Why Fly?

[aja8888]

I've been flying on business very frequently since 1982. This is international and domestic.

The most I flew in one year was in 2002 (right after 9/11) and logged 104 flights. I can't start to tell you how many different ways to get searched by TSA (new to them then), or how close I came to be thrown in jail because I had someone else's boarding pass when going through security (thanks to the ticket counter agent).

I have a shoebox full of frequent flyer cards and rental car cards for companies that don't exist anymore.

I have enough hotel points to live in one for a month or two.

FF miles? I have lots and give them to family members (remember when you could sell them?)

So, when it comes time to go visit family or some other more pleasant vacation destination, we drive if it's in the U.S.

 

[Meadbh]

I've had many terrifying moments in the air but the one incident that made me blubber was landing in Calgary, just after this Lufthansa flight, in the back of a DH8, in a windstorm that blew out the windows of office towers. A couple of minutes later, they closed the airport to all flights for 4 hours. I reached my destination (Ottawa) 12 hours late, and had 3 hours sleep before an all day meeting. I am so glad to be RE!

Calgary Windstorm: Lufthansa Flight Makes Dramatic Landing In Strong Winds (VIDEO)

 

[NanoSour]

Flying used to be way cool when I was in my 20s….now, not so much.

 

[Chuckanut]

Flying is still amazing to me. Yes, I understand the science behind it, at least on a simple level.

I still find it amazing that I can walk into this tube with seats, spend a few hours viewing the world from a perspective I rarely get to see, and end up thousands of miles away, often in a foreign land. Wonderful.

 

[REWahoo]

Flying is still amazing to me. Yes, I understand the science behind it, at least on a simple level.

The first day in flight school our instructor explained it to us: It's magic, accomplished using a combination of swamp gas and mirrors...

 

[HFWR]

NSFW...

 

[aja8888]

Flying is still amazing to me. Yes, I understand the science behind it, at least on a simple level.

I still find it amazing that I can walk into this tube with seats, spend a few hours viewing the world from a perspective I rarely get to see, and end up thousands of miles away, often in a foreign land. Wonderful.

Wait until the aliens come and you get a ride on one of their anti-gravity ships!

 

[Bestwifeever]

The first day in flight school our instructor explained it to us: It's magic, accomplished using a combination of swamp gas and mirrors...

Yes, magic, just like electricity and our hearts. And airline ticket pricing.

 

[Chuckanut]

Wait until the aliens come and you get a ride on one of their anti-gravity ships!

Been there, done that. Haven't they contacted you yet?

 

[marko]

Life would go on, but...what about those fresh fruits and vegetables in January? Remember that sending oranges to friends when visiting Florida was a big deal? What about hopping down to the Caribbean for a long weekend to get out of the snow?

Life would go on without a lot of things but...it sure makes for a better life!

I've logged over 4,000,000 miles during a 20 year back-and-forth to Europe and Asia.

Always loved it (Business/First) and had many perks from good ol' NorthWest Airlines (limo pickups, private boarding etc).
I will admit that coach does seem to be another world however, and if I had to do 14-18 hours in a plane back there, it might change my view of things.

 

[nuke_diver]

I've had way more terrifying moments in a car than in a plane..I think we all get more fearful in a plane because there isn't anything we can do if things appear to be going wrong...and also a lot of times we think there is something wrong when maybe there isn't (turbulence is one that seems to get a lot of gasps on a plane).

I'll still fly regardless of the hassles of air travel these days. There are just too many places I want to see that are not practical otherwise (Aust/NZ top that list)

 

[steelyman]

I hate turbulence but one time I was flying to Austin with a guy I know who's a pilot. He said, "you've been on a speedboat, right?". I said, "yes". He said, "it's the same thing as bouncing over the waves".

I look at turbulence a little differently since then.

 

[Meadbh]

I hate turbulence but one time I was flying to Austin with a guy I know who's a pilot. He said, "you've been on a speedboat, right?". I said, "yes". He said, "it's the same thing as bouncing over the waves".

I look at turbulence a little differently since then.

Very true. The only turbulence I really worry about is when we are about to [-]hit the ground[/-] land.

 

[Rustic23]

Yes, I have had more than one scare int he air, but never on a commercial flight. A couple were my own doing! As they say, if you survive you learn!

 

[anethum]

I usually find it relaxing to be in the air, and I find takeoffs and landings interesting. What I increasingly dislike, however, is the time while the plane is on the ground. That includes the tedious boarding process, the slow deplaning process from a full plane, ground delays, long taxiing, and landing then finding out that no gate is available.

 

[travelover]

........... the tedious boarding process, the slow deplaning process from a full plane...........

My pet peeve and it mostly seems avoidable. Why do these idiots have to stand in the aisle while they push and shove their overstuffed carry on bags into the overhead bins? And why not get your bag out of the overhead bin before your row exits? Can't reach it? Just ask, everyone else is just standing there waiting, anyway.

 

[sengsational]

If I do have to fly, Southwest, is my first choice, and United/American last choice.

You must have never experienced Spirit.

 

[Walt34]

Owning an airplane for a couple of years in the 1970's spoiled me permanently on airlines. It's almost like your car. Drive in the airport gate and 15 minutes later you're climbing out. First two images are my airplane, a Piper Tri-Pacer, and the local field.

Of course, we can afford either an airplane or a house but not both. I tried very hard to convince DW that outfitting a DC-3 as a living quarters would be really cool but she just wouldn't buy it. Women can be so unreasonable sometimes!

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Owning an airplane for a couple of years in the 1970's spoiled me permanently on airlines. It's almost like your car. Drive in the airport gate and 15 minutes later you're climbing out. First two images are my airplane, a Piper Tri-Pacer, and the local field.

Of course, we can afford either an airplane or a house but not both. I tried very hard to convince DW that outfitting a DC-3 as a living quarters would be really cool but she just wouldn't buy it. Women can be so unreasonable sometimes!

Nice plane. I too owned a plane for about 3 years. It was one of those 'life goals' and I absolutely loved it but wouldn't do it again. The government is not friendly to little planes and it's not a cheap hobby. But man, it was great to just go jump in and go grab some seafood down by the coast!

I wonder what my little Cherokee has been up to...

Sent from my mobile device so please excuse grammatical errors.

 

[Lancelot]

OT, a girl I knew in high school some times emails me and asks what I've been doing. I told her I was leaving Thailand for Songkran (Traditional Thai Lunar New Year) and going to the Philippines.

She asked me if I was going to ride my motorcycle there...

After I realized that she was serious I affirmed, yes, I was going to travel there but swore her to secrecy about the new bridge between Thailand and the Philippines

Back OT, I fly when I have to, it a long swim from Bangkok to Houston I do think I'll try a repositioning cruise and go to Europe by transatlantic voyage.

I usually opt for ground transportation when ever possible, there is a First Class bus from Chiang Mai to Bangkok that has coach seats similar to business class in an air plane. Two seats on one side of the isle and a single seat on the other

Thai language video but you get the idea

รีวิวรถเฟิร์ทคลาสอุดร-กรุงเทพ นครชัยแอร์ Nakhonchai Air First class bus Udon-Bangkok review - YouTube

 

[Koolau]

I too hate all the hassles of flying these days. I recall the "good old days" when folks "dressed" to fly. Flight attendants were friendly, there were rarely delays and there was actually some leg room in the seats. But, I have to admit, for less than a grand, I can do a 5000 mile - round trip (total time, one way, with plane switching) is typically 10 to 15 hours. Essentially one day and less than a grand and I'm a fifth of the way around the world. Looking at it that way, it's still some what of a miracle.

My question is why do airlines still advertise? All their seats are filled. Once you fly them, you swear they are your new "worst airline ever." It's as if they go out of their way to make your flight as uncomfortable as possible. So, airlines, save your advertising budget and just call it pure "profit." I never pay any attention to airline ads. I fly whatever airline is going where I want to go, when I want to go and has the cheapest seat. I have absolutely no loyalty to any airline as they show me none. YMMV

 

[freebird5825]

I flew a lot domestically while w*rking, never on direct flights , and on several tag along trips overseas with my late husband. It used to be halfway fun, because the excitement of where I was going overcame the annoyances of the air travel system. I always brought a book or two to pass the time during connections, or wrote letters to distant friends.

The last time I flew was in 2010. It was a nonstop from SYR to ORL on JetBlue. It was a great trip and no hassles at all. This airline tries to keep you comfortable throughout the entire process.

These days, I have no desire to fly anywhere. I see the video footage of airports on the weather channel during holidays and bad weather events, and say to myself, .

 

[LoneAspen]

I hate commercial air travel. The company I've been at for almost 4 years is the only place I've managed to work where I haven't had to take a business trip yet. I keep avoiding them, and so far it's worked well.

The only airline trip I've taken in the last couple years was to fly to Florida to visit relatives.

One of my goals after I (hopefully) FIRE next year is to move back to Colorado and start flight training to get my pilot's license, with the eventual goal of getting my own plane. If that comes to fruition, I will never fly commercial again, with the exception of flying internationally (something I'd never attempt in a private plane).

But for domestic travel, skill and weather permitting of course, I'll fly myself wherever I need to go, even if it takes a couple days for cross country trips.

 

[Rustic23]

I have about 5,000 hrs of flying time in jets and turbo props. Yet I have not flown private since 1987! There are several reasons. Owning a plane is like a boat, it is a whole to put money in! Renting an airplane, for me, is not an option. I have seen how people treat homes, cars, and just about every things they rent rather than own. I don't want to be at ten thousand feet and find out the previous pilot over g'ed the AC. The other reason is, I believe to be truly proficient, you need to fly at least twice a week. That gets expensive fast. You might be able to fly less when you get four or five hundred hours in a specific AC, but that takes a while too. So, while despise the airlines, if I have to fly, I let some one else do the heavy lifting.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I have about 5,000 hrs of flying time in jets and turbo props. Yet I have not flown private since 1987! There are several reasons. Owning a plane is like a boat, it is a whole to put money in! Renting an airplane, for me, is not an option. I have seen how people treat homes, cars, and just about every things they rent rather than own. I don't want to be at ten thousand feet and find out the previous pilot over g'ed the AC. The other reason is, I believe to be truly proficient, you need to fly at least twice a week. That gets expensive fast. You might be able to fly less when you get four or five hundred hours in a specific AC, but that takes a while too. So, while despise the airlines, if I have to fly, I let some one else do the heavy lifting.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

Yep. Airplane ownership is not for the faint of heart. I had one of the cheapest airplanes to own yet it cost me a lot of money...and that is with me doing most mechanical work myself. For anyone considering owning, you will hear a term when it applies to costs. This term is called an AMU (aviation monetary unit). When you ask how much something is, you might hear 'that's about 6 AMUs'. One AMU is 1,000 USD, so as you can imagine when you are working in those denominations, it's far from a cheap hobby.

Sent from my mobile device so please excuse grammatical errors.