Should I stay or should I go?

August 12, 2006 2:59 PM

Should I keep flying in light of new travel restrictions?

I have a great job that requires me to commute to Washington DC one a week as well as flying to other locations in US and overseas. I fly about 150,000 miles a year. I've been doing this for about 10 years now. I cruised through 9/11 without blinking an eye. I developed a routine that let me travel efficiently and effectively. About a year ago I began to see a marked decline in airline service levels as well as increased ticket prices. I began to ask myself how much longer I want to endure this? Now with the new TSA regulations I am starting to freak about flying. My routine is shot unless I do without toiletries and buy disposables each trip.

I have an option, the option is drive. Driving takes approximately 8 hours without major traffic problems. Flying takes 6 hours door to door including getting to the airport early. Driving is physically taxing and pollutes the environment. Cost is not a factor except for depreciation on my car because of the additional miles. Winter driving poses it's own challenges

For me a major concern is that this may not be the end of the security changes and I know I could not live without laptop or an ipod on a long flight.

I have flights booked through the end of September. At some point I must make a decision about whether to continue to fly. Any suggestions?

posted by Xurando to travel & transportation (23 comments total)

Where are you coming from? Amtrak might be an option.
posted by cillit bang at 3:06 PM on August 12, 2006

if cost isn't a factor, why don't you take the train? i knew many lawyers that commuting that way from DC to NY cause they hated waiting in the airport.
posted by BigBrownBear at 3:07 PM on August 12, 2006

Fly Jet Blue so that your entertainment needs are taken care of (complementary XM radio and satellite TV for every passenger, plus first-run films at only $5 a pop) and you'll be able to live without your iPod and your laptop.

As for the other issues, I'd suggesting figuring out what each method will entail in terms of general costs, time-tables and convenience, and then base your decision on that. You could always compromise and alternate between driving and flying.
posted by Teevee's Bella at 3:11 PM on August 12, 2006

"Driving is physically taxing and pollutes the environment."

Unless you're driving a Mack truck or a high-performance sports car, the environment shouldn't come into consideration. A jet liner produces about as much pollution per passenger as a car (with some qualifications, but short-haul flights are bigger polluters per mile).

Xurando posted "For me a major concern is that this may not be the end of the security changes and I know I could not live without laptop or an ipod on a long flight."

They aren't going to ban laptops and iPods from flights. Rest assured, it's a non-starter.
posted by mr_roboto at 3:16 PM on August 12, 2006

I travel quite a bit too. Indeed I flew to Dallas from London yesterday: 10 hours with nothing but Sky Mall and the American Way to read - no pen allowed on board to do the Soduku or crossword. Terribly dull. Even a newspaper bought in the gate area wasn't permitted.

My 2c:
(a) Toiletries: either check your baggage (it sucks I know, I had to check for the first time in ages yesterday and hated waiting for it) - or just go with what the hotel provides. If these restrictions stand I suspect hotels will begin to provide small toothpaste tubes, shaving foam etc.

(b) Entertainment. I'm sure that sooner or later books will be allowed on planes again. Electronics are probably a long way off. Or snooze. I love to snooze. Plus airlines are getting far better at entertainment now. An Air Canada flight I take regularly take to Toronto has a darn good selection of movies in coach class.

(c) Driving: Get yourself a hybrid and alleviate the guilt factor. Planes are definitely not much more environmentally friendly and you need to factor in taxi pollution at either end.

(d) Trains: Trains are the lowest pollutor per mile. Go for this if it's an option. (I have no experience of Amtrack I must confess.)
posted by NailsTheCat at 3:20 PM on August 12, 2006

You live near me, sort of, assuming your profile info is correct. I just took the train down to DC and it was cheaper than flying and totally knockout lovely. I took a ton of liquids in my bags (juice, soda, whatever) , there was a plug for my laptop, and people were generally nice. I'm not sure where you go/come from but if you leave from Rutland it's about eight hours and the parking in Rutland is FREE. If you take the other train, the one that goes through Randolph, it takes forever, but since you're further south, you might have options from Amherst/Noho that were not too terrible.
posted by jessamyn at 3:22 PM on August 12, 2006

They aren't going to ban laptops and iPods from flights. Rest assured, it's a non-starter.

unfortunately, you're wrong. not only is it a starter, it's already started.
posted by ab3 at 3:28 PM on August 12, 2006

ab3 writes " unfortunately, you're wrong. not only is it a starter, it's already started."

I was speaking to US domestic flights, and yes it's mostly wishful thinking, but please don't burst my bubble.


I'd have to load up on tranqs or something before getting on an intl flight.
posted by mr_roboto at 3:33 PM on August 12, 2006

I live in southern Vermont and fly out of Hartford. The one train a day does not work schedule wise. I could drive down to New Haven and take the train from there but parking is horrible there unless any mefites have ideas about that.
posted by Xurando at 3:37 PM on August 12, 2006

If you're coming out of Brattleboro, VT (zip code from your MeFi user page), winter driving is bound to be more than "physically taxing." Amtrack may be a part journey option, but one you've already indicated isn't too great, and still gets you a couple hours driving. Buses aren't as bad you may think, until they really, truly are.

You might look into general aviation, and becoming your own pilot. You won't be able to fly into Regan National, but there are several general aviation airports in the Baltimore-DC area, and flights of the distance and type you are making commercially, generally align with the economics and time profiles of general aviation aircraft in terms of time and distance, quite well. You won't be giving up much, if anything, in terms of door to door time, for a great deal more flexibility, relaxation, and adventure, compared to commercial flight schedules. You'll spend $7 - 10,000 and perhaps a couple of months getting your private and instrument ratings (and if you are flying winter weather in Vermont, you should go for your instrument ticket). You can get your private license in as a little as a couple of weeks at some of the more intensive programs, if you have the time and money to devote to training in that period.

Once you're in the pilot's seat, the principal problem with using general aviation to replace commercial flights, is usually getting your flight expenses reimbursed by your company or employer, as a private pilot on business travel, but a lot of people make arrangements to do so that are fairly innovative. You may need to arrange special cover on life and health insurance to protect you while piloting your own plane (which could be a plane you rent by the day, or share part ownership/lease responsibilities for, in an owners flying club, or which, if you get the bug bad, and have the travel to do, you actually go out and buy yourself, like a car that won't depreciate nearly as rapidly).

But I'd really look into this, if I were you, and had any interest. A quick trip out to your local (which for you is probably Keene, NH) general aviation airport, and a couple hours talking with the fixed base operators there, could really pay off.
posted by paulsc at 3:56 PM on August 12, 2006

Re: trains out of New Haven:
My partner and I have both commuted from New Haven and points east to NYC on a regular basis. Depending on the time of day, you might be able to drive to one of the regional rail stations (Old Saybrook, is right at the end of Rt 9), take the <$6 train to New Haven, and then take the NH train down to wherever you need. But it will add another 1/2hr to 45 minutes to the commute then, and they don't run constantly. The parking is fabulous.
posted by cobaltnine at 4:45 PM on August 12, 2006

If you have to go to DC once a week, can you make arrangements to leave stuff there? If you are a regular at a business hotel, they might be willing to store a bag for you. That would solve your toiletries problem, at the least. I realize this doesn't help your broader issue of flying places other than DC.

With regards to the train, you needn't drive all the way to New Haven- you can get better train service, schedule-wise, out of Springfield MA, which is closer anyway. It's been a while since I lived in Northampton and took the train in and out of Springfield, so I can't tell you what the parking situation is like.
posted by ambrosia at 5:06 PM on August 12, 2006

Driving is physically taxing and pollutes the environment.

Air travel is filthy as hell for the environment.

For short hops, use the train.

For longer distances, carry nothing with you. Learn to meditate. Keep a stash of clothes and toiletries on the other end, if it's a place you frequent. [I see ambrosia just beat me to that.] You might even be able to mail stuff to the other end and mail it back home again.
posted by pracowity at 5:33 PM on August 12, 2006

Eh, if you only save two hours with all the security bullshit, I say just drive. I mean, driving is a lot more fun and comfortable, and cheap.
posted by delmoi at 5:53 PM on August 12, 2006

Unless you're buying a car specifically to do the drive, you don't have to make a permanent decision. If you drive, you can't get anything else done, of course, if you aren't even allowed a pen and paper the only thing you can accomplish on the plane is sleep. But maybe things will relax in a bit so that flying again becomes the best bet.
Someone above mentioned a hybrid, but I think that would be counterproductive for highway travel. I think that non-hybrids will beat out hybrids at highway speeds (you're not using the batteries, so they're just dead weight to haul along).
posted by 445supermag at 6:10 PM on August 12, 2006

Counterintuitive though it may seem, especially these days, it is massively safer to fly than drive. By switching to a car, you will statistically increase, by a large margin, your chances of injury or death. You can find these studies in various places on the web, and I just saw one referenced in this blog a few days ago.
posted by bigmuffindaddy at 6:28 PM on August 12, 2006

I just got off a plane from DFW to Toronto. Unless you're commuting from the UK, you can bring as many books, laptops, cd players, and ipods as you care to stuff into your carry-on. The only difference is that you'll have to check a bag with EVIL FLUIDS in it, adding maybe half an hour to a trip.

More than half an hour if you're dealing with the baggage handlers at Pearson, apparently.

And an extra couple of minutes if you keep saying to yourself "That looks like my bag, but blue" before you remember that your bag is blue. Ah, antihistamines.

Only you can decide about service levels and such. Myself, I've been pleased with the decline -- I get left alone more and don't get bothered by people wanting me to turn down their crappy food.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 6:38 PM on August 12, 2006

My example is perhaps a lot more local, but I drive between Cincinnati and Cleveland twice a month and would kill for a train or cheap flight between the two cities. If I had the opportunity to take the train if cost were not an issue, then I would take the train, especially given Cleveland's weather in the winter.
posted by vkxmai at 8:49 PM on August 12, 2006

Someone above mentioned a hybrid, but I think that would be counterproductive for highway travel. I think that non-hybrids will beat out hybrids at highway speeds

That was me. A common assumption but false. As a Prius o be green when I can) I find that the best mileage is on the interstate. In town you might muster 40mpg but on the interstate 50 is achievable. Why? Cos it's streamlined for one. Two, when you take your foot off the gas it lowers the engine to a low output and charges the battery to supplement the next time you accelerate. It's contrary to the impression you get of hybrids from the media I know - but that's how it is in practice.
posted by NailsTheCat at 1:24 AM on August 13, 2006

If it's possible (and it's likely not) I would suggest finding a friendly doctor that can prescribe Xanax or the like. A whole world opened up when I realized I could be almost entirely unconscious for 17hrs, then suddenly awake and functional.

Seems to me the airlines ought to provide those marvellous little pills, but until then at least it's easy to fake the symptoms necessary to get them.
posted by aramaic at 1:37 AM on August 13, 2006

The flight I took from SFO to Seattle earlier today had no problem with my bringing my laptop and some books onboard. Security-scrim delays weren't any worse than usual, though of course I'd checked practically everything. I gather that overseas flights and flights to/from London are locked down much tighter, though.

Ambrosia's suggestion of simply keeping a cache of toiletries at the DC end does seem like the simplest, smallest-change solution to your problem.
posted by hattifattener at 1:37 AM on August 13, 2006

My two cents: get a new job. Commuting that much, even on a plane, sucks a lot more out of your life than you realize. Life is too short, and it's a very rare job that's worth it. :)

Is telecommuting an option? The technology is getting better and better, and for most jobs, a face-to-face meeting once or twice a month is perfectly adequate.
posted by ivarley at 6:52 AM on August 13, 2006

I second the general aviation comment and not just because I hate amtrack. (they are so damn unreliable. anyone recently ride the california train from LA to monterrey? holy crap, my friend was two days late and they didn't even apologize.)

the problem with the tsa is their unpredictability. a massive beauracracy and lots of kneejerk reactions. you won't be able to do anything about sudden changes in carry-on restrictions. I tend to use skycabs at all times now, even when I don't have anything to check. but the upside is that if you had no problems flying up until now, you are not on any no-fly or no-entry list and won't have to worry about that anytime soon. I have heard that frequent flyer status information is being shared with them as well, though I am not certain on that. so unless you regularly get hassled, you probably pop up in their systems as a low-risk passenger already.

I of course don't know what kind of economical bracket you are in but if these are business trips and you are travelling with a couple other people, you might want to look into chartered aircraft. for short distances (let's say up until what usually implies a 90 minute flight in a jet), you should be able to secure a killer deal with a prop at a small airport or airfield in your area. look for an owner who has his own plane, a private pilot. make sure he has at least 200 hours as pilot in command and offer to pay him if he flies you around. most of these guys are middle-class folks who will jump at the chance to get someone to pay for their fuel alone. the time you will save will be astronomical even if your average cessna 172 or so will be significantly slower. no TSA long-line hassles either! ever been to a general aviation apron at an airport? they are incredibly fast.

if you are travelling further and perhaps with 4-8 other people, look into the usual timeshare programs for corporate jet fleets. they offer trial programs where you can buy i.e. 10 hours on a certain jet size. netjets (owned by warren buffet, et all) is a big player, so is flexjet. or look at the marquis card (also affiliated with netjets). delta has a division as well that will offer you instant mileage status as a perk.

this of course might sound completely insane to you but I thought I'd suggest it as an alternative. it's tax deductable and if you fly five people from new york to chicago and back in business class, a small private jet suddenly looks very comparable. you can also rent them on a case-by-case basis. expect a decent jet carrying eight or so from NYC to LA to cost you around 25k.

by the way, if you can afford a medium-size luxury vehicle like a 5-series bmw, you can afford your own small prop aircraft. talk to a flight school.
posted by krautland at 10:28 PM on August 28, 2006