Another airline added to my do-not-fly list

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Remind me to never fly on Jet Airways.

The chances of me flying on the Indian airline are pretty slim, because I really have zero desire to visit India. But I will certainly put the airline on my own personal “no fly” list.

I say this because of the recent news that a Jet Airways flight from London (I would go there) to Mumbai (nope) had seen a fight between a male and a female pilot. The fight allegedly included a slap, and, apparently, a cockpit left briefly unattended after the argument.

All of this happened with 324 people on board.

It makes me think that the airline could consider some new slogans:

“Jet Airways – there’s a fighting good chance you will arrive on time.”

“Jet Airways – no one can beat our prices, but you can slap the crew.”

“Fly Jet Airways, where our prices are low and our cockpits are pilot-free.”

“Jet Airways – when you can’t afford to fly on a real airline.”

Yes, I am kidding. I’m sure Jet Airways is a fine airline. But things like this don’t fill me with confidence. I have long been a skittish flier, and when I hear stories like this it doesn’t fill me with confidence.

The list of airlines I won’t fly on, by the way, is very small. It includes Malaysia Airlines, which had a plane disappear in 2014; United Airlines, because I have had more problems with United than any domestic airline; and now Jet Airways.

I would also throw in that I would never fly on a Russian airliner. Mainly because I am an American and was raised not to trust those commies, or former commies. Plus, Vladimir Putin is not a man to be admired.

I have flown on U.S. Air Force transport planes, a KC-135 refueling plane, a Navy F-18 flown by one of the Blue Angels flight demonstration team (and I didn’t throw up!), and I have even landed and launched from an aircraft carrier at sea.

But I will admit I still get a bit of air rage when I get bumped by the drink cart for the third time by a disinterested, gum smacking flight attendant while crammed into the ever-shrinking space they shoehorn us into on planes these days.

I can see how people would snap in these metal tubes traveling hundreds of miles per hour after sitting for hours with your knees in your chest.

We can’t even burn time looking at the SkyMall magazine anymore. Seriously, there was a $600 hydraulic water bed and radio combo for dogs that I was just about to pull the trigger on when SkyMall went bankrupt in 2015.

So, when I travel now I try to be as calm as possible. That means trying not to stress out over the lines at the security check point. Not freaking that the woman with a baby and a toddler will sit right behind me (unless they do – then I freak out). Not going full William Shatner in the “Twilight Zone” when we hit some turbulence.

Now I just pop in my ear plugs, turn on my e-reader and try to zone everyone and everything out. It works most of the time.

But I’m not sure how calm I would be if I saw the pilots duking it out. That might cause a little panic.