I admit it. I can’t help it. I love airports and air travel – most of the time.
Have you ever walked through a commercial airport and wondered, “Where did that person come from? Where are in the world are they going? I know I do all the time.
Air travel used to be an incredible experience. People dressed up. Passengers could not wait to get to the airport. They were excited for the chance to fly across the country in a single day or night, and when they were on board they were treated like Queens and Kings.
Now people cannot stand to fly. From the moment they leave their house the stress levels explode. They loathe the long lines at security, the delays, the lost luggage, the angry and frustrated Staff, not to mention the overall crummy onboard experience including small seats, terrible food, and incredibly expensive and slow wifi. (I know… I know… I should remember that we are talking about a tube moving through the sky at 400MPH and at 30,000ft getting internet). The list goes on and on.
It’s sad to me. I look at old photographs from the days of PanAm, Eastern and other great carriers, all gone, and I realize that we’ve lost something. We’ve lost the passion, the excitement, and the anticipation that once was all around air travel and airports.
Of course, I know all too well that airlines are companies that have to make a profit. They are highly capitally intensive entities with multiple cost components that are very hard to predict, much less control. It is an incredibly tough space to make money in. I get it very well given my various experiences in the aviation industry.
But… with all that said, someday, I’d sure love to see the excitement, anticipation, and glamour return to airports and air travel around the world.