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Travelers are the Reason Air Travel Sucks
Great view, but still the worst seat in the house.
We have a secret to share. We actually hate traveling. Don’t get us wrong, we love destinations. It’s the getting there that sucks. That’s especially true when our travel plans involve boarding a commercial aircraft.
This isn’t news to anyone who has flown anywhere in the last decade or two. But a recent article at the travel hacking blog The Points Guy reminded me just how awful we all think air travel really is.
In an industry comparison, airlines ranked near the bottom at a score of 69/100, just ahead of internet service providers, social media and subscription TV services – so way to go airlines, you have cable companies beat!”
The article then goes on to make five suggestions for how airlines could improve customer satisfaction. Unfortunately, his suggestions all miss the biggest reason air travel is so terrible: travelers.
Do You Have What it Takes to Unlock The X Door?
00:40 . . . 00:39 . . . 00:38 . . .
“Look, if you put those two things together it gives us the code for that lock. I think this is it. Hurry, we’re going to make it!”
35:13 . . . 35:12 . . . 35:11 . . .
“I can’t believe we missed that. We must have walked past it a dozen times.”
“Well, thankfully you saw it now and it looks like that’s how we open the door. Does that mean we’re out?”
“I don’t think so. Check this out.”
60:00
The door closes behind us with an audible click. Somewhere within this room is the key to unlocking the door and gaining our escape.
Strange Things We Wouldn’t Travel Without
Living out of two carry-on sized bags requires making some tough choices about what to bring. We can’t possibly carry everything. In fact, we can’t carry most things. But hard experience has taught us to make room for these often overlooked items.
Grinning Like Idiots in Segovia
Segovia’s Gothic Cathedral towers over much of the town
Some people might tell you that Spanish and Greek are two totally different languages. But to us they’re nearly identical in one important respect: we understand very little of either.
On a bus, somewhere in Segovia, Spain, we managed to decipher enough Spanish to know that the driver wasn’t letting us off where we wanted. We wouldn’t figure out why until a bit later. And although we couldn’t make heads or tails of his precise directions, we did understand the universal sign for “that way.”
So with a shrug we hefted our bags and set off in the direction of the bus driver’s outstretched finger. A light rain fell as we made our way in this new and unfamiliar city. It wasn’t long until we saw the crowds. And then the barricades blocking our way.
Everywhere Once 