Note: This post is a compilation of four separate blog posts about airline travel. See them each below.
When adjusted for inflation, airline fares have gone way down over the past 15 years, while fuel costs have soared. Is it any wonder airlines are going bankrupt left and right?
Here’s an opinion I know many people will disagree with: Airline travel should be way more expensive than it is. And those checked baggage fees are totally justified – even for the first bag.
I know these beliefs put me in the minority, but it’s a fact that many airlines have struggled to stay in business (American was the latest to file for bankruptcy), and the bottom-line reason is that they’re simply not charging enough for their services.
In the past year, I’ve purchased round-trip flights from Chicago to Los Angeles for $150 and from Chicago to Miami for $144, all fees included. You’d pay at least triple those amounts to go by Greyhound or Amtrak, which are supposedly the cheapest means of travel!
I also saw round-trip flights to Iceland for $500. Those are insane prices! As a consumer, I’m thrilled to see these deals. But as a person with some reasonable level of concern for our economy, I can see why the airlines are struggling.
This is anecdotal evidence, of course, and you could locate expensive flights as well. But overall, flight costs are just too low.
Flight costs have not kept up with inflation
I’m not an expert on aviation, so I don’t necessarily know where to find the most reliable data on the subject. But I know that as the costs of gasoline and manpower have soared over the past two decades, flight costs have not kept up.
This site (broken link removed) has an interesting chart, for those who like seeing stats in visual form. Here’s the key bit of news from the piece: “When calculated in 1995 dollar value, the average fare price has decreased about 20 percent in the last 15 years.”
So fare prices are going down – way down – when adjusted for inflation, even while fuel costs have gone through the roof. It’s no wonder that many airlines are hemorrhaging money.
Pilot salaries and benefits are dropping
Another reason flight costs should go up is that pilots need to be paid more. Nobody really trains to be a pilot anymore. When most of the current pilots retire within the next 20 years, there’s going to be no one left to fly the planes. One way to avoid this problem is to raise pilots’ pay, which can only happen by charging substantially more for flights. It will suck for those of us who love to travel, but it must be done.
Hero pilot Chesley Sullenberger, who successfully landed his disabled plane in the Hudson River in 2009, appeared before Congress after that incident and gave heartbreaking testimony about how many commercial pilots are struggling to make ends meet.
He said that many are now forced to take second jobs because their pay has been slashed so dramatically they can’t support themselves on a pilot’s salary alone. That revelation is shocking and highly troubling.
Those interested in aviation issues should watch the video of his testimony to get some context on the pilots’ point of view. Check it out here. (Fast forward to 2:47 to get right to the good stuff.)
Why charging for checked bags is the best solution
The main reason people are upset about paying for checked baggage is that they didn’t have to pay for it in the past. It’s a psychological thing. It’s all in your head! I get it – when companies give consumers something (e.g., free bag checking) and then take it away, it can be upsetting. But consider the alternative.
Which would you rather have: A 20%, across-the-board price increase on all flights everywhere in the world. Or, an effort to keep base flight costs relatively stable, and instead start charging for checked bags, meals, and other amenities?
The latter option is certainly better, because it still gives budget travelers some options. You don’t have to buy a meal. And you don’t have to check a bag. If you really want to pinch your pennies, there are ways around these airline fees. There would not be any way around an all-out base fare increase.
Frankly, charging for checked baggage makes sense. If you check a bag, you’re requiring extra work on the part of the airline, which needs to inspect the bag, transport it to the plane, and transport it to the terminal after landing. That extra manpower costs money. So logically, checked bags should cost extra.
Some airlines have found a way to post profits, even in these difficult times for the industry. As ABC News points out, airlines that are already profitable and theoretically don’t “need” baggage fees are putting the revenue from such fees to good use by, for instance, buying new, more fuel-efficient planes – something that is long overdue in many cases!
Airlines are not making record profits like oil companies
If airlines were making multi-billion-dollar record profits like oil companies and were trying to gouge every last penny from consumers, I would absolutely feel differently. But that’s not the case. Most are just scraping by, trying to compete with low-cost competitors with lower operating costs.
These companies are fighting for their lives and they’re trying to avoid bankruptcy by instituting new fees. I’m pretty sure that’s how our economy is supposed to work. What’s wrong with that? What am I missing?
I haven’t studied the inner workings of the airline industry. This is just my take as a regular dude who travels. I welcome feedback from anyone who wants to present the other side of the story.
Am I out to lunch on this one, or do you agree that airline fees aren’t so bad?
How I Like to Fly
Originally published February, 2012
Let’s talk flying. I usually take a few flights a year – not really enough to make me a frequent flyer. And I’m still learning things.
One thing I learned not long ago is that some airlines have displays that allow you see a live map of the plane’s progress during the route. Apparently this is common knowledge, but I had literally never heard of this before until Adventures with Ben pointed it out. Despite taking probably 30 flights over the years, I’ve never seen this even once. I guess because I’m usually on Southwest or US Airways, I’ve been missing out on all the cool stuff. Live and learn!
Sit up front or in the back?
What I’m really fascinated by are people’s personal preferences when it comes to being on the plane. Many people advise sitting up front to get off the plane first, something I’ve done many times. But then it occurred to me that I actually prefer getting off the plane last now. Am I the only wacko who feels this way?
I don’t like the rat race that ensues when the plane stops. I’d much rather remain seated until just about everyone has deboarded, then casually get up, remove my carry-on from the overheard, and head out at my leisure with the other stragglers. There’s enough stress in traveling already – who wants the hassle of fighting a hundred other people just to save three minutes? It really is just three minutes – maybe five if you’re on a huge plane. And if you get off too soon, chances are you’ll arrive at the checked baggage counter before your bags! Sit back and relax, I say.
This mindset allows me to willingly sit in the back all the time – especially on those Southwest flights with open seating.
Window, middle or aisle seat?
Like many people, I also prefer window seats. I’ve already accepted that I was a cat in a previous life, because I could stare out windows all day long. So of course, when I’m traveling I have to have control of the window. Especially when it gives me opportunities to see Mt. Rainier. Or downtown Miami:
I know many people like to be on the aisle, to have easy access to the bathrooms. I’m really curious whether anyone prefers the middle seat. Is there any reason at all why being in the middle seat could be advantageous? There’s got to be some reason, right?
Airline preferences
Since I usually look for the cheapest price, I’ve ended up on the same airlines repeatedly. I finally joined Southwest’s frequent flyer program, though it looks like it will take me years to get enough points for a free flight.
I like Southwest’s open seating, where you just show up and choose your seat. It’s nice for people like me who want the window and don’t mind sitting in the back of the plane, because I can almost always make that happen. Then I get a clear view of Long Island as we fly into NYC:
I only flew JetBlue once but I loved it because they have tv monitors behind every seat so you can watch live TV. Come to think of it, maybe they had an in-flight map, but I didn’t bother to check because I was glued to The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. I didn’t even mind having to spend an extra hour on the tarmac in NYC during a delay because the visual entertainment was wonderfully distracting.
I’ve never flown Delta, Continental, Virgin or Alaska. Am I missing out on anything?
What are your flying preferences?
Sit up front or in the back? Window, middle or aisle seat? How about the exit row? What’s your preferred airline? Leave a comment and let me know how you like to fly – perhaps I can learn a little more.
Deciding Where To Use My Airline Voucher
Originally published December, 2012
Good news on the lost luggage front: I received my reimbursement!
A brief recap: When I flew to Alaska this summer, United misplaced my camping gear, causing me to have to scramble, running around the state buying new camping gear for our week there. The bag finally showed up more than a week after we returned to Chicago.
Now, I can report that I did receive the $100 travel voucher as well as full reimbursement for my emergency purchases. It took a while and many phone calls, but United delivered what the company promised.
The only question now is when and where I should use the voucher. This is the first time I’ve ever had the luxury of a voucher (btw, if you want to play the voucher game, check out these tips from John at Travel Rinse Repeat, the voucher-acquisition expert.)
I have about a half-dozen potential trips planned in the next six months or so. But I’ve checked the flight prices for all them, and United’s prices are just not competitive. Pittsburgh to Chicago is $253 one way. That’s crazy! I’m used to going for $79 each way on Southwest.
Searching for airline tickets is usually a fun experience for me – nothing is more fun than scoring a deal – but trying to redeem the voucher has proven a challenge. Even with the $100 discount, I’m finding that prices on United are still more expensive than other airlines. I suppose I’ll keep waiting for a sale, and if none shows up, I’ll look for a one-way ticket to somewhere not far from Chicago, like Detroit or St. Louis, where I could get a flight for close to $100, therefore making it nearly free. I only have until June to use the voucher.
Do you have any suggestions on how to redeem travel vouchers?
Where Should I Go With My Free Airline Points?
Originally published February, 2015
At the moment, I have so many options for free travel I can’t make a decision. Take another trip to NYC? Maybe a Pacific Northwest vacation to Seattle and Portland? Or maybe somewhere more exotic like Puerto Rico, Aruba, Jamaica, or Costa Rica? So many possibilities!
The reason I have these options for free travel is not because of any insider travel blogger freebies, but rather because last year, I applied for and opened a Southwest credit card. That was the greatest travel decision I ever made.
The 50,000 bonus points I received from signing up, combined with the 10k points I had already accrued and the 2k or so points I continue to amass each month by paying all my bills with the card (score!), means that I now have at least three free trips coming up. (I HIGHLY recommend getting an airline credit card if you don’t already have one.)
The problem now is deciding how best to redeem these points to maximize their value.
Options: NYC vs Puerto Rico?
Initially, I wanted to use points to travel to New York. I haven’t been to NYC in a few years, and as I mentioned in my list of places I want to visit in 2015, I especially want to spend time in Brooklyn.
While comparing prices, though, I noticed something odd: For roughly the same amount of points I’d need to fly to New York, I can fly to San Juan, Puerto Rico instead. Puerto Rico!
Since my travel has been focused exclusively on the U.S., Canada, and Mexico thus far, I’m always looking to branch out. Puerto Rico is in the Caribbean so it’s not like I’m going to the other side of the globe, but at least I’ll finally be moving beyond continental North America.
So Puerto Rico it is! I’m hoping to visit later this year. Probably September, when hurricane season kicks in (living dangerously!) and prices are lower.
Other possibilities: Glacier National Park?
The top domestic destination on my wishlist right now is Glacier National Park and its famous Going-to-the-Sun Road in Montana, but the closest Southwest flies to there is Spokane, Washington.
Flights to Spokane aren’t particularly affordable, and from there I’d have to rent a car and drive five hours to the park. That would be very time-consuming and expensive, so I’ve decided that a Glacier trip would not be an ideal use of points.
As for other options, Las Vegas and all the Utah national parks are high on my list. In Utah I can visit Zion, Arches, and Canyonlands National Parks. In Vegas, there are the casinos, of course, plus all the shows on the strip and attractions like the Stratosphere rides.
But there’s a good chance I’ll be moving to the west coast soon, so I think the smart thing to do is hold off on any trips to that half of the country until then.
So what does that leave? Aside from Puerto Rico, I’m looking at south Florida again (another Miami vacation would be sweet), and possibly somewhere in the Northeast, like Boston or Hartford.
I’d love to do a New England road trip for 10 days through Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, since those destinations are often overlooked by travel bloggers. That’s also the area of the country where I’ve spent the least amount of time.
I love maximizing my travel opportunities, so even though I have these free points available, I’m still going to wait for sales so I can use as few points as possible for each journey. That way I can potentially stretch the points into four or five trips.
Conclusion: Still undecided but leaning towards…
As of now, I’m planning to save my points for Puerto Rico, Pittsburgh (for a family visit), and Los Angeles, where I hope to move next year. But that’s all subject to change depending on upcoming sales and discounts, or changes in my own perspective.
I strongly advise the frequent traveler or wannabe frequent traveler to get an airline credit card. It doesn’t have to be Southwest – I’m not being paid to endorse them or anything.
I prefer Southwest because they’re affordable and they still allow free checked baggage, unlike many other carriers, but there are some drawbacks with Southwest – they don’t travel to Canada, for instance.
So do your homework, decide where you’d really like to travel, compare the various airline credit cards, and get yourself one. (Pay off your full balance at the end of each month, of course, to avoid crazy finance charges.) Then you too can deal with the awesome problem of trying to figure out where to take your free trips!
