I fly a lot.
In fact, I hit five million "butt-in-seat" miles on American Airlines in 2019 (back when frequent flyer programs were about flying frequently rather than credit card spending).
It is 2024, and I am now just below 5.5M. That means I averaged a little over 100,000 miles per year, even through the COVID shutdown.
Yes, I expect that my travel will slow down. But as I traveled, I didn't expect it to continue at the pace it did.
Nonetheless, it has been good for me, and the time spent traveling has been productive.
I have a different workflow when I travel, and it works for me.
Ultimately, I believe that good things happen when you are in motion!
Many people, however, are focused on the hassle.
The practical realities of travel mean I spend some time thinking about the things airlines do well or poorly. Nonetheless, I appreciate the benefits more than the frustrations.
As you probably noticed, Airline Status means much less today than it used to (which is why it feels even more important to get). Every week, the airlines seem to make the space between seats smaller while the time it takes to find overhead luggage space gets shorter. It seems like most airlines could change its slogan to "We are not happy until you're not happy."
Yet the planes themselves are getting better. Here, for example, is what an empty 787 looks like.
It looks more like a set from Star Trek than the hellscape passengers complain about regularly.
What about the boarding process?
Here is a video that presents the findings from studies on experimental boarding methods that work better.
via CGP Grey
If you really don't like commercial flying, you can fly on any of the "economical" private options like JetSmarter or WheelsUp. Or, better yet, you could be like this guy and buy the world's only private Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
via Sam Chui
You can rent it out for a measly $70k an hour ... What a bargain!
Of course, you could also use Zoom. Times are changing!
