Flying Today In The United States Sucks. Why People Are Driving Instead
If I experience one more travel nightmare, I swear…
I’ve been flying my entire 40+ year life. It started shortly after I was born. I took my last travel flight just this week. I have permanent premier status with multiple companies in the travel industry because of how much mileage I’ve racked up over the years.
Travel has changed quite a bit in the 40+ years I’ve been traveling. When I first started, adults could smoke cigarettes on a plane. Crazy, right?
Until 9/11 happened, your family could walk with you to your gate. You used to be able to carry on as many liquids as you wanted. We didn’t have to remove shoes, belts, electronics, and other things when we went through security.
And then COVID-19 happened. What a bummer. It brought travel to a standstill for a long period of time. Tourist towns had to adapt to the lack of dollars (and some didn’t make it). Airlines started consolidating. Hotels had to get creative on how to keep their rooms occupied.
It’s a different travel world now. It’s really starting to suck.
Take my recent travel trips.
Earlier this month, I was on a flight that was delayed 5 times. This was mostly due to bad weather for the incoming flight.
You can’t really blame bad weather. It happens. I’ve been on countless delayed flights over the years due to this reason. I’ve been diverted to another city. I’ve been stranded in the airport overnight. I’ve even been on a plane that was hit by lightning.
Bad weather is Mother Nature’s way of reminding you who’s boss.
The bad weather wasn't the issue this month, however. The issue involved the consequences of the bad weather. Every traveler needing to make a connecting flight that day was out of luck. There were no extra flights to be rebooked on. With the super low margins airlines already have many flights have been cut permanently due to the lack of demand, so there are fewer options when you miss a flight.
Another cause of this 5-time delayed flight was “balancing issues.” We heard this after we boarded the plane. It’s not the first time I’ve encountered this delay, but it happened on small aircrafts prior to quarantine. Now it seems to be happening all the time.
After some light research, I discovered that in 2019 Southwest Airlines got into hot water for improperly measuring weight and balance calculations¹. This is a huge safety risk² and can lead to some unsafe consequences. It caused other airlines to take notice and straighten out their own calculations. This must be why this delay is becoming more popular.
Then earlier this week, I encountered another “balancing issue”. It created enough delays that some passengers chose to deplane. My guess is they lived in the surrounding area and didn’t want to wait around in the airport for a flight that might never take off.
Of course, this reset the balancing calculations and created more delays. The flight attendants attempted to discourage the situation by letting passengers know that there would be no possibility to rebook them that day, as there were no other flights available until the following morning. It didn’t work.
For extra fun, earlier this week I also encountered something new — a drunk passenger. While there has been a rise in unruly passengers during quarantine, with 2021 being the worst on FAA record³, I’ve never encountered a man kicked off a flight due to a mild drunken state.
From passenger rumors, his inebriation was discovered when he brought an open bottle of liquor on board. Then, he apparently kept trying to change seats. From my understanding, he was not unruly, just drunk.
After the flight attendants asked the man to deplane, he attempted to get his carry-on. After a confusing 2 minutes of opening several overhead compartments and not finding his bag, they gave up and removed him from the plane.
Then all passengers were asked to deplane as well.
The pilot explained when we got back onboard over an hour later. He was forced to make a safety call. The drunk man insisted he had a carry-on bag but couldn’t find it. The pilot didn’t want his passengers to be accompanied by an unknown bag.
Travel is really starting to big time suck. All of the events mentioned above happened in just the last 3 weeks.
If the crazy flight experiences don't get you, wait until you see the cost of travel. Prices have increased for travel overall. I’ve seen a 2-digit cost difference in flights to my common destinations. Hotel prices have seemed to keep pace with pre-quarantine rates in most areas that I’ve seen. Only slight increases there.
But have you shopped for a rental car recently? Most people who fly need a rental car if their destination isn’t walkable. Some rental companies sold off their fleets due to low demand during the pandemic. Rental cars had to find a way to make money. As a result, rental rates skyrocketed during quarantine⁴.
I just did a search to see how much it would cost today to rent the same car in the same location pre-quarantine. Prior to quarantine, I spent a max of <$250 for this car for a few days. Look at the price now:
Many members of my family have started opting to drive instead of fly.
Gas prices have risen significantly and are nearing the highs from 2014. They will continue to rise due to recent sanctions against Russia⁵. Yet, driving is still cheaper than flying. You also control most of the variables when driving, so the chances are good you’ll encounter fewer travel delays compared to flying.
I remember the days when flying for frequent travelers was a scientific formula. Optimize your time through security by understanding the rules. Take off the appropriate articles of clothing in advance. Purchase pre-check programs. Get in and out quickly.
I still follow these rules. However, now that remote work is so prevalent, airports are flooded with infrequent travelers. It doesn’t matter how fast I am — I’m hampered by the slowest traveler.
There have been some silver linings due to quarantine. Air quality and air circulation on planes have gotten better. Technology has caught up in many domestic airports, and they no longer require the removal of electronics in carry-on bags. TSA employees seem to be less stressed.
I hope COVID-19 mutates itself out of our species soon.
I hope travel rises back to the pre-pandemic levels so travelers can be rebooked on a same-day flight when they are delayed.
I hope we can reclaim the joy of travel.
Resources
- https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2019/02/18/southwest-airlines-under-faa-investigation-weight-balance-baggage/2905071002/
- https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/columnist/mcgee/2019/03/23/airplane-weight-balance-bumped-luggage/3248734002/
- https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/unruly-airline-passengers-faa-2021/index.html
- https://www.inquirer.com/business/rental-cars-pandemic-economy-shortage-covid-20210822.html
- https://www.npr.org/2022/02/22/1081092765/oil-gas-prices-100-barrel-ukraine-russia
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