Flying: A Necessary Evil

[marko]

Use to do flights to nearby Dallas and return the same day. With the overbooking and TSA delays at each end that doesn't make sense anymore. In fact, almost any place I can drive in less than 4-5 hours don't make sense for a flight any more.

I remember the days when, if you had a small package/envelope that needed to get somewhere really fast, you could go down to the airport, find a flight attendant who was going there (i.e. get there early and wait at the gate) and give her the package and $20 bucks for her trouble. Someone at the other end would be waiting for her and the package and give her another $20.

At the time, the company I worked for was AA's single largest customer so maybe that made a difference.

 

[athena53]

I remember the days when, if you had a small package/envelope that needed to get somewhere really fast, you could go down to the airport, find a flight attendant who was going there (i.e. get there early and wait at the gate) and give her the package and $20 bucks for her trouble. Someone at the other end would be waiting for her and the package and give her another $20.

DH remembers those days, too! I wouldn't try that now. I used to work for a small consulting firm and a coworker tried that at Newark Airport- it was a response to an RFP and he had a deadline to meet. I think he was looking for passengers on the flight, not flight attendants. The "security" people were immediately alerted and, after determining that he meant no harm, they told him to leave the airport and he was followed to the exit. I worked there from 1995-98 so it was pre-9/11 and already they were paranoid.

 

[Ronstar]

I love road trips and avoid interstates just so I can see more of the country side.

I take country roads and interstates about 50/50. Last road trip was Chicago to Phoenix a few weeks ago, partially on old US 66. I had to put my F-150 in 4WD. I couldn't tell where the pavement was at times. But it was one of the most fun road trips I've taken, and was far more fun than if I had flown.

 

[Meadbh]

When I was working there simply was no time to take road trips. In contrast, I flew a lot for work, and to see far flung family. In ER I have taken several road trips for pleasure, and cut my flying down considerably. I figure I can arrange my trips for my own convenience. While I do not pay for business or first class, I have built in overnight stays to break a long journey.

 

[audreyh1]

I'm still recovering from my five year road trip, LOL!

 

[Nemo2]

I'm still recovering from my five year road trip, LOL!

My late wife & I fulltime RVd from mid 1997 until mid 2001 when she was diagnosed with cancer........I held on to the 5th wheel (went to AZ one winter and TX the next) after she died early 2002. It was something she'd always wanted to do....me, not so much, but it was her turn to 'choose'.

 

[Walt34]

For two years 1975-77 I owned a Piper Tri Pacer, a single engine four place light airplane, and had a ball with it. Looking around now, I see prices from $17k (close to needing engine overhaul and new interior) to $26k (recent engine, good interior, decent radios). I paid $3,900 for mine that did have a high-time engine but I didn't get stuck with the overhaul bill, and it had a good interior. The one pictured has an almost identical paint scheme.

The 150 hp engine burned 8.7 gallons per hour at cruise and the two tanks held 38 gallons total, airspeed 120 mph, giving an effective range of ~350 miles before you want to plan on stopping for fuel. I think fuel is now ~$4/gallon. Although the FAA said at the time the minimum fuel reserve was 30 minutes in VFR (visual flight rules) I normally wanted an hour on board. Besides, by that some it was virtually certain that somebody - usually me - would want a potty break by then anyway. And no, there is no lavatory on board unless you count the plastic bottle.

This meant that for a trip of ~500 miles or less, I could beat the airlines on door-to-door time. And landing at a small airport (it only needed a 2,000 foot runway, and mowed grass was fine) meant I would be closer to where I wanted to go anyway. Lots of businesses like hotels, thinking that all airplane owners are wealthy, would send a courtesy car to take you to their business and back to the airport. Of course what they didn't know was that since I owned an airplane I was usually broke.

But it sure was a lot of fun.

 

[audreyh1]

My late wife & I fulltime RVd from mid 1997 until mid 2001 when she was diagnosed with cancer........I held on to the 5th wheel (went to AZ one winter and TX the next) after she died early 2002. It was something she'd always wanted to do....me, not so much, but it was her turn to 'choose'.

Sorry to hear about your wife. That's a sad reason to end RVing full-time.

 

[Nemo2]

Sorry to hear about your wife. That's a sad reason to end RVing full-time.

OT
Yeah...and my border Collie was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma the day she died...2002 wasn't the best year I've ever had......took the rig solo from Ontario to Lake Havasu AZ...met an old boy there, in his 90s looked way younger, had just buried his third wife......told him I didn't know how he could do it and keep going.

But.....I've always been resilient and lucky (even terrible things have an upside).....now married to a wonderful lady ten years my junior.......our motto, which we formulated ourselves, is Combibo is sursum ranunculus......("Suck it up, Buttercup").

/OT

 

[Moemg]

I think of flying as a fact of life . My daughter & grandchildren live a large distance from me so to see them I have to fly . My Mom also lives a far distance away so that's another flight . I have learned to make my flights as easy for me as possible . If available I fly from Sarasota rather than go to Tampa even if it is more money . I make sure I have decent connections and then I just roll with the flow . Gary & I also fly on at least one trip a year .So that is a minimum of three trips for someone that isn't crazy about flying .

 

[Mulligan]

I don't think that's a reasonable comparison. First, it's only a 3 hour flight if you leave a big city to go to another big city. Otherwise there would be at least one connecting flight. Second, that's 3 hours of time in the air, but you can add another 3+ hours in airports even if there's no lay-over. Plus there's time to get to the airport from your house and from the destination airport to your final destination. Flying would be much more expensive(generally) and more of a hassle for a short time savings. Don't see why it would be worth it unless you have some medical problem that limits your driving ability or if money is no object.

I guess Aaron it all depends on each persons travel plans. Yes, I didn't mention the travel to airport (1 hour) and two hours hanging out for depart. But I also didnt mention the 8 hour layover at some hotel on a 20 hour drive. I travel to Vegas frequently and it is a direct flight so that is my reference point, but connecting will add a couple hours more.
I could not drive to Vegas from MO for $139 like I am next month via air. I have no medical issues but would get stiff seating in a car and even more bored stiff driving that length of time. But there are others who probably enjoy driving though.
But I certainly agree I am not flying anywhere I can drive in 4-5 hours or less.


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[Nemo2]

For two years 1975-77 I owned a Piper Tri Pacer, a single engine four place light airplane

Knowing zip about planes, it sure looks to me a little like one we took in Botswana in 2010.........room for my wife, (5'1" ~100lbs), me (up front trying not to step on the pedals), the pilot and a couple items of our luggage.......fun indeed!

 

[Meadbh]

Knowing zip about planes, it sure looks to me a little like one we took in Botswana in 2010.........room for my wife, (5'1" ~100lbs), me (up front trying not to step on the pedals), the pilot and a couple items of our luggage.......fun indeed!

That looks like a Cessna 172, though in different livery from the one on the airline's website.

Moremi Air - Botswana

I have flown in the float plane version of this aircraft and was glad when it was over.

 

[aaronc879]

I could not drive to Vegas from MO for $139 like I am next month via air.

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I did a quick search and the best I could find was a flight from MO to LV for $289 and that had a connection. If you can find a great deal like yours then flying can make sense.

 

[Walt34]

I have flown in the float plane version of this aircraft and was glad when it was over.

Oh, you definitely would not like this then. Flying one of these or similar is on my bucket list.

 

[aaronc879]

Oh, you definitely would not like this then. Flying one of these or similar is on my bucket list.

You better make sure it's the last thing on your list--just in case.

 

[Mulligan]

I did a quick search and the best I could find was a flight from MO to LV for $289 and that had a connection. If you can find a great deal like yours then flying can make sense.

$289, wow I would never go if I paid that! I was referring to one way....Frontier (the one I am taking) and SW Air have direct flights. Frontier and SW do not allow themselves to be on some search engines. Frontier has become a unique bird... Paid $113 for flight, $20 for a bag, and yes $4 for a seat...what am i supposed to do, stand? It was actually $137. Haven't booked return because I do not know yet when I want to come back....Advantage of being retired!


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[Nemo2]

That looks like a Cessna 172, though in different livery from the one on the airline's website.

Moremi Air - Botswana

I have flown in the float plane version of this aircraft and was glad when it was over.

How about these? Progressively larger:

They removed the buckets before we took off.......I think.

This one.....Maun to Jozi.......the smallest was the most fun!

 

[meierlde]

There used to be something called a 'round the world fare' which the airlines kept quiet about. Not sure they still do this.

As an example, if you were going to Europe, you'd pay like $3K for a RT Business seat. But for an additional $500 or so, you could then go all the way to Asia from your European city and then on home completely around the world.

So, even if there was a minor issue you needed to attend to in Japan, for the price of a ticket to Pittsburgh, you could head from Europe and get there for peanuts. It made a "one day trip to Asia" possible for practically no cost and allowed you to deal in person on something that otherwise would've been too expensive to fly in for.

I would take these jaunts about 8 times a year and would joke that sometimes I'd go clockwise, then counterclockwise so that I wouldn't get dizzy.

Both Round the world and Circle Pacific and Atlantic fares still exist. They still come in various classes. One web site says it varies between 1600 and 16000 depending on class etc. Look for round the world fare on the web. It looks like you can pick one of two alliances for your ticket.

 

[braumeister]

Back in the day, Pan Am had two round the world regular flights: PA 1 and PA 2.
One went eastbound, the other westbound. Reasonably popular, although most people didn't go the whole way.

 

[akck]

For where we live, driving is not an option for getting out. It's either by plane or boat. So, over the years, we've learned to be flexible when flying. During the winter, we always go a day before we need to be there, but don't worry about return delays.

We got the TSA Pre-Check, and we've been able to get through security in less than 5 minutes. One time I was able to walk directly through with no wait. We theoretically can get to the airport at boarding time if we only have carry-on (hour before for checked baggage).

Since I'm retired, I'm even more tolerant of delays or changes since most times I'm not on a schedule.


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[sheehs1]

Even though we had a lovely week, the trip home will be the stinky cheese in our memories. I never really loved flying, but it seems my last few times have been riddled with problems that almost make me thing it's just not worth it.

This is where I am. When I think of the beginning and the end to a trip requiring flying, the middle almost seems not worth it.

 

[athena53]

Since I'm retired, I'm even more tolerant of delays or changes since most times I'm not on a schedule.

I wish I could be that mellow. Our first major trip post-retirement was Alaska. I allowed a ton of extra time so we wouldn't miss mission-critical flights and we didn't, but it was still a test of endurance.

The 3-hour layover in DEN (my minimum to make sure we don't miss a connection) was changed to 6 hours after they juggled the schedules and was actually 7+ hours due to flight delays. Instead of getting into SEA around dinner time as originally booked, we got into our hotel at close to midnight. Our flight to Alaska was the next AM. We spent the 7 hours in the DEN airline lounge (bought a day pass but really, it got pretty darn tiring).

The flight out of SEA on our way back, originally scheduled for 7:30 AM, got moved to 6:20 AM. Oh, goody. We were both fighting bad colds and bought day passes again to the lounge in DFW. The layover was a couple of hours. When we left the lounge the flight was still posted on time. Well, it wasn't and the actual boarding area was in the depths of the airport and we couldn't enter till they were ready to board, so we sat for an hour in the main boarding area instead of relaxing in the lounge.

DH and I missed a family wedding last year because our flight got delayed and delayed and delayed (nonstop from home airport) and finally we secured a refund and went home. My 80-something parents missed a family wedding before that - same airline, same type of baby airplane with maintenance issues. I just see lots of petty annoyances, miscommunications (or total lack of communication, especially when things go wrong), and no concern for customers. Southwest is the shining exception. If they flew to Europe I'd take them.

 

[pb4uski]

...Fortunately, I did have the opportunity to make two separate flights on the Concorde back in the day. ...

I came close. I was regularly flying BA business class to London and back every other week or so for almost a year in the late 1990s. One week they had some sort of scheduling issue and upgraded my return to the US to first class. The first class lounge was adjacent to the Concorde lounge and a Concorde flight was leaving for NY just before my flight. I was hopeful that I could trade the first class regular BA flight for a stand-by seat on the Concorde, but alas, the Concorde checked in full and my hopes were dashed.

I think my best flight was a business class flight on Virgin Atlantic from London to the US. They picked me up at my London client in a small Mercedes with a copy of that day's Financial Times in the seat pocket in front of me... when we got to Heathrow the car went up a special parking garage entrance and the driver handed an attendant my ticket and I was checked in and my baggage checked... then a short walk from where the car dropped me off to Virgin's business class lounge with complementary food & drink and a putting green... then on to the plane and signed up for the in-flight neck massage. All in all, I was sad when the flight ended. Best thing is that it was all included in the price of the ticket paid for by the client. If business travel had consistently been like that I would still be working.

 

[Texas Proud]

I came close. I was regularly flying BA business class to London and back every other week or so for almost a year in the late 1990s. One week they had some sort of scheduling issue and upgraded my return to the US to first class. The first class lounge was adjacent to the Concorde lounge and a Concorde flight was leaving for NY just before my flight. I was hopeful that I could trade the first class regular BA flight for a stand-by seat on the Concorde, but alas, the Concorde checked in full and my hopes were dashed.

I think my best flight was a business class flight on Virgin Atlantic from London to the US. They picked me up at my London client in a small Mercedes with a copy of that day's Financial Times in the seat pocket in front of me... when we got to Heathrow the car went up a special parking garage entrance and the driver handed an attendant my ticket and I was checked in and my baggage checked... then a short walk from where the car dropped me off to Virgin's business class lounge with complementary food & drink and a putting green... then on to the plane and signed up for the in-flight neck massage. All in all, I was sad when the flight ended. Best thing is that it was all included in the price of the ticket paid for by the client. If business travel had consistently been like that I would still be working.

I flew a few times between London and NY... only once did I get Virgin and it was the best flying experience I ever had... I was scheduled for a massage, but alas they ran late and I did not get one.... however, the food in their lounge was great... I do not remember the putting green, but there were games etc. to while away the time....


As for the Concord... I had talked to the person that was in charge of travel... they were told by corporate to get people off using the Concord so often... the gist of the edict was that the people should not be flying something they would not fly with their own money.... well, these were very well paid people and they actually flew the Concord with their own money!!! Corporate did not like it, but most kept flying the Concord...