Last time you flew commercial

I just read a post from Anne where she said something like she hadn’t flown in 30 years.  I stopped to think, always dangerous, and realized the last time I flew commercial was in the mid 90s.   I came to the realization that I didn’t mind flying, but I hated airports.  I consciously limited my travels to destinations that I could get to in one day on the road.

Mom passed in 2017, that was the last time I flew.
I have been considering a trip back east to see family, while most are still with us.
I am seriously considering driving the 2500 miles rather than dealing with air travel.

I was also wondering this a while ago. I think my last flight was to help my grandmother in California with some medical stuff about eight years ago. On the visit after that, it was pretty clear she was dying so I drove out for the additional flexibility. Eight years doesn't compete with thirty, but I have friends who think it's very weird that I don't fly more.

Last time I flew commercial would be 6 years ago this June.

if you like to fly, good for you.

Me personally, I prefer the ground and a road trip is so much more fun then cramping yourself into a sardine can for 6 hours.


maybe if it was cheaper, or I don't know, maybe safer? I would probably do it again. I don't see myself flying anywhere anytime soon though.

I flew twice in 1996 that was to do with an emergency of my sister's.
...and once in 1968 for a trip paid for by my best friends parents so she would not have to go alone....we had a great time in New York City.

and that's enough flying for a lifetime.

I'd take a train trip any day though!

Hi Judith,

Interesting. I found myself on the Amtrack site last week.  

Thanks for bringing this up as I have more questions.

How strict are airlines for carry on luggage?

I don't want to buy luggage and plan to use bags that we already have.

The duffel bag is bigger than the 22 x 14 x 9 that is stated.  If I have to pay to check the bag it is cheaper than buying luggage.

I want to put the laptop in a backpack that is bigger than the 9 x 10 x 17 to fit under the seat.  I can put my feet on the part that will not fit.

I really worry about my stuff getting broken if I have to check the bags.

I am spending our daughter inheritance to make this trip.

For me it would've been around 1996 (30 years - yikes!).  Wasn't bad back then, 2 hour flight to Florida. Had a good flight and a great time.

Too much stress nowadays (layovers/connecting flights, delays, etc.).   I'd much rather take my time and drive, if at all possible.  

The last time I flew was a year ago for my mother’s 90th birthday celebrations.

Prior to that would have been about 6 years ago for a cousin’s funeral.

Most of my family live in the North Island, over 1500km/950m driving time that includes a 3.5 hour ferry journey so not a trip that I would make on my own.

Mum comes to stay with us every winter, she has a little studio in our house. Mum lives with my sister so it’s a great break for my sister.

Hi Pete,

Maybe 15 years ago, I had a business trip to western Virginia.   The person I was working with lived the same distance from the airport that I did. He also lived in Illinois and used the same airport I would have used.   We thought it would be interesting to compare our travel times.we timed it, I think, from the time we left the organization we were at to the time we reached our door at home.  He flew. I drove.  I took regular breaks and did not rush.   I arrived home several hours before he did.  I no longer remember the exact times, but 3 hours would be a safe bet.

I fly once every other year usually to visit family.

The strictness of a flights rules seems to vary by flight provider. I fly American Airlines usually and their luggage dimension rules have had a bit of wiggle room. There however is an emphasis that a carry-on must fit underneath the seat in front of you and they may enforce it.

I don't generally check luggage as I can fly out with only a carry-on but many times they ask at the gate for volunteers to check their luggage before boarding for free. I happily do it and haven't had an issue with their handling.

I think the last time I flew was when my husband was working on engines with BMW in Steyr, Austria about 20 years ago. I got to visit him there just once I think (mostly they paid for him to come home). Pity I didn't know about Sepp Holzer then...

Hi Thomas,

That is a hell of a distance to drive if your objective is only to go from point A to Point B.   I have easily driven 1,100 miles in one day.   But, allowing for fatigue, I would call that a minimum of a 3 day drive.  Now, at age 20 I would say “no problem”.  But I had no brains back then.

November 2019 - our last vacation, we went on a cruise. Then, we got more livestock than just chickens, and our trips are driving, individual, usually for family stuff or buying/ selling livestock, and no more than 3 or 4 days.

I was 14  from Virginia to Michigan and back alone so  40 years years ago when I last flew  outside of private planes and copters. Which were also in my late teens. So I haven't been in the air in any shape or form for nearly 40 years.

Last time fly commercial was a family trip 2024. Last time flying private was 2004 or 2005 in a Piper Cherokee.

A fairy tale—-  once open a time, in a different world far, far, away, there was a farm girl who loved to fly and visit others’ farms and botanical gardens. She so much enjoyed these adventures that she would usually fly to neighboring islands once every month, and to the far away countries once a year. Oh how she loved it, bringing home special prizes of exotic seeds and plants (of course, abiding by import and quarantine rules). She gladly spent her time between trips saving money for her next trip by happily selling her vegetables & fruits, eggs, lambs, goats, and rabbits.

But things began to change. Seats got smaller and uncomfortable. More passengers got crammed into the airplane. Carry on luggage got more restrictive. She had to pay for her checked in bags. Free meals and snacks on the plane disappeared, and what was offered at high prices was essentially crap. She couldn’t even take her own sodas or juice through the check in process for drinking on the plane. And the check-in process could take 3 hours to get through the lines. The fun was gradually being squeezed out of flying. Soon she found herself just flying locally from island to island because the fun had died.

Then an evilness descended……COVID. She watched so many of her friends return from trips, suffering from Covid. Being elderly and with pre-existing health problems, she was concerned. Was it worth taking the risk, and possibly end up with a long hospital stay? Even possibly end up with distressing "long Covid", or even possibly die?   So she restricted her trips to one neighboring island, using an airline with small prop planes and small passenger numbers to reduce the risk.

Then along came 2023. Absolute heart wrenching disaster!  Lahaina burned!!!  Lahaina was her Maui Island "home away from home" for 10 of her trips a year. Watching what happened, having friends lose not only their homes and businesses but also people that they knew, watching while it all was destroyed just broke the farm girl’s spirit. Knowing that she would never enjoy those businesses again, never see the old feeble guy who would ride the rickety bike to the wharf, never watch the crazy guy talking to invisible  people, never buy an ice cream cone for the elderly bag lady, never invite the hotel resident cat into her room at night, never again….never again….never again. The farm girl’s heart was permanently broken beyond mending.

So……….. I have not flown since June 2023.

All of these are most interesting in the perceptions of danger and all the rest.

Probably not much on here, but if like myself, a small private plane is a great thing, but often proves the saying, "if you fly by air, have time to spare"  As far as the big planes go, 99% of frequent flyers would say, it is all in the mind set. Basically it will go the way you precieve it will go. Greatly or Poorly.

As far as bags, go, rules are rules, but for good reasons,  i.e. if there is only X height under a seat, then there is nothing one can do to change it. With the vast majority of travelers making it work, then perhaps a person who doesn't think it will work for them, shouldn't be trying to do what they already know won't work.  I am not trying to be mean.  Just a simple fact in life.

Lastly, while when things go badly on a aircraft, they are really bad, the odds/chances are so slim that it is not worth talking about.  Everytime your on a two lane road, just think how many times you meet someone going 55 mph or more, where only 1/2 of the deviation or seperation  is controlled by you == it is or could be a scary thought if you dwell on it.   When you step back and understand the newspaper/radio ways, What makes more sensational headlines, one airplane crash or 500 car crashes.  ( the spread could easily be bigger than that ) but the airplane news will win every time.

Stay safe everyone.
Scott

Anne Miller wrote:Thanks for bringing this up as I have more questions.

How strict are airlines for carry on luggage?

I don't want to buy luggage and plan to use bags that we already have.

The duffel bag is bigger than the 22 x 14 x 9 that is stated.  If I have to pay to check the bag it is cheaper than buying luggage.

I want to put the laptop in a backpack that is bigger than the 9 x 10 x 17 to fit under the seat.  I can put my feet on the part that will not fit.

I really worry about my stuff getting broken if I have to check the bags.

I am spending our daughter inheritance to make this trip.

Airlines definitely vary. I don't have a ton of experience, and all of it was going to SE Asia. Most of the time, they don't care a lot about carryon size or weight; if it fits in the overhead it flies, and for the personal item if it basically fits under the seat it flies. They do go around checking that bags are in the right place, not sure how much of a problem it is if the personal item has made it this far but doesn't fit according to their criteria.

Some of the time they check if it will fit into a box of under-seat dimensions, and sometimes they have carryon weight limits that are being enforced, in both cases there does not seem to be any flexibility if they are checking.

If you bring a duffle that is not crammed full, but would be over if it was crammed full, I would guess it would be ok. But there is a degree of variety in the rules between airlines, and more variety in whether they are diligently enforcing them.

As far as checked bags go, when my wife comes home from visiting family, she uses beefy cardboard boxes wrapped in plastic with a fabric handle strap. They make her sign a waiver that damage is her fault due to unsuitable packing, but thus far it's worked out well. The one time we used proper hard suitcases they were busted after one trip..

I hate flying. But if I have a 3-4 day window it's impractical to visit family who are a 10-12 hour drive away vs. a 1-1.5 hour flight. So I fly.

Last year I had the option to take a super-basic flight that only allowed an under-seat bag (big laptop bag basically) or spend an extra $50 for a carry-on. I went into backpacker mode right smartly. Worked out fine, though I didn't bother to chop down the handle of my toothbrush. It helped a lot that I had salted away some gear and a change of clothes at the relatives when they drove out my way because they had to haul stuff.

I still hate flying. I'll have to do it again this year. Next year they'll be charging extra for air.

My last time in a private plane was in December of '23. Our friend flew me in his (itty bitty, 2 seater) plane to visit my family cemetery plot.

My last time flying was back in 2015, so over 10 years ago. My father-in-law paid for us to fly to Idaho for my sister-in-law's wedding. If that hadn't happened, my last time would have been back in 2000....when I was in high school! (We went down to build houses in Mexico). I have never paid for an airplane ticket, and likely never will!

I am so grateful that I have no need to fly.  The last time I remember, was for my old job, so that would have been .. 2000?

D Nikolls wrote:[ a problem it is if the personal item has made it this far but doesn't fit according to their criteria.

Some of the time they check if it will fit into a box of under-seat dimensions, and sometimes they have carryon weight limits that are being enforced, in both cases there does not seem to be any flexibility if they are checking.

If you bring a duffle that is not crammed full, but would be over if it was crammed full, I would guess it would be ok. But there is a degree of variety in the rules between airlines, and more variety in whether they are diligently enforcing them.

As far as checked bags go, when my wife comes home from visiting family, she uses beefy cardboard boxes wrapped in plastic with a fabric handle strap. They make her sign a waiver that damage is her fault due to unsuitable packing, but thus far it's worked out well. The one time we used proper hard suitcases they were busted after one trip..

Thank you for the explanation.  We will be gone about two week though taking minimal clothes. I don't want to look like the Beverly Hillbillies.

Two pants, one skirt, four tops, then there are all the necessities of life that I must take ...  I understand liquids can only be 3.4 oz.  I cant live without aspircreme so that is 4.3 oz.

I would ship stuff if I had an address to ship to or buy when we get there if I thought I might get the opportunity.

This trip sounded like a great opportunity though I am having second thoughts about all the restrictions especially the ticket/boarding pass bit ....

Anne Miller wrote:I would ship stuff if I had an address to ship to or buy when we get there if I thought I might get the opportunity.

this is a great option if you can. most hotels will accept deliveries (I didn't see where you're going or what the circumstances are). i've done this a few times and often bring a folding bag if I'm going somewhere i expect to want to bring things home from. When I went to Italy I brought only a carry-on out there, but my folding suitcase was inside and came back home stuffed with cheese, soap and nice clothes from the street fairs. (I had a checked luggage allowance, but it was planes/trains/automobiles to get to my destination with lots of transfers and train stations with stairs and I needed to arrive on time for an event, so I kept it easy on the way there. on the way back things were more relaxed).
As for what you can bring, check out the TSA website to know for sure. https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/liquids-aerosols-gels-rule

I try to spend some time with my mother in Pennsylvania every year, which means an international flight between Brazil and the US, usually combined with domestic legs and visits to friends in the Midwest or Florida. Last year I skipped it because of $$/and regional unrest, this year I may go in September (if my passport can get sorted in time). I find that international flying is 500 times better than domestic flying in the US, which is sometimes dehumanizing. Smaller airports can be gems though (Madison, WI and Allentown/Bethlehem PA are frequent destinations for me, and are the kind of place where the guy doing the security inspection talks to you like a neighbor, such a great experience compared to, say Philly international, which is definitely one of the circles of hell.) And even at the big places, treating staff like people gets you a long, long way. A few years ago I started bringing a box of local chocolates for the flight attendants on my international flights out of Brazil, and you want to see some happy folks... It doesn't necessarily "get" you anything, but it's nice and makes someone's day in a job that can be full of difficult people.

In 2024 when I went through Newark, NY, Chicago and Milwaukee I was surprised to see that so much of the check-in/ticketing process was done at kiosks without human involvement. If you have to check bags and pay for them, it's so much easier to pay for it online beforehand than to have to find someone. And I am very surprised at how the companies' apps have improved-- I often fly United and their app is actually useful.
I do find domestic airlines to be very persnickety about carry-ons (since now they charge for everything but the air you breathe). If you're flying internationally the domestic flights have to honor the international luggage allowance so I rarely worry about it, but I did once take a cheapie flight to England with no allowance, all I brought was my computer backpack that was definitely within the size/weight range and they wanted to charge me for that!! (they started with the "we have no space for bags on this flight" and i said I'd be happy to contribute by letting them gate check my carry on, which made everyone happy.)

I really enjoy flying, airports and traveling. I'm getting old enough that a 10-hour flight is painful and takes me a day to recover from, but I always make sure to get my step count in walking around the airport, and I love the people watching. It's fun to go where I'm going, and equally fun to go back home.

Anne, as for printing the boarding pass- when you buy your ticket they give you a code (6 digit? 8 digit?) in the email that you type into the kiosk at the airport to print your boarding pass when you arrive. it's not a big deal. If you don't have that code, then you can go to a desk to check in, but as I said, in my experience it's hard to find staff in airports lately. Still, frankly, if it were me and I didn't have a phone I'd make a stop on the way to the airport if I had to to print things out, as I always carry paper copíes of tickets (even though I use my phone for everything now. old habits die hard.)

Edited to add: In college I did aerial moose counts in upstate NY near the Canada border one summer. The plane was WW2 surplus and made of fabric and rivets. Luckily I was at the age of adventure and didn't think about the fact that it ran on what looked like a lawn mower engine and had the structural integrity of an old pickup in snow country. Now just thinking about it makes me shudder. I'll stick with the big planes where I can't see the mess in the cockpit!!!

thomas rubino wrote:
I have been considering a trip back east to see family, while most are still with us.
I am seriously considering driving the 2500 miles rather than dealing with air travel.

That is what we do.

•Hate airports - crowding, waiting, stampede style travel, no air filtration and no ventilation: a bad germ pit for viruses
•Hate sardine style aeroplanes - which are less safe now that half the airline mechanics and traffic controllers have been fired.
•Hate airlines - all very unreliable and moreover don’t refund as they say they will in emergencies, without a fight that pretty much has to involve a lawyer to be resolved fairly😤😠

•Love the independence, flexibility, and healthiness (if one plans it that way) of driving or taking the train. Train is mostly too expensive for X-country tho.
•Love being able to take what I want - full bottles of liquid, luggage weight etc
•Love visiting and hiking in state and national parks along the way
•Love being able to bring my dogs! No hassles! Just remember to bring heartworm pills!
•Love having transport when we get ‘there’
•Love being able to choose the food we bring or buy (no junk ever- tho that is only possible with grocery stores on the way).
•Love stopping and seeing friends
•Note: need to set one’s car up for sleeping in. Not great for mid-summer camping in car 🥵

thomas rubino wrote:Mom passed in 2017, that was the last time I flew.
I have been considering a trip back east to see family, while most are still with us.
I am seriously considering driving the 2500 miles rather than dealing with air travel.

Tough call. But then again, is the time spent driving better spent with family? Unless you have "bucket list" stops along the way, which is what I would absolutely do. Surely there is *something* worth seeing along the way.

Late 2024, to go down and see my best friend and my nieces by her in FL.  And the next time I fly will be for the same purpose, in Dec. 2026.  I hate flying, but realistically it makes the most sense for me if I'm going far away.

Last time I flew commercial was last summer. My middle sister who was very ill, passed.

The time before that was Christmas 24/25. I knew said sister was very ill, and I spent 4 weeks with her. I did all the housework and much of the cooking. Together we did whatever she wanted that brought her joy.

My family policy has always been - visit while they're still alive to visit back!

(The death visit was essential for clean-up/repairs/repainting to ready her house for sale. She had no offspring.)

I remember my first flights across the country on a commercial plane, coast-to-coast nonstop. I loved flying then. Unfortunately that love turned sour and now it's been 20 years or more since I've flown anywhere.

The airlines changed my mind about the flying experience with increased "hub-and-spoke" stops, and with smaller seats. I've never liked being in crowds and the whole rush in airports and then being trapped in seats between people was torture for me.  I still flew, though - going to warm places when it was brutally cold at home, and being with family or friends, too, was a treat I'd suffer flying for.

But then came 9/11 and TSA. The addition of security and its absurdity and indignities, plus the need to show up at airports hours before a flight was just too much. I already live 3 hours from the closest major airport and because my flights were so artificially long (more and more layovers added), I'd be putting in 12 hours or more of travel before I even landed at my destination.  After that I figured I'd rather drive in my own car with all the stuff I'd like to have with me no matter how long it took, rather than spend a whole day traveling and a second day cranky as I recovered from traveling.

Driving did rule out flying to tropical islands in the winter, though.

Even before there were strict carry-on limits, I started shipping my clothes via USPS or UPS depending on where I was going. Shipping meant I didn't have to fight the people who carry on all their huge suitcases and claim all the space the overhead storage, and I didn't  have to deal with hunting for my own suitcases after landing, when inevitably it was the middle of the night and I was exhausted.  My carry on bag was small, only as much as would fit under a seat - easy access to it plus no worries about no overhead space. To me not having to deal with luggage was worth the extra cost, plus I liked having my stuff waiting for me at my destination because  I shipped far enough in advance to already know it was there.

Note that my current feelings are because my flying experience started in a time when I could buy a ticket right at the airport in Boston or NY at the last minute, hop on a plane, stretch out with elbow room, get a nice meal, and end up in CA with enough time to go out to dinner and party after with friends. I didn't have to buy a first class ticket for that, either! Paying more for being treated like cattle on the way to the slaughterhouse does not appeal to me these days.

I travel for my day job pretty regularly. Probably 60 flights last year? Last flight was about a week ago.

A lot of the indignities of air travel end up getting stripped away for frequent fliers. I get upgraded to first class pretty regularly, I get free checked luggage, I have precheck so security takes a couple minutes (usually, actually on my last flight something in my carryon lined up perfectly to look like a gun in the X ray and I got to meet the airport police). It is what it is, I probably will look for something with less travel for my next role...    

Nick Williams wrote: (usually, actually on my last flight something in my carryon lined up perfectly to look like a gun in the X ray and I got to meet the airport police)...    

I didn't have to meet the cops, but I sometimes carry collapsible chopsticks with me. In the bottom of a pack, they look a little like blasting caps to an airline X ray apparently... But they're in a fabric case, so the ladies hunting for them couldn't find what their mental picture was looking for. Luckily, I had a couple of friendly staff to deal with (I've had the other sort... ) As soon as I pulled them out and showed them how they worked, the ladies waved me through and had a good snigger about the false alarm.

My wife and I fly once a year, always in the winter to somewhere WARM!!
This year was Costa Rica.  Hawaii many times.  One of our sons lived on ST Croix for several years so would go to visit there a lot.

I know that the airlines have totally messed up the fun of traveling.  Extra $$ for checked bags, carry on bags, food, etc.

We watch for upgrades when possible so have been able to fly first class about half the time we fly.  That is well worth the extra $$.

Very seldom do we fly with checked baggage.  We try to find a place to stay that has a washer and dryer, if not there seems to be laundry services that are fairly cheap.  In Costa Rica we used a laundry service that cost $4 US for a weeks worth of clothes.  Saved a few hundred bucks on rental place by not having washer and dryer.

I found a carry on bag that the laptop fits in and also got some of the bags that you can roll the air out of.  Twice the amount of clothes fits in that space.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DSPTX5JC?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PLHBVZQ?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

We do mail stuff home quite often.

Jay Angler wrote: I didn't have to meet the cops, but I sometimes carry collapsible chopsticks with me.  

Oooh, I had to look online for collapsible chopsticks - do you have metal or wooden? I see some that are bamboo on the food end, stainless steel on the hand end. I never knew there were so many choices!

Lif Strand wrote: Oooh, I had to look online for collapsible chopsticks - do you have metal or wooden? I see some that are bamboo on the food end, stainless steel on the hand end. I never knew there were so many choices!

Mine have a stainless tube that holds the wooden food half. They screw together for eating, so are *very* secure. Yes, I've had some admiring comments - even from Chinese food employees.

I think the ones I have had "Peak" in the name and were originally from Japan, but I'm sure I've had them for over 20 years. Hubby bought them for me as a birthday present. I admit they seemed a bit pricey at the time, but I love knowing I have a way of eating a snack that takes up so little purse space, and can be used even if my hands aren't as clean as I would like.

The last time I flew commercial was 2018 or 2019. I had 2 quarts of honey to give to family. TSA would not let me take it aboard & there wasn't time to check the bag. I told the lady to at least take it home for herself. She said she was not allowed & it would be thrown away. That was high quality honey my bees worked hard to produce. That was the moment I decided that would be my last flight. The thrill was gone.

Except for one flight as a baby my flying adventures began in the military jumping out of perfectly good airplanes & helicopters. I have about 1000 more takeoffs than landings. That was great adrenaline. After that my work involved traveling constantly. I would typically be in 2 or 3 different cities each week & return home on the weekend. I had so many frequent flyer miles on several different major airlines. I gave most of them to friends & family. Sometimes as tips to waiters & waitresses at restaurants. I traveled so much that for weekends & vacations I just wanted to stay home. Sometimes I would take a date to a fancy restaurant in another city or a friend to climb a mountain somewhere. Mostly though I just wanted to be at home.

Somewhere in the middle of all those years of travel I decided to become a pilot. Gave me something to do (study) at night other than watch tv while sitting in a hotel room. So on weekends I flew private airplanes. Then 9-11 took a lot of the fun & enjoyment out of that. I could move through my airport easily enough without the TSA hassles but constantly receiving letters from the FAA about current intercept procedures by the military was ... I don't know the right word ... disturbing? Annoying? Pissed me off? And TSA for commercial flights can KMA.

Statistically flying is far far far safer than traveling by car but when bad things happen it often involves many people or rich famous people so it is sensational & makes the news.

I love to fly & might fly small planes again once in a while. I will never ever fly commercial again. The thrill is gone.