Admittedly, most airline holiday travel these days is more of an ordeal than anything. However, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, here are a few developments for which we can be very thankful. My travel Thanksgiving list follows.
1. Increasing availability of free WiFi at airports. Yes, this is a long way from universal, but it’s improving. Unfortunately, there are some restrictions, for example at SFO the free time is capped at 45 minutes, and there are short ads. Still, it’s a nice perk.
For budget-conscious travelers, the free WiFi also makes it more feasible to bypass expensive airline club memberships.
2. Improving food options at airports. Many airports still have the same old fast food suspects. But many now have food you might actually want to eat even if you weren’t flying, both in sit-down restaurants and fast-food outlets.
3. Cellphone waiting lots. It’s already hard to remember what picking up someone at the airport was like before cellphones. (Remember trying to figure out arrival times, and trying to guess the right door, etc.?) The waiting lots eliminate not only circling the airport, but also at least some of the traffic curbside.
4. Less stringent liquid rule enforcement. (In most cases.) Yes, the 3.5 ounce/100 ml rule is still a hassle. But at least in my experience TSA has loosened up a little. It’s not just that many travelers report not being told to remove their plastic quart bag from their carry-on, but also that items like condiment packets, nail polish, and lip gloss seem to be non-issues these days.
5. Wheeled bags. These are not that new (although the spinning luggage is an enhancement), but everytime I use one, I wonder, how did we manage without wheels?
6. “Economy plus” type seating and other options with additional legroom for a reasonable price. This is the most mixed item on the list, because so few airlines offer the option, and it’s not always available. (Plus the United/Continental merger causes confusions because only the original United planes have the separate section.)
7. The fact that fares, at least between major cities, are still historically low. When I left for college, over 30 years ago, the fare was in the $300-$400 range roundtrip between Orlando and San Francisco. (The lowest fare I remember paying was $129 one way, and I flew to Miami a few times to get $99 one way fares, and then paid $20-$50 more for the Miami-Orlando leg.)
Currently the cheapest one way fare in the market is $159 plus some taxes bringing the total to $180. I issued tickets a few weeks ago for $149.70 one way TOTAL.
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This is a short starter list, and the list of things that drive us crazy about air travel is no doubt a lot longer. But any Consumer Traveler reader with something positive to add to the list, please comment. This time of year travelers can use all the things to smile about we can get.
Janice Hough is a California-based travel agent a travel blogger and a part-time comedy writer. A frequent flier herself, she’s been doing battle with airlines, hotels, and other travel companies for over three decades. Besides writing for Travelers United, Janice has a humor blog at Leftcoastsportsbabe.com (Warning, the political and sports humor therein does not represent the views of anyone but herself.)
