Another Miserable Breeze Airways Flight From Tampa
I so badly want to be a fan of Breeze Airways. I love that they fly direct to my hometown of Portland, Maine. The planes look to be in good shape. The flight times are agreeable. And their flight crew is always over-the-top friendly. So why was it a miserable Breeze Airways flight for me… again?
No, it wasn’t the crying baby in the next seat. Because I got a good price, I got sent to the back of the airplane in the family section. But my Apple headphones worked their magic. I only heard the screaming kids between songs. So that wasn’t the problem. Breeze Airways still hasn’t fixed their seats.
When Breeze Airways announced nonstop service from Tampa to Portland, I was elated. That was… until I took my first trip on Breeze. There was the initial good first impression when I walked on the plane. The cabin looked fairly new. The flight was running on time. And then I sat down and vowed to never fly Breeze again. I’ll get to why in a minute.
A few months ago, Breeze Airways had a crazy airfare sale. I scored a roundtrip ticket to visit my family in Portland, Maine for only $200. That was worth giving Breeze a second chance.
To get that kind of price, I usually have to fly in to Boston and take a bus to Maine. Normally, if I want to get to Portland directly, I have to pay $300-$500. Plus most airlines that fly from Tampa will make you connect in Washington DC, Charlotte or at one of the New York City airports. That’s always a nightmare. You get a long layover or stuck in a giant line on the runway at those airports and it ends up taking your whole day for travel.
Why it was another miserable Breeze Airways flight
I’m 6’4″. Granted I’m taller than normal people. But the seat designers of their airplanes made a stupid decision to sew permanent thick pillows into the seats. On most airplanes, you have a choice of whether or not you want a pillow. With Breeze, you’re stuck with that giant stiff uncomfortable pillow – like it or not. They designed the seat for those of average height. If you’re tall like me, you’re screwed.
You have to leave the uncomfortable “head rests” in the low position during taxi, takeoff, landing and the drive to the gate. So for about an hour on each flight, us tall folks get stuck in the fetal position with the “head rest” digging into our shoulder blades and pushing us to lean forward. Even when you can finally raise the headrest once you’re in the at cruising altitude, it’s still too low at its maximum height. The whole flight I feel that headrest digging into my shoulders.
Breeze, I love EVERYTHING about you except this. it was another miserable Breeze Airways flight for me. PLEASE FIX THIS! Make that stupid “headrest” detachable. Or just get rid of it. It’s AWFUL for anyone over 6 feet tall.
