...

This is more of a QUESTION than it is a random post.

Have any of you flown on the lesser known airlines like Frontier, Allegiant, etc.?

- - - - -

I flew on Spirit only once and surprisingly got a good fare from Pensacola to South Florida (Lauderdale, in this case).  It was about $105 with the bag underneath and a window seat.  I got lucky that time.  It was cheaper than driving and less tiring.

What about Frontier and Allegiant?  They initially display a favorable price with zero add-ons.  But, by the time you add a rollaboard and a bag underneath, does it come out to about what the legacy carriers might charge?  I always get turned off when I check out Frontier or Spirit, only to find that it's not as cheap as it looks and I don't get miles credited to a significant account.

As for Southwest, they're just like the other carriers now ... you pay for bags, good seats, etc.

Help needed with the "other" cheapies ... especially Frontier.  Thanks.

I don't know how it is now, but I regularly flew Frontier when I lived in Denver and they were based there.  Frontier was fine then..don't know about now.  I've flown Southwest a lot over the last 25+ years.   My most recent flights (last year to Denver) were on SW.   American I use for work trips to Plano.  As far as the major US carriers, I like Delta. 

[trinacriabob]

21 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

I don't know how it is now, but I regularly flew Frontier when I lived in Denver and they were based there.  Frontier was fine then..don't know about now.  I've flown Southwest a lot over the last 25+ years.   My most recent flights (last year to Denver) were on SW.   American I use for work trips to Plano.  As far as the major US carriers, I like Delta. 

Okay, thanks.  It's funny how sometimes Frontier might have just one point to point flight on a given day and its hours are just right. If you don't belong to their club, you have to snag that lower price fairly quickly before it goes up.   I have yet to fly on them. And I'm sort of looking forward to using them someday, just to do things differently.

Without the 2 free bags, Southwest is much like any other big American airline these days. Their fees to pick out a particular seat are within bounds and at least it avoids the cattle call.

Of the legacy carriers, American Airlines typically has the best fares, especially if going one way.  I believe I flew MIA-LAX on a 777-300 for less than $200.  It was a very smooth flight and the descent into LAX was really nice.

I'm at the end of my rope with Delta.  There's nothing wrong with them in the air.  They are usually the most expensive and what they want for mileage redemptions is comparatively high to what the other legacy carriers want.  Once that frequent flyer account is depleted, I doubt I will be using Delta much.  Also, they do not have ITA as a partner anymore and their only major European partners that are even relevant to me are Air France and KLM, and they are not even that relevant to me.

[Robert Hall]

11 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

Okay, thanks.  It's funny how sometimes Frontier might have just one point to point flight on a given day and its hours are just right. If you don't belong to their club, you have to snag that lower price fairly quickly before it goes up.   I have yet to fly on them. And I'm sort of looking forward to using them someday, just to do things differently.

Without the 2 free bags, Southwest is much like any other big American airline these days. Their fees to pick out a particular seat are within bounds and at least it avoids the cattle call.

 

I never check bags if I can avoid it, so not an issue for me.  I get their plus something something so I'm usually at the front of the line (haven't flown them since they dropped the cattle call, though).   Unless it's over 1000 miles, though, I prefer to travel by Cadillac..I really enjoy road trips and really dislike air travel anymore... 

Edited yesterday at 02:22 PM by Robert Hall

[trinacriabob]

34 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

I never check bags if I can avoid it, so not an issue for me.  I get their plus something something so I'm usually at the front of the line (haven't flown them since they dropped the cattle call, though).   Unless it's over 1000 miles, though, I prefer to travel by Cadillac..I really enjoy road trips and really dislike air travel anymore... 

For obvious reasons, bags are a big concern for me.

[G. David Felt]

Cool site for those that like older gear.
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[G. David Felt]

2 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

Okay, thanks.  It's funny how sometimes Frontier might have just one point to point flight on a given day and its hours are just right. If you don't belong to their club, you have to snag that lower price fairly quickly before it goes up.   I have yet to fly on them. And I'm sort of looking forward to using them someday, just to do things differently.

Without the 2 free bags, Southwest is much like any other big American airline these days. Their fees to pick out a particular seat are within bounds and at least it avoids the cattle call.

Of the legacy carriers, American Airlines typically has the best fares, especially if going one way.  I believe I flew MIA-LAX on a 777-300 for less than $200.  It was a very smooth flight and the descent into LAX was really nice.

I'm at the end of my rope with Delta.  There's nothing wrong with them in the air.  They are usually the most expensive and what they want for mileage redemptions is comparatively high to what the other legacy carriers want.  Once that frequent flyer account is depleted, I doubt I will be using Delta much.  Also, they do not have ITA as a partner anymore and their only major European partners that are even relevant to me are Air France and KLM, and they are not even that relevant to me.

United, AA, & Delta are horror stories for me. I pretty much stick with Alaska Airlines now. Hate the cattle car approach of Southwest and Frontier was a one and done of dirtiness and I was ridiculed by the flight folks for wiping down my table and space with anti-septic wipes to have a cleaner space. Shocking how dirty it was, so pretty much one can call me an air snob if you want, but for what we pay for a ticket, one should expect clean planes and polite service.

2 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

I never check bags if I can avoid it, so not an issue for me.  I get their plus something something so I'm usually at the front of the line (haven't flown them since they dropped the cattle call, though).   Unless it's over 1000 miles, though, I prefer to travel by Cadillac..I really enjoy road trips and really dislike air travel anymore... 

I always check a bag as my clothes are just way too big to fit in that tiny carry on and with the continued reduction in carry on size, not going to fight over overhead space.

[trinacriabob]

22 minutes ago, G. David Felt said:

United, AA, & Delta are horror stories for me. I pretty much stick with Alaska Airlines now. Hate the cattle car approach of Southwest and Frontier was a one and done 

I have always done well with United and their frequent flyer program and partners are the best ones for my needs.

Alaska is very good and has good pricing in a north-south direction on the West Coast, but it's not so cheap when going east-west, at least not when I've looked.

It will be interesting to see if the cattle car disappears from Southwest once assigned seating begins.  It might.  I will find out this summer.

[trinacriabob]

Randomly remembering past infatuations:

I just thought of this.

Colonnade Cutlasses with opera windows gave you the waterfall.

Colonnade Regal/Century with opera windows gave you a very formal, almost more full-size Buick model's grille if the Regal and gave you a sportier canted grille if a Century.

I know the Regal S/R was the answer to the Cutlass Salon, but I believe they sometimes put in fancy bucket seats or ultra plush 60-40 cloth seats in Centuries with opera windows.  I'm not entirely sure, but I have seen a few Century coupes that were NOT spartan.  (The Century Special was their $3,999 blue light special.) What was funny is that, if you ever came across a V6 for sale and turned the ignition key, it would fart ... unevenly.

I am taking a random walk down Memory Lane as opposed to a random walk down Main Street.

[Robert Hall]

32 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

Randomly remembering past infatuations:

I just thought of this.

Colonnade Cutlasses with opera windows gave you the waterfall.

Colonnade Regal/Century with opera windows gave you a very formal, almost more full-size Buick model's grille if the Regal and gave you a sportier canted grille if a Century.

I know the Regal S/R was the answer to the Cutlass Salon, but I believe they sometimes put in fancy bucket seats or ultra plush 60-40 cloth seats in Centuries with opera windows.  I'm not entirely sure, but I have seen a few Century coupes that were NOT spartan.  (The Century Special was their $3,999 blue light special.) What was funny is that, if you ever came across a V6 for sale and turned the ignition key, it would fart ... unevenly.

I am taking a random walk down Memory Lane as opposed to a random walk down Main Street.

That canted grille was also used on the base midsize Buick in  '76-77, badged as Century Special with the fastback roofline and big quarter windows..those were neat, haven't seen one in forever..

 

[trinacriabob]

1 hour ago, Robert Hall said:

That canted grille was also used on the base midsize Buick in  '76-77, badged as Century Special with the fastback roofline and big quarter windows..those were neat, haven't seen one in forever..

 

Triangular rear quarter windows on these vehicles were always Century models - either plain Century or Century Special, like the one you've shown.  The Century Special was always restricted to the base odd-firing 231 cubic inch V6 ... and it was the loss leader I refer to.  Stripped down models were sort of ugly.  Their dashboard was simplistic and funny when it did not have air conditioning controls.  Incidentally, with the upright nature of these cars, I can vouch for visibility being excellent through the opera window ... they really dialed in the necessary area ... and similarly okay in those with the triangular rear quarter window.  It might have been less than okay in Grand Ams and Lagunas of those years that had louvers on those rear quarter windows.

I really miss this span of GM midsize model years - maybe because life was simpler and there was less conflict in the world - and it goes without saying that I am probably their biggest aficionado on this forum.

[Robert Hall]

Another neat Buick collonade variation was the '76 Century Indy Pace Car replica...t-tops, rear spoiler, covered quarter windows.

[ccap41]

On 3/4/2026 at 12:08 AM, G. David Felt said:

Sadly they have been mum on if they will support AA / CP which Genesis will support.

Everything I've read says they will support AA/CP. 

I'd LOVE a Scout but I'm not sure if I could swallow the price. 

On 3/4/2026 at 12:30 AM, G. David Felt said:

Interesting, what do others think about Canada starting to allow in Chinese EVs?

I think it's a mistake to allow Chinese vehicles into Canada or the US. 

On 3/4/2026 at 8:24 AM, A Horse With No Name said:

I would rather buy Chinese than American, the Chinese are not bombing elementary schools and hospitals.

You're right. They only have children working in near-slave-like conditions. Good point. 🙄