Full Upright and Locked Position: Not-So-Comfortable Truths about Air Travel Today

by Mark Gerchick

"Sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight," our pilots still intone. But who are they kidding? In Full Upright and Locked Position , former FAA chief counsel and senior aviation policy official Mark Gerchick unravels the unseen forces and little-known facts that have reshaped our air travel experience since September 11, 2001. With wry humor and unique insight, Gerchick takes us past the jargon, technicalities, and all-is-well platitudes to expose the new normal of air travel: from the packed planes and myriad hassles of everyday flying to the alchemy of air fares, the airlines’ endless nickel-and-diming, and the elusive hope of escape from steerage. We find out what pilots do in the cockpit, what’s really worth worrying about when it comes to airline safety, and why we get sick on planes. Meanwhile, Gerchick ponders the jarring disconnect between our quaint expectations of "service with a smile" and the grim reality of cramped seats, no-free-lunch, and "watch-yer-knees." With sympathy for both fliers and airlines, Gerchick shows how the new "business- all -business" airline industry has finally learned to make money, even in the face of crushing fuel costs, and get millions of travelers where they’re going every day safely and quickly. From his singular vantage point as former aviation regulator and policymaker, Gerchick gives us a straightforward insider’s view of how hard it is for government to improve the traveler’s lot by explaining the vagaries of consumer protection rules as well as the political realities and the economic forces at work. While Gerchick offers reasons to hope for a better future in air travel, he presents an unvarnished look at what we can expect―good and bad―when we take to the skies. Some of it will reassure you, some will make you cringe, but all will open your eyes to what it means to fly today.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Aviation, Business, Transport, Economics

352 pages, Hardcover

First published March 4, 2013

About the author

Mark Gerchick, an aviation consultant, has advised some of America’s largest airlines and busiest airports over the past fifteen years. A former chief counsel of the Federal Aviation Administration and senior Department of Transportation aviation official, he lives in McLean, Virginia.

Reviews

[Cyndie Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars because I think having read this book, and knowing even a bit more about what is going on behind the scenes at the airport and on my airplane, will give me a modicum more peace when my plane is delayed (again) and when I am trying to figure out if there's some part of the airline ticket pricing puzzle that I have not yet figured out. There are some parts likely to gross you out (bring hand sanitizer to use even after you wash your hands in the airplane), some to bring you peace (seriously flight is incredibly, ridiculously safe), but overall it's just nice to lift the curtain a little bit about what's going on behind the scenes and what it takes to keep airlines flying at all.

[Biblio Files (takingadayoff) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mark Gerchick's goal in writing this book is to explain why air travel is so frustrating these days. You already know that it is maddening. He concedes that you may not like the explanations or agree with them, but at least knowing why airlines, airports, and the federal government do what they do may take some of the sheer aggravation out of flying.

I'm not sure he's right about that, but he's done a good job of spelling out what's behind some of the infuriating aspects of air travel. If you've done a lot of traveling or have read about the industry over the years, perhaps by following columnists such as the Wall Street Journal's Scott McCartney or salon's Patrick Smith (Ask the Pilot), you probably know most of the explanations already. There's still enough that you probably don't know to make the book a valuable read, though. For instance, Gerchick explains in gory detail why the fares for every seat on the plane are different and why the cheapest fares require stayovers and plane changes.

He also addresses the questions of hygiene on planes, the water supply, the air supply, how often planes are serviced, the frequent flier mile system, airport security, and more. He talks about airports and highlights some of the more successful airport designs, such as T2 at San Francsisco International, which creates a calming atmosphere. As much as I appreciate that as a passenger, it turns out that calm, unstressed passengers tend to spend more money in the airport than stressed passengers.

[Ross Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard about Full Upright and Locked Position on NPR. I finally read through it, and I was pleasantly surprised. The book was filled with amusing anecdotes about the aviation industry and offered a fascinating view into the FAA. I'd recommend it to all.

[Kazen]

Not bad, necessarily, but dry. Might be easy to read in the right mood, but I got this as plane reading and it didn't quite work. Still powered through to 63% though.

[Sara Goldenberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Informative but not exciting

[Trike · Rating 5 out of 5]

An immensely enjoyable, fact-packed overview of the airline industry. What they do, who they are and how they operate in this age, it's all here. From the how and why of their fee evolution to what and when of their business revolution.

We get a behind-the-scenes look at everything from how different Presidential administrations react to the demands of passengers and airlines and how woefully underfunded the FAA is when it comes to addressing consumer concerns. There are major players here as well as little people like Zach, whose high school science project on the cleanliness of airplane water (it's not) triggered an investigation by the Wall Street Journal and the EPA. (Seriously, don't drink the tap water on airplanes. Probably shouldn't wash your hands in it, either.)

Some of this information we already know, but it's handy having it all in one place, in Gerchick's easy-to-read style. He doesn't let the airlines off the hook, but at the same time he talks realistically about risk factors for everything from delayed flights to contracting tuberculosis.

There were some really interesting bits, too. Once every five years each airplane gets a thorough cleaning and refresh, where they essentially dismantle the interior and replace the carpet and worn seats. They have removed up to 300 pounds of accumulated dirt in this process. Amazing. And gross.

Lots of good info to be had here, told in an entertaining manner.

[Frederick Bingham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book by a long time veteran of the airline industry should be required reading for anyone who has to fly. It explains the ins and outs of the business from the perspective of someone who knows it well and is good at explaining it to others.

Especially noteworthy is his discussion of fare buckets. Airline fares are determined in an incredibly complex and opaque manner. Getting a good fare is not easy. Now at least I have some limited understanding of how pricing works.

Also interesting is his discussion of cleanliness aboard aircraft. With so many people moving through airplanes every day, it's a wonder that more people don't get sick from it. And whatever you do, don't stick your hand inside the seatback pocket! Planes are cleaned only cursorily, and deep-cleaned way less often than you would hope. And the more in trouble the airline is financially, the less its aircraft get cleaned.

In today's cutthroat world of air travel, it's hard to find any glimpse of humanity in the process. Unfortunately, if one believes this book, it's only going to get worse. If only I lived in a city served by Southwest or JetBlue.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard about this book one morning on NPR while driving to the airport in some midwestern city. How fitting. I used to fly a few times a week for months on end for my job. My interest was peaked. This is probably the most detailed book about the state of flying, current or otherwise, ever written. The author covers just about everything from the nasty things you'll find on planes, to the ticketing process, hidden games and fees, history, security, what to expect in the future, etc etc etc...

I suspect if you don't fly much/don't care to, you may not feel as personally linked to this book. It might feel like one big inside joke you're standing too far outside of. But if you're a member of the elite status flying public, you'll no doubt find yourself having ah-ha moments when explanations for your past (and future) experiences are revealed.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a frequent flyer, you are well-acquainted with what an awful experience flying has become, that is if you're among the 99% of the masses who does not fly 1st class. I typically fly at least a couple of times of year so I'm familiar with the ridiculous security rituals, the cramped seats, the nickel and diming you have to endure with "ancillary fees," etc., but I still found plenty of what this industry insider has to say interesting and enlightening. About the only good news Gerchick has is that flying is more affordable for most people than it ever has been it will probably stay that way. The bad news is that all the other stuff that makes air travel miserable is not going away in the foreseeable future.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an elite Delta and United flyer, I've enjoyed reading the perspectives of pilots and flight attendants in print and online, but this is the first book I've come across that presents the view of an aviation official. Gerchick's analysis of the airline industry is surprisingly lucid and broad. There is a lot of information that isn't apparent to frequent flyers -- reporting on airline management strategies, for example -- and the book doesn't have the alarmism of most media stories on the airlines. Worth a read for those who have an interest in commercial aviation.

[Mary Simas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting reading. I was amused by the "air bus" comments in the book in reference to the coach seating. I can accept such conditions since I am a "Just get me there" sort of passenger and an infrequent flyer anyway. Yet, since I do have a market research background, I was still fascinated by the chapter about the marketing of first class seats and airport lounges and how airports are seeking to entertain passengers enough to make them consumers during the dwell time awaiting flights.

[Luca · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was different than the generic "flying's awful" screed I expected. The author gives a tour of the airline industry, but includes interesting (unsettling) information on onboard health, and there's a lot in the book about the government regulatory process. Fortunately, the writing makes the book engaging.

[Laura Skladzinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly thorough and highly engaging, this quickly became one of my favorite books. Highly recommended for all frequent travelers or anyone who works in the airline industry - there's plenty of details but presented in an easy-to-understand way.

[Larry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Facts, figures and statistics, oh my!

Interspersed with stories from 'the inside'. Nothing all that revelatory here if you're anyone that flies a lot or hell, even stays informed. Still mildly entertaining.

[Justin Talbot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good and enjoyable look at the airline industry as it operates today. It was a fun book.

[Keen Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

“All US airlines combined are still worth less in market capitalization than Starbucks.”

Overwhelmingly based on American airlines this book largely confirms our, or at least my, worst fears and suspicions about the industry. Take home facts, which will not be surprising to most, they are even worse than you imagined. In spite of its length I was surprised to see that there were still quite a number of significant tricks and scams they use, which were not mentioned in here?...

Corporate BS, chronic and sophisticated lobbying, little to no regulation and little to no protection or comeback on so many aspects of air travel. Insincere apologies instead of meaningful action, lack of transparency, profit before people and other fees, conditions, surcharges, caveats, costs and yadda, yadda yadda…

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very informative behind-the-scenes look into the dynamics of the air travel industry, which explains exactly why traveling by airplane became such a pain in the butt in the decade following 9/11.

You may not like flying any better after finishing this book, but at least you'll understand it more.

[Marissa House · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good look into the world of aviation! As a huge aviation geek myself I loved this take on everything. Though this book was written a few years back in 2012 it still holds true to so much of what that world looks like and how far we’ve come since then. If you’re interested even in the least bit in aviation this is a great book to delve into.

[David Dayen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this mostly for research. A bit willing to accept industry narratives at points but has good information.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ex FAA guy talks about how commercial flying has changed-particularly why its no fun anymore but also about how safe it is. Fun book if you like this kind of stuff.

[Kalie Murphy]

This book was very factual. I work in the industry and learned things from this book that I was surprised about

[Jeff Learned]

Interesting, but quite a dry read.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging and detailed.

[Timothy Liu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty fun book if you're curious about planes. Author gives good insider info without being too technical.

[Byron Edgington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here we have an expose’ of sorts, a book jam packed with uncomfortable yet strangely soothing truths about today’s air travel industry. Gerchick is a former FAA chief counsel and senior aviation policy official. With his credentials, he’s optimally qualified to write about a business that affects nearly a billion air passengers every year, a number that’s growing all the time. As a former commercial pilot, I can sympathize with certain aspects of the dilemma the airline industry faces: increasing passenger loads of travelers shopping around on-line; ever more expensive aircraft and servicing equipment; totally random fuel costs; cutthroat competition for every seat and customers convinced—with good reason—that airlines are in a race to the bottom for services, and not to enhance their customers’ experience. If a reader wonders why airline service seems like it’s shrunk of late, that customers—‘self-loading cargo,’ as industry wags have it—why that service seems so threadbare, that’s because it is. Long TSA lines, bare-feet and empty pockets, body scans, herding onto the plane, a handful of peanuts and maybe, perhaps, possibly if we have time a soda? It’s the new normal; get used to it, or take the train, as Gerchick claims. As for on-time arrivals? Good concept. Here’s what the FAA says: “Time to spare? Go by air.”
The soothing part? Commercial aviation has never been safer. Despite recent accidents (one of which, Malaysian flight 17, shot down by a Russian missile was no accident) the possibility of dying in an airline accident is infinitesimal. We’re a lot more likely to die getting hit by lightning.
According to Ask.com, which may or may not be a credible source, nearly 3 million people take to the skies every day worldwide. Somewhere on earth, a Boeing aircraft lands or takes off every 2 seconds. And that’s just one manufacturer. The upshot of all this takeoff and landing data is, of course, that many airplanes chasing every dollar, ruble, yen, rial, Euro and baht there is to gather, with an increasing disregard for those who hand over that money. Gerchick goes into detail about how airlines package their product, dispense it to the public and advertise it. That product, of course, being a seat on an airplane going from point A to point B, at a certain time, on a given day. Those seats are the most ephemeral commodity there is. If they remain empty, that ‘product’ can never be sold again. This book explains why airlines try every angle to sell those seats, even when it means fare schedules that make no sense, routings that make less sense and the diversity of charges often rendering every seat on the airplane with a different cost. Gerchick approaches his subject from a lawyerly standpoint—he is an attorney, after all—but his understanding of airline amortization and operation is thorough and balanced. Though he appears to be adversarial to the airlines at times, as a non-fiction author he merely relates what is, in fact, true, that today’s airline business, especially since 9/11, and the terrible beating the business took in 2008, demands that airlines scrap for every nickel.
This reviewer would like to have had more about individuals at the reins of the commercial aviation juggernaut, managers at airlines, tech reps from plane and engine OEMs, FAA personnel and NTSB reps, even a pilot/flight attendant perspective, but this is not that kind of book. This is a book for the road warrior/family traveler/once a year participant, the customer the airlines seem these days to take for granted, and for whom they make all those takeoffs and landings. If you’ve read and related to Attention All Passengers, or Cockpit Confidential, you’ll enjoy every page of this book. And you may take the train to that convention in Orlando. By the way, if you’re a pilot/customer? Keep it to yourself; cockpit crews get a real chuckle at your offer to ‘help if...you know...anything happens.” They just laugh, and laugh...
Byron Edgington, author of The Sky Behind Me: A Memoir of Flying & Life

[Kathleen Hagen]

Full, Uprightand inLocked Position: the Not so Comfortable Truths about Flying Today, by Mark Gerchick, Narrated by Michael Butler Murray, Produced by Audible Inc., Downloaded from audible.com.

This book tells us what we need to know, and lots more than we wanted to know, about flying since 9/11. The publisher’s note says it best. I’ve not heard this narrator before, but his voice was just right for the wry humor expressed in this book.
"Sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight," our pilots still intone. But who are they kidding? In Full Upright and Locked Position, former FAA chief counsel
and senior aviation policy official Mark Gerchick unravels the unseen forces and little-known facts that have reshaped our air travel experience since
September 11, 2001. With wry humor and unique insight, Gerchick takes us past the jargon, technicalities, and all-is-well platitudes to expose the new
normal of air travel: from the packed planes and myriad hassles of everyday flying to the alchemy of air fares, the airlines' endless nickel-and-diming,
and the elusive hope of escape from steerage. We find out what pilots do in the cockpit, what's really worth worrying about when it comes to airline safety,
and why we get sick on planes. Meanwhile, Gerchick ponders the jarring disconnect between our quaint expectations of "service with a smile" and the grim
reality of cramped seats, no-free-lunch, and "watch-yer-knees. "With sympathy for both fliers and airlines, Gerchick shows how the new "business-all-business"
airline industry has finally learned to make money, even in the face of crushing fuel costs, and get millions of travelers where they're going every day
safely and quickly. From his singular vantage point as former aviation regulator and policymaker, Gerchick gives us a straightforward insider's view of
how hard it is for government to improve the traveler's lot by explaining the vagaries of consumer protection rules as well as the political realities
and the economic forces at work. While Gerchick offers reasons to hope for a better future in air travel, he presents an unvarnished look at what we can
expect - good and bad - when we take to the skies. Some of it will reassure you, some will make you cringe, but all will open your eyes to what it means
to fly today.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting although I wonder why I'm torturing myself...

4 stars to the first 1/2 and 3 stars to the second half.

Update: The author is a former FAA chief counsel and senior aviation policy official and knows his stuff (references fill the last 40 or so pages of the book). The first third was filled with fascinating facts and inside knowledge of the industry. For the past two months I’ve watched a SW flight to NYC wildly fluctuate so the chapter on how airfares are calculated was most interesting. It also had scary facts about the cleanliness of the airliners and at one point mentioned how many pounds of dirt was taken out of a jet that was deep-cleaned (happens every 5 years or go). Whoa! The rest of the book had a few interesting moments but sometimes there was too much detail although it might be interesting to some.

I did get some good information from the book and decided this is how I will conduct myself during future travel:

1) I will only fly on Southwest which means I may never get overseas.

2) I've usually worn sandals to make it easy to navigate the security line but now I will don a pair of old socks and after receiving clearance will discard without letting them touch any personal belongings. Really. Think of all the feet—sockless and socked—that walk that carpet and floor.

3) Upon boarding will clean the tray table and armrests (and headrest if not cloth) with sanitizing wipes. (I already do this, and many others may, too, but for those who don't, start now.)

4) In the bathroom I will use wipes to hold the knobs that locks the door, flushes the toilet, and turns the water tap, then will use a fresh one to clean my hands, using it again on the lock knob when I exit.

5) I will not drink the coffee, only the bottled water and other bottled or canned drinks. Bummer since I used to enjoy a coffee and Bailey's.

6) In my case this is moot since SW doesn’t offer meals but I would *never* purchase or eat airplane food.

7) I will be nice to all airline personnel even if they get crabby. They have a tough job and deal with a**es all of the time.

Thanks to WW Norton for providing the e-galley from Edelweiss.

[Glen Chern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must Read for Air Travelers

Airline industry insiders Mark Gerchick provides the reader with a comprehensive and sometimes numerous examination of the air travel experience. The author covers the industry from both the internal and external factors which may impact both the casual (vacationer) and business flier. Gerchick focuses much of his analysis from 9/11 forward. However, he also discusses the era of air travel from the 1978q deregulation of the U.S. Industry.

The topics he covers include safety, comfort, convenience, amenities, her fuel prices, airborne terrorism, cost of flying (for both the consumer and airlines), fees, baggage handling (including lost luggage), health concerns, airline food and drink, air traffic control, and federal regulations. As I said, Mr. Gerchick gives a very comprehensive analysis of air travel. The author discusses both old as well as the newest aircraft. He compares the amenities, including sleeping arrangements in business and first-class sections, on extended flights, such as overseas trips.

One example the author gives of government involvement in U.S. domestic air travel is the problem of lengthy delays on the tarmac. Gerchick describes examples of flights stranded on the tarmac for eight hours of longer. He discusses how some Congressional representatives became involved in the matter and the fact it took several years before a regulation was passed that limited the length of acceptable standings to three hours.

This book is the best I've ever read concerning air travel and is one I strongly urge people to read, whether they're flying to visit the grandparents or going to attend a very important business meeting that may impact their company's future.

[Wayne Fitzpatrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

You may not want to read this book before booking your next flight. Actually, that is really not the case. The author, mark Gerchick, does a lot to assuage your fears over flying (your much safer up there than you are down here). In fact, the biggest dangers with flying have more to do with unruly passengers, drinking tap water (Gerchick warns us to never drink anything that isn't bottled), the lav (avoid it all costs if possible) and excessive fees (not too much you can do to avoid them unfortunately).

Gerchicks waxes nostalgic about the salad days of the airline industry when in flight meals were the norm, you could usually get a window seat with being crammed in and there were no such things as ancillary fees. He then goes through the history of the airline industries and how air travel has evolved. Gerchick also reveals many of the unseen practices of the airline industry, such as what really happens to your luggage once you check it (it's not that exciting.

This book does have many dead spots. Gerchicks throws a lot of figures and statistics at you and it can get a bit dry. There are also quite a few details he leaves out, largely because certain information (such as security policies) are not divulged.

Luckily, it isn't too long (about 380 pages in the hardcover version). While there are some interesting spots, this book was largely a disappointment.

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A cliche that regularly passes for sagacity among self-described aviation experts is that change is the only constant in the airline world. It's a beloved truism that is becoming less true all the time. Some 35 years since the upheaval of airline deregulation, commercial aviation in the United States is today actually reaching toward unaccustomed stability -- a modestly profitable, generally competitive, 'rationalized' business that can weather the perennial, almost inevitable, external upsets: Two or three traditional airlines, each pared off in a stable global grouping, plus a small handful of low-cost carriers that, as they've become more established, are more likely to think like their traditional rivals. There's a new business equilibrium that feels more stable than it has in years." (8)

"The pseudoscience term is 'maintaining situational awareness.' Lose it and the plane, with all its technology, is flying you, rather than the other way around. Pilots sometimes refer to 'not having the big picture'; some air traffic controllers used to call it not 'getting the flick,' as in not seeing the whole movie." (100)

"In 1964, Economy Class seat pitch averaged 36 inches on US airlines." (205)

"In May 2012, American's chief commercial officer revealed that 25 percent of the airline's customers produce 70 percent of revenues." (208)