Travel Forum / Travel Types / Air Travel / February 2005

   
I really do.

The average cost of domestic air travel in the US has decreased by 60%
in the last 21 years (in constant dollars). You can Google this if you
like. Here's a start:
http://www.olin.wustl.edu/faculty/gowrisankaran/pdf_papers/airline_competition.pdf

For anecdotal evidence, I have this:

My first ever NY-LA flight in 1984 was $660. I remember this because,
as a 20-year-old punk, I had to scrimp and save and suffer to pay for
this flight. I just Yahoo'ed the same flight, scheduled for mid-June
2005. The quote is $310. Looks like the statistical analysis quoted
above was pretty damn accurate.

$310 for RT airfare across the continent is a joke. Carriers are
dropping like flies, their employees are treated shabbily and service
on domestic flights is akin to that offered on Greyhound. I would
gladly pay $660 RT for NY-LA (or in my case, SEA to EWR) if it meant a
full meal, better seats, courteous staff and airline patrons who
didn't behave like baboons. What I won't do, however, is pay $1058 for
first class on the same flight, when what I've seen from "First Class"
is an incremental boost in comfort and solace. If I have to abide
screaming brats and obese stinko's, I'm not going to pay extra.

Demand for air travel has skyrocketed, but the childish antics of
major carriers in the fare wars has eroded the cost (and value) of
domestic flights to a preposterous extreme.

It's my opinion that if carriers boosted the cost of domestic flights
by 40-50% across the boards, we'd go a long way in restoring sanity to
air travel. Worthless "parents" with screaming brats would think twice
if they had to pay an additional $1200 to haul Snotleigh and Brattyn
across country to visit grandma. The sudden influx of dollars would
restore air staff's confidence in their careers and afford all of us a
more civil experience when flying.

Granted, business travelers (I am one) would feel the pinch and be
forced to make cautious decisions about employee travel expenses. But
this may be a good thing. It may accelerate network technology and aid
in limiting the number of nights that employees spend away from home
and their families. Critical trips would go on, but frivolous ones
would stop.

So, what brought on this rant? My dislike of air travel. In the
1980's, I found air travel to be civil. I was even able to quietly
read a book. Nowadays, planes are f.cking zoos and if you are unlucky
to be stuck in economy class, you may as well bring ear plugs and
Marilyn Manson CD's to drown out the bedlam that occurs on most
domestic flights. I'm flying to Baltimore next week. I'm absolutely
dreading it. I need to go on this trip, and my company benefits from
cheap (practically nothing) airfare. But I think we'd have survived if
my airfare was $660 and my hotel, rather than $250/night, was
$150/night. I'd gladly trade a mahogany entertainment center for 6
hours of tranquil travel.

- TR
- worth noting: after 6-7 business trips each year, I've lost all
interest in domestic holiday flights. Unless the trip is overseas,
I'll just drive or stay home.