What happened? Why did air travel go from a glamorous experience to nearly hellish?

[Obrienlester]

I'm sure most American Passengers nowadays want a Flight to get them from A to B at a lower cost instead of an "Experience".

[Lowexpectations]

Originally Posted by OpanaPointer

Yes, there is. Corporations jam people into airplanes because they make more money that way. This isn't hard.

Corporations don't put any passengers on plane. People put themselves on plane and are paying substantially less than they used to

[jp03]

Originally Posted by wall st kid

this pretty much up sums up the state of society also. remember in the 70s and 80s when you would go to sleep and not worry if you locked your doors.

WHERE WAS THIS? crime was HIGHER in the 70's and 80's than it is today.

[Pocopsonite]

Originally Posted by Douglas Dakota

If people were willing to pay as much money for a flight as back in 1965 (after inflation), they would have quite acceptable service (First class with priority check-in, lounges, priority-boarding, luggage allowance, onboard meals and drinks, comfortable seats (even lie flat suites on AA transcon flagship routes etc.). But most people are not willing to spend $1000 on a transcon flight, so airlines are offering lower services classes.

I have a friend who says: "Air travel was much more pleasant when people like us couldn't afford to do it!"

[CBMD]

Coincidently, SkyScanner released data this week, that claims long haul travelers value their own time at minimum wage, $8 an hour. Make of it what you will.

Skyscanner analysis reveals the value of time to air travellers

[11thHour]

You get what you pay for. People ***** and moan that things suck, then turn around and ***** and moan their tickets aren't cheap enough. Adjusted for inflation, tickets are steal. Everybody wants a first class treatment at wal-mart prices. Doesn't add up, and airlines will do whatever maximizes profit. Look at Spirit. People hate it. Yet that airline is very successful as those same people keep showing up.

[11thHour]

Originally Posted by Perma Bear

I'd rather go down with the plane wearing a suit in a big comfy seat holding a glass of fine brandy than suffer in a narrow seat while babies scream, kids kick, and the stewardess gives me a soulless death glare.

https://www.netjets.com/Home/

[WyoNewk]

Originally Posted by OpanaPointer

Yes, there is. Corporations jam people into airplanes because they make more money that way. This isn't hard.

You're missing the whole point. Lower prices and lower-class fliers became the norm after deregulation, and jamming more people into a plane and offering fewer niceties wasn't so much an effort to make more money as it was to offer cheaper tickets.

Before deregulation, the high percentage of fliers were for business travel and personal travel of the upper middle-class. With plane travel coming down in price to that of busses, we got the flipflop, teeshirt crowd with their screaming, food-throwing brats.

We got what we wanted -- Walmart Airlines.

[Freak80]

Obligatory:


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b3dYS7PcAG4

[Yeledaf]

Originally Posted by WyoNewk

we got the flipflop, teeshirt crowd with their screaming, food-throwing brats.

So close. Make that "flipflop tanktop" and you've got the trifecta. And it scans!