Just How Bad is Flying These Days?

[Palanan]

I used to do a lot of international travel for work, but I haven’t flown in several years, since before the pandemic began. Here lately I’ve been hearing nothing but awful things about the experience.

How bad is it? And if it’s as bad as it sounds, is there any prospect of it ever improving?

[Peelee]

I've only flown domestic since the pandemic, not international, but it was no different than its been for the last 20 years except for needing a mask.

[TaiLiu]

I booked a flight for someone a few months back. The flight was bumped several times and then was cancelled. That person was then bumped onto a different flight a day or two later—at a different airport in a different state.

I still haven’t gotten refunded for that flight, so I’m out a couple hundred dollars, which is a lot of money. So… in my very limited experience, it’s not great.

[MoonCat]

So I was studying in a university abroad before first lockdown, so I've had a lot of international/trans-Atlantic flights back and forth since the pandemic began. Right now, things are easy in terms of meeting Covid requirements—if anything, it's too easy, and masking isn't even enforced on flights. This wasn't the case if you were travelling in say, July 2020, when you might do a 9-hour flight without food because of masking. Flights were also a lot emptier then, which was nice—I once was able to move to another seat because the people next to me were lowering their masks every time the attendants weren't looking. There was a definite issue with the instability of flights, as sometimes they'd be cancelled—between that and the issues of testing and paperwork, it was hard to count on your trip happening, but once you were on the plane, things felt (to me) fairly chill.

Flights now are very much like covid the disease isn't happening, but all the impacts of covid are starkly apparent. I've been on eight flights since this July, and there have been issues almost every single time. Many of these are organisational—every airport is wildly understaffed, and the cost comes in tripled security times (SeaTac and Heathrow both took me an hour), lost luggage, insane reroutes (a family member was rerouted and stranded in Schiphol for over a day, and it would've been two if he hadn't eaten the cost and bought a train ticket to Frankfurt), inordinate delays, and tighter connections (got on a Vancouver flight after being driven through the airport in a golf cart to catch it, everyone who had checked luggage missed that flight.).

Some of the issues, however, are social. If in the before times people were already stressed and more likely to snap in airports, it's so much worse now. Many more people are snapping, and over much smaller things. The background levels of misery are a lot higher. (Personally, had never cried in an airport before two weeks ago.)

On top of this, everyone has lost some major interpersonal skills, particularly when it comes to dealing with strangers. The short tempers combine with an undercurrent of hostility towards other people (I won't deny wanting to slap fellow passengers myself) and I have seen fights break out. This example's a bit extreme, but my most recent flight to SFO was delayed two hours in large part due to a passenger getting air marshalled after threatening to throw a crying baby out of the airlock.

So, yes, I'd say things are pretty bad right now. In a premature effort to get back to normal, passengers and staff alike are stretched too thin in a wretched ouroboros of mishap and misery. I think social skills will come back eventually, and new staff will be hired, but it is undeniable that the situation of travel has been changed. With 6.5 million dead in a global pandemic, I'd be more surprised if it hadn't.

[Glimbur]

I just flew four domestic US flights with no issues. Security was friendly (for security), planes were on time, other passengers were fine...

You're going to have some reporting bias here, usually people only talk if their experience is very good or very bad.

[Altair_the_Vexed]

Flying isn't that bad, not in Europe, anyway - it's the airports that have always sucked.

Having said that, the experience at Munich Airport I had just last week was actually quite pleasant. Security was smooth and efficient, and the air-side amenities were good. Decent vegetarian sushi for me, and a passable bratwurst for my colleague. Sensible signage, not too crowded, enough seats to get some rest. All this on regular economy class, too.

This is of course the exception. Far more airports are horrible cramped crowded places with nowhere to sit except on your own luggage, and no food worthy of the name.

[halfeye]

This is of course the exception. Far more airports are horrible cramped crowded places with nowhere to sit except on your own luggage, and no food worthy of the name.

Does nobody make luggage you can comfortably lie on?

[Ionathus]

I've only flown twice in the last 3 years, and they were both domestic flights. I haven't had any real problems myself.

However, I do know several people who've experienced delays or cancellations. Nobody I know personally has talked about rude staff, arguments, or strained social dynamics - basically the only difference from pre-pandemic has been the availability and predictability of flights. This is only my experience and the experience of those I know personally. I would believe in a heartbeat that things are more strained for others.

[Tyndmyr]

I usually fly several times a year, and this past year, it does seem like it's been more stressful. I had one flight where despite showing up a couple hours early, I could not get on the plane, because of grave understaffing in the ticket/baggage area. Quite a few others were in the same position, and substitute travel was handled extremely poorly. They first wished me to drive to a new york city airport that was taking off in four hours and change. I was at BWI. Even if I could, with some pretty insane driving, physically make it there, it would be absolutely impossible to check bags and get through security in that timeframe. I ended up having to catch a flight the next day. My schedule allowed for it, but it was quite inconvenient. Other flights this year I have adopted a much more paranoid approach to catching a plane.

If you show up three hours before takeoff time, have no checked bags, and are pre-cleared for security, it's kind of alright. But that's definitely more hassle than it used to be.

I also had a flight delayed substantially, though in that case it was fortunately the return leg. Had it been on the outbound leg, I'd have missed the funeral I was travelling to attend. So, some luck, at least.

Staff wasn't trying to be rude in these circumstances, I think. They were just put in a very difficult situation, and had dealt with a very large number of people in a very compressed amount of time. They were short, but not overtly hostile. Overall, I think it impacts the pleasantness of flying to some degree, but it's not really the fault of the folks who are working.

[tomandtish]

Here's a thread from someone I follow on Twitter about how bad their Alaska Air experience was.

[Aedilred]

I used to do a lot of international travel for work, but I haven’t flown in several years, since before the pandemic began. Here lately I’ve been hearing nothing but awful things about the experience.

How bad is it? And if it’s as bad as it sounds, is there any prospect of it ever improving?

It's going to depend where you're flying from or to, which airline you're with, whether short-haul or long-haul, and various other factors like timing.

I flew from London to New York and back in May and that was absolutely fine. The only hold-up was at US immigration (which is unsurprising and apparently inevitable, if annoying). I gather it has got worse since then.

I think Britain has it particularly bad, because of [reasons we can't go into here]. But the most common problem (universally) seems to be understaffing, which is ultimately a knock-on effect of covid: during the pandemic airlines laid off a lot of staff to stay afloat, and since demand has picked back up they have struggled to re-employ staff to fill the gaps (especially as workers are insisting on better terms than they had when they were laid off). They also don't have the capital to invest in replacing those staff with automated systems, where that's possible.

Things will inevitably get worse during the most congested periods, when passenger numbers are at their highest, which generally means school holidays. That's why they were quite so horrendous throughout July and August. One might expect things to improve a bit from now on. But it's worth employing caution, in any case.

[Advent]

I only recently started flying again and found out they now charge for carry ons. Gotta love the Nickle and diming

[Arcane_Secrets]

I used to do a lot of international travel for work, but I haven’t flown in several years, since before the pandemic began. Here lately I’ve been hearing nothing but awful things about the experience.

How bad is it? And if it’s as bad as it sounds, is there any prospect of it ever improving?

I had relatives flying in about a month ago for family issues for the first time since the pandemic started. They got bumped at the last minute with no warning whatsoever which shaved a day inadvertently off of a trip that had been discussed for almost a year in advance.

Oh, and on top of that, expect to land hungry. So even though I haven't done it, I'd call it pretty bad.

[Peelee]

expect to land hungry.

For international? That's shocking.

[Arcane_Secrets]

For international? That's shocking.

No, domestic. This wasn't international at all just to be clear.

[Peelee]

No, domestic. This wasn't international at all just to be clear.

Huh. I've never had meals on domestic.

[Arcane_Secrets]

Huh. I've never had meals on domestic.

Wow. I know its been a really long time then because if it was cross-country or close, you'd get at least something substantive. I guess they really eliminated that a while back.

[warty goblin]

Wow. I know its been a really long time then because if it was cross-country or close, you'd get at least something substantive. I guess they really eliminated that a while back.

I can't say about coast to coast flights, but if you're flying over half the US, you get a can of pop and a bag of pretzels that taste like they were packaged in 1963. Anything beyond that you have to pay for. Been like that for quite a while too.

[Ionathus]

Here's a thread from someone I follow on Twitter about how bad their Alaska Air experience was.

Maybe there's some element I don't know here, but that honestly just sounds like a tech issue that any airline could have.

Hands-down the best experiences I have ever had on airplanes are with Alaska Airlines. Employees are always super helpful and the flight attendants actually seem to be enjoying themselves, which I've never seen on any other airline.

[northernbard80]

I haven't flown since December 2019...right before the pandemic struck!

It is something I will have to deal with soon enough. I plan in 2024-2025 to visit Japan.

[Bohandas]

Flying isn't that bad, not in Europe, anyway - it's the airports that have always sucked.

The airports in America have always sucked too. I haven't been to one in years, but I assume that they still suck since they've always sucked so reliably

[farothel]

I've recently flown from Amsterdam to Jakarta (and then some domestic flights in Indonesia). The main problem was that Garuda (the airline we used) changed from 2 flights a week to 1 flight a week, making it tricky for further domestic flight (which are also reduced, so we got stuck in Jakarta for 3 days) and the flight was full (and I mean full, like every seat occupied). Masks should have been worn but mostly weren't and it wasn't really enforced. The food was even worse than usual and by the time they got to my row (certainly not the last row served) they only had 1 choice left. And the entertainment system had a lot less choice and only older movies.

The airport in Jakarta was okay , but Amsterdam is hell. It took me 3.5 hours to get from entering the terminal to the gate (you're only allowed in 4 hours in advance). The 200km drive to the airport took less time than the 300m walk from the entrance to the gate. On the way back we had to wait 90 minutes for our luggage. I have to pass through Amsterdam Schiphol airport 3 more times in the coming 6 months and I dread it. If you're coming to Europe, I wouldn't come through Amsterdam.