With the economy slumping and gas prices rising, it's getting harder and harder to travel by plane.  It wasn't a problem for the Wizards during the season as they traveled from city to city, but now that we're smack dab in the middle of the off-season and the team isn't chartering flights for everyone, at least one person in the organization is feeling the pinch. 

Shooting coach extraordinare Dave Hopla made it known on his blog that he's not at all thrilled with the how much it costs to fly:

It seems the airlines are charging for everything these days. I just paid two dollars for a coke on the flight from Portland, ME to Philadephia. The flight was delayed leaving ME, so I missed my connection and they want two dollars for a coke. At check in it now costs fifteen dollars for the first bag and $25 for the second. That is each way. So in addition to paying close to $1,800 for a ticket they nickel and dime you to death.

Not only is he angered at the added costs that come with flying nowadays, but he's also juuuust a little peeved about the customer service that's come with the new prices.

It seems to me nobody cares any longer. People are treated poorly and the airlines don’t care. Flying is a hassle and if I never fly again that would be alright with me. It seems like everyone has had their full of the airlines, but what do you do if you have to travel. My word to travelers is good luck. As I am blogging I hear people on their phones talking about their flying experiences and none of them are positive.

Yowza.  I mean, there's upset and then there's so upset that you would swear off an entire mode of transportation upset.  He also manages to go on a couple of rants about two airlines which I'm not going to post out of fear that they'll send their lawyers after us.

Let's just hope that fares and service on all airlines picks up for Dave's next flight.  If he has another flight delayed, the Wizards might just have to invest in a Madden Cruiser for him, which if nothing else, would be worth at least 3 posts on the Bog.

In the meantime, I think someone needs to tell Nick Young that he could take advantage of the slumping airline economy.  YoungAir anyone?