Air-travel SUCKS today! But is it about to CHANGE?! 

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My biggest gripe about air travel is not the aircraft or the seats or the "toys" in business class but the time wasted at airports. Having to check in hours before the flight, endless ques and security checks. I remember flying from London Heathrow to Dusseldorf in the 1960s when the check-in was just 30 mins before boarding. But now its a logistical and bureaucratic nightmare just getting to the aircraft. Faffing around with seat sizes and in flight toys is not the answer. I just want to buy a ticket and get on the plane!

I genuinely think the small size of seats and aisles is becoming a safety issue. Whenever they do 90 second evacuation tests, they don’t use normal people, they use their own (tiny, young, fit) staff. In my opinion every airplane should have to demonstrate they can meet 90 seconds using a randomly selected group of people recruited for this activity, including the 40% overweight, elderly people, etc. It should be necessary to demonstrate that there is enough space between seats where if the middle and aisle passenger are incapacitated an average-sized window passenger could still squeeze by, including if the seats before are reclined when the accident happens.

Airlines are pretty much Greyhound busses with wings now. And the passengers are the same

When talking about the death of regular TV, I often cite your channel as why. Old shows about air disasters had pilots yelling jargon and flipping overhead switches. Your channels are professional, honest and and respectful of viewer, and I can't recommend you enough!

A long time ago, airlines learned that people would be willing to endure brief periods of discomfort for cheap airfares. They responded accordingly.

After you’ve flown in an unheated C130 or C141 sitting on a canvas bench for hours anything is a step up.

The main reason I don't like flying is all the annoying crap that comes with it. It starts with the baggage limits, then the journey to the airport, the nerve-wracking waiting at the airport, the running around, all the annoying security checks and then screaming babies that drive you crazy during the flight. When I finally arrive at my destination, I'm so stressed that three vacation days are spent just recovering from the flight. In the meantime, I only travel by car because it's much more comfortable. I can look for an interesting route, set off whenever I want and stop here, have a look there. I can take as much luggage with me as I want and don't have any annoying fellow travelers. And when I arrive, I've seen a lot on the way and I have my own car with me, so I don't need a rental car.

The most memorable flight I ever had was in 1960 when I was 13!! It was on board a Short Solent flying boat from Suva, Fiji to Tahiti. It was operated by Tasman Empire Airways Ltd. (TEAL) - the forerunner of Air NZ. The flight left Suva in the morning and arrived in Western Samoa late the same afternoon. We then departed in the early hours of the next morning for Aitutaki Is. in the Cook Islands. The passengers went ashore for a swim in the sea and breakfast on the beach under the palm trees! In the meantime fuel was hand-pumped into the aircraft tanks from a barge alongside. Then we left Aitutaki around 10 am and my younger brother and I were invited to the flight deck for the takeoff!! We simply stood behind the pilots' seats and experienced the tremendous engine noise from the 4 Bristol Hercules engines and the thrill as we eventually lifted off the water. I can still see the skipper's hands on the 4 throttle levers. We were in sight of Moorea Is. about 2pm and soon landed at Papeete, Tahiti. When we saw Moorea, the skipper announced that the island was in sight and everyone rushed across to the left (port) side to see the beautiful island from our 10,000 foot ceiling. Then he came back on the speaker and asked that everyone get back in their seats because he was having a problem keeping the old girl in the air in its unbalanced state!! That was the second to last flight of the TEAL Coral Route, as it was known. A truly memorable experience never to be repeated.

Today's low cost long haul flights are of ridiculously bad service. My wife and I recently flew LEVEL (Iberia) from Boston to Barcelona and back. Turns out, unless you pay extra (and you know about this upfront) they won't give you as much as a glass of water on their transatlantic flights. You also must pay for headphones, pillows and blankets. This is a new low. And the price was in the ballpark of their competitors (just below $700 per roundtrip, plus $240 for the option to sit next to each other on both flights) - we chose it because of the direct flight. Oh well, never again.

I love how Petter says “it would make this video unbearably long” … am I the only one who thinks there’s no such thing as too long when Mentour releases a video? 😂

I remember Pan Am Clipper Class. Took many trips around Asia. 2-3-2 seat config, free mixed drinks, way upgraded food, silverware, wide seats. The price was decent. The old 747s had about 40 or 50 of those seats behind first class. Loved those Pan Am 747s.

Minor detail: a regular interstate trip we do which (allowing for inflation) cost about $1800 in today’s money in the early 1970s, now can usually be picked up for about $150- $170. Unless you’re buying a seat at the last minute and traveling at peak time in holiday season, the price is now a tiny fraction of what it used to be, literally 10% or even less.

It is better now 😊 My father told me that he flew from Stockholm Sweden to South Rodesia (Zimbabwe now) in Africa during the early 1950's.. The trip took three days with a DC 3. First day Stocholm - Paris, second day Paris - northern/central Africa, third day the last leg to South Rodesia. Two hotel nights included in the ticket price.

It’s always fun to revisit the cabin service in the John Wayne film “The High and the Mighty”. I particularly liked the part where a disgruntled passenger pulls a revolver out of his pocket. The stewardess scolds him and tells him to put it back. Those were the days….

I'm tall and have worked all my life to build a successful business. Business or First Class is the only way I fly. Also, on international flights I like leaving the US East Coast at night, having a seat that will lay flat and getting some shut eye. I've found this greatly reduces my jet lag and it allows me to arrive in Europe in the AM which gives me an extra day. Perhaps someone can answer this question. I accidentally left a cork screw in my carry on and the TSA took it. When dinner was served I was given a proper steak knife - long sedated blade and a full size handle. Take my corkscrew and give me a steak knife. Really?

The last comment was absolutely correct. In the 80’s I flew hundreds if not thousands of flights and if I was running late I knew I could make a flight if I got inside the terminal 10 minutes before departure. Today is 1-2 hours and then you get a seat that you can barely, in my case, get your knees into. I won’t fly unless my destination is more than a 900 miles away.

19:22 I agree with the nice Middle Eastern gentleman. Earlier this year I have flown from Atlanta to Amsterdam and back in Delta’s Economy Comfort+ and almost $1k extra a ticket can hardly justify benefits. - one step up in boarding - few in of extra leg room - movable foot rest (all of them were not functional on all seats I could see) - “guaranteed” pillow, blanket and headphones - complimentary alcoholic beverages.

All I want is to get from point A to point B in a safe efficient manner for a fair price, if I wanted luxury I would take a cruise.

Passengers aren't demanding Premium Economy, they're damanding to be treated like human beings. Airlines squeezing Economy with sub-17" seat widths and 28" seat pitch, and at the same time offering Premium Economy with over-18" seat width and 32-33" seat pitch are simply reviving traditional economy. It's a situation they created, and are profiting off of it.

My time-travel bucket-list: a very long journey in a pre-WW2 flying-boat. Great video, Captain.

Airlines would stack their passengers like cordwood if it could get them an extra 1% profit

I can't tell you how much I love these deep dive videos! Gives me a deeper understanding - and appreciation - of airline/airplane related topics/issues... And, Petter, don't worry about making your videos 'unbearably long'! No such thing! Personally, I'd *love* to see longer videos with really deep dives (say, 45-60 min long)! I really like the long-format style en vogue nowadays, and I have a feeling you will be really good at it -- making it both informative & interesting!

Just how a guy sitting in a chair can produce such captivating, informative and inspiring tv is beyond me. Keep it up

Regarding Premium Economy, airlines basically figured out there was a group of folks who were willing to pay more for a seat comparable to a domestic first class seat, but took one look at business class and said, “nope, I’m good”.

No such thing as an "unbearably long" Mentour video 😊

Flying Qatar Airways for the first time was an eyeopener to me! This is how flying should be, it was wellness for body and soul! ❤

I get annoyed having to pay for business class because I’m confined to a wheelchair. They’ve made aisles so narrow and legroom so small in economy that although they have aisle chairs for immobile passengers, they’re too small for a wheelchair passenger to transfer into their seat. Getting out is even harder. You can’t book bulkhead or bassinet seats either as the armrests are rigid and can’t be raised to do a slide on/off transfer. Airlines don’t want to have to deal with disabled people so they make it difficult or expensive to travel. To visit family in the US costs me around $40k return (I’m in Australia). My able bodied husband pays less than $2k in economy and we sit apart. If I need anything in transit (medication or repositioning my paralysed legs) the cabin crew has to go get him from economy to help. Wheelchair accessible economy would be very helpful.

Thank you for a fascinating explanation. I fly a lot. I hope you will consider doing a similar "deep dive" on airline "frequent flyer" programs. These began as a loyalty reward program, but have morphed into an entirely separate income stream. And I'm not referring just to the incredibly profitable agreements between airlines and credit cards, but rather the actual fare differences for different booking classes that offer no actual "benefits" other than frequent flyer miles: pay $200 for a seat that offers 25% miles, $500 for the exact same seat on the exact same flight, but get 100% miles. In other words, it's not a reward for loyalty and the airlines are not just selling seats - they are selling miles. It's not just "First, Business, Premium Economy and Coach." There are dozens of booking classes within each of those categories. Why do I feel the airlines are...er...taking me for a ride?

People want golden age of aviation back, but don’t want to pay €3 extra for more legroom on their €20 transatlantic flight

Just checked. Jet blue Mint Heathrow to Boston return 2 months away is about £1120 whereas the standard is about £270, so 75% lower for a economy seat

I flew on a 707 on long haul in 1963 and the seats were larger the food actually was terrible and ticket prices were outrageous so the flights were half empty

We have taken Ryanair flights throughout Europe for less than the cost of a lunch. For short trips, it's like taking a bus. We travel with only carry-ons and buy a snack at the airport just before boarding. There is no way a long haul airline can match their model.

Air travel creates some wild videos of fights and lunatics using air travel. Spirit Airlines seems to appeal to the dregs of society busting up the places and vulgarities by usually obese people. How they fit in 17.75 inch wide and 28 inch pitch seats is amazing.

Don’t forget that before deregulation, an airplane ticket was just like having cash in your pocket. An airplane ticket on one airline was good on any airline that covered the same route. Also airline tickets were redeemable for cash. In 1982, I still paid $700 for a coach fare between Great Falls, Montana and Chicago O’Hare. But the food was good and there were no delays.

Last time I stepped in an airliner it had 4 Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engines with huge propellers .

04:53 There is zero chance the car is missing that drum 😄

I fly a lot, most the time in premium economy domestically, and first on longer flights, typically. I like the direction airlines are going with premium economy tickets, expanding their seat selection in those higher classes. Overall it brings the prices of those cabins down, which helps. If airlines continue to expand their premium products, the prices will continue to become more affordable. A first class ticket across the Atlantic one-way is usually $5-700. Really affordable with all things considered. Premium economy is often just a little more expensive, but in return, my long legs don’t suffer having my knees pressed against the seats in front of me. I call it the “tall tax”. I can see airlines in the future rolling out 100% premium planes more and more often, like what we see with SQ22/23 and BA1/2. That’ll be there for those who want and can afford those products, just at a better price, and people still trying to pay as little as possible will continue to have plenty of options. It’s a win for everyone IMO.

I’m 56. Air travel has consistently gotten worse and more expensive every year. The planes have gotten dirtier too. I hate flying and avoid it when possible.

Our friend from Sweden is still the most professional (and entertaining) explainer of how aviation works - take saa mycket!

I recently flown on NEOS 787 premium economy from JFK to Milan. I felt it was totally worth the experience I received. From lounge access to bigger seats and leg room. Pre flight Prosecco and multi course meals just made our vacation trip extra special.

Back in the 1999 I had to fly to Milwaukee for a job interview. Being only a couple of hours away from DC, a friend of mine recommended that I fly Midwest Express. It was an airline created by Kimberly Clark to transport their executives around. Every seat was first class. It was quite the experience.

Why would anyone wish to pay extra for early boarding? The few times I flew, I always preferred to board really among the last entering the plane. We all arrive at the same time anyway.

NY to London $550 in 1960 but you wouldn't be riding on a 747 back then, if you were lucky you got a 707 6-7 hours if not you got a DC-7 or a Conny 12-14 hours.

There is literally nothing about the travel "experience" that appeals. Horrific Airport experiences including queues and poor/rude staff with security and customs/border control. Coupled with overpriced tickets for small seats, add ons for everything and considerably poor service from bored and disinterested air crew and the whole thing stinks. It once was a fun prospect but if we are being honest,it's lacking in many ways these days and is just a necessary evil to get to where we are going.

I like where I live so not really motivated to leave my island. If I took airlines it is two hour drive to the airport costing $60 round trip for tolls and gas. The airlines demand a 3 hour check-in since international flight. The flight is two hours plus 30 minutes to get bag and clear customs. A 2 hour flt consumes 7.5 hours. I have not been on an airliner in 6 or 8 years and I used to be a pilot for a living and not worth the trouble. I have other ways off the island.

I miss the days just buying a ticket and just zoom through checking in and get on air craft ! 1980’s

To me some different cabin class solutions that have been popping up are really interesting. Zipair for example is flying from Tokyo to San Francisco with a lie flat seat without a screen or meal service. But if you are like me 195cm tall and just want to sleep on the flight, an offering like this is really attractive.

Midwest Express, a Milwaukee based airline, had first-class service for all passengers. Wide leather seats, china place settings with silverware, free champagne, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies . . . through the 80s and 90s.

Euro-business class as offered by LH, AF, or LX is actually a rip-off as one usually pays a substantial higher fare than Y class but is offered an economy class seat with the middle seat blocked for more space. In contrast, flying domestic (!!!) business class in China includes a full sized business or first class seat (much akin to first class in the U.S.) in a 2-2 configuration which is often available at rather attractive rates , for example on Shenzhen Airlines or Hainan Airlines.

Wow, watching that baggage door come down with that attendant looked like a garage door.

Besides Qatar and Emirates, there's also Etihad. Which operate hub and spoke from the Middle East

The last FIRST CLASS Delta ticket I bought did not include lounge access because it was 30 minutes too short of a flight, Delta has too many restrictions on access to their lounges. If you buy a FIRST CLASS ticket you should get lounge access period!

I agree! Flying Lufthansa business often. Its for sure not premium airline anymore, low quality and very old seats & lounges. Aircrew is most of the time great , can not understand why Lufthansa can not travel to US or Dubai for lessons learned.

As someone that can't be called short, I definitely prefer enough legroom on long haul. 2-3 hours I can survive being squeezed in cattle class from a low cost carrier, but 10-12 hours? Don't think so, flying in and of itself is uncomfortable enough due to noise and dehydration.

Why do I feel that this episode is an ad to the Emirates ?

Premium economy isn't such a new idea. Virgin Atlantic were offering exactly this in the mid 2000s. My wife and I flew Manchester to Orlando in 2005. The premium economy seats were in the upper lounge of the 747. Plenty of space, big comfy seats, and great food.

More companies are changing their staff travel policies. In my company the old policy was if the flight has airtime less than 5 hours then the ticket should be economy and if more, we could book business class. The new rule is if the flight takes less than 3 hours, the ticket must be economy. If airtime between 3 to 10 hours, it should be premium economy and only if more than 10 hours, we can book business. For me who lives in Europe, this means all europian flight must be booked in economy (normally 70% of our destinations).

I don’t understand the comment you made about “analyzing how low cost airlines work would make the video unbearably long…”. I could watch your content for hours 😊. Thank you for all the cool insights into the aviation industry. 🎉

When Singapore Airlines refurbished their A380s a couple of years ago the new standard economy seat was reduced to the comfort of a suburban train seat. Dreadful. Their Premium Economy class is poor value, the roominess is nice but the reclining seat with the leg rest digging into the calf of your leg is ridiculous, not at all comfortable. Business Class is something else altogether though, really good and something I am not prepared to pay for out of taxed income! And then again, the cabin crew's efficiency can make a big difference. Being offered food and drinks service at the right time is great, but food served 15 minutes before the accompanying drink is just plain poor, and even 5 star SIA are guilty of that these days, twas never so 20 years ago. I was hoping that the FAA review into seats and safety would produce a better experience for economy passengers with just a little more leg room and wider seats, but no it didn't. There really does seem to be a race to the bottom. Over the last few years I have travelled with Air Canada, TAP, SIA and Air Canada have the most comfortable economy seats, but then the flight is short at just 8.5 hours!!!

The golden age is still here, wealthy people charter a private jet.

Everybody hates low cost carrier experience but I love it. I can feel the discount when I book a ticket and I am willing to sit in miserable seat for few hours to save hundreds of dollars.

Related to domestic traffic, 50yr ago an interview with airline ceo was asked when better seats and food? Answer “never”. People say they want those things but they buy the cheapest ticket. Now planes and airports are like bus travel. Its so bad things finally bouncing the other way.

Everyone is afraid to say it but less security at airports is needed. It’s way too high and mostly theater.

I’ve flown KLM & Iberia premium economy recently and it was nearly as good as business. I’ve flown business many times for various technical reasons and yes the biz seats are superior. However, the gap between economy and premium economy is so much bigger and worthwhile than the gap between premium economy and business for most 8-13hr flights. Given the price difference there’s a lot of value to be found in premium economy.

Thank you Petter for your videos, full of knowledge and wisdom, thank you.

I would say that the statements "premium economy is ripping of the customers" and "premium economy is the most profitable part of the airlines operations" are not at all contradictory.

I’ve resisted the impulse to ‘moo’ as I went through a Jetway to an aircraft, half expecting to see cubes of alfalfa on the seats in Steerage… If only Transporter Technology could be a reality

My wife and I are going on our "trip of a lifetime" for a month in NZ and Oz...we are flying from Toronto Pearson to Melbourne...and the only thing I am dreading, the only thing, is the airport/airline experience...airline better figure out that while they are having their way now, times change...frankly I get tired of arguing with airlines to only get what I actually paid for.

I mostly fly US domestic on Delta (since they ate Northwest). The seat choices are First, Comfort+, and Main. Comfort+ is a Main seat with extra legroom. I find the Comfort+ seat more comfortable than First as long as no one is in the middle seat. I used to buy in Main and then upgrade to Comfort+ when I checked in (online, 24 before departure). But the paid upgrades became less available over time and I had to start buying Comfort+ tickets (and noting the price difference since I am only getting reimbursed for Main). But on my last flight, booking six weeks ahead of time, only two middle seats were available in Comfort+ on one leg and I booked in Main, which was sparsely booked, for the return. However when I checked in for the return I was offered a really inexpensive First class upgrade which I took. Another thing that I have noticed is the decline in the amenities offered in Comfort+. The 3 inches of extra legroom and “dedicated” overhead space still make it worth it but I remember how it used to be and feel I am getting cheated out of something.

I'm a food deliveryman in singapore and i like to listen to your videos. No such thing as unbearably long! I'll even watch if it's 2 hours

Just had a flight with BA, they don't even give a drink outside of water and a scrappy cookie. For twice the price of of easyjet on a 4 hours flight. Not getting better.

In a way I am glad that you did NOT mention “seat pitch”. Because it is a very misleading metric to compare the space you get from one airplane to the next. As the construction of the seat has a very significant impact on the available space you get as a passenger, even if the “seat pitch” is the same. As an example consider my experience with Copa Airlines in 2017: Their advertised “seat pitch” was 31 inches; but the difference in seat construction was all that mattered between triggering a claustrophobic panic attack or not. In some situations the space available was as low as 40cm in which to squeeze my head. Then there is also a significant difference between “domestic business class” of legacy carriers in Europe and North America. The single aisle aircraft in Europe will more often than not just block out the middle seat of their standard economy seating to create a 2+2 layout and use a moveable curtain to adapt the cabin size to demand. But the “seat pitch” is more or less the same throughout the whole airplane. So you only get more elbow room and more overhead bin space, but NOT more legroom. Meanwhile the single aisle planes in North America generally have a genuine 2+2 seat layout that also includes more longitudinal space as well for their “domestic business class”. In 2021 I had to make a trip from Europe to South America, and due to claustrophobia I had booked in business class. For the intra-european segments I had one in a bulkhead seat and the other not. And in the later I suffered a claustrophobic panic attack. In the summer of 2023 on a trip to Canada I booked the transatlantic segments in “premium economy” and the canadian segments in “domestic business”. Comparing the two transatlantic airlines (though in the same alliance) with the domestic segments, I can say that international premium economy and domestic business (in North America) have more or less the same seat space and cabin service product. Instead of using the “seat pitch” as a passenger space metric, a much better passenger space (and comfort) metric would be to measure the space between the headrest of your full upright seat and the fully reclined seat-back in front of you, as well as the same seat configuration at the pelvic level (lumbar support to knee position). Because not everybody wants to (or can) be fully reclined. Also, putting your carry-on bag under the seat in front of you significantly reduces your legroom and contributes to triggering claustrophobia.

I still remember when 1st class upgrades were debuted by the airlines. Starting with TWA and their "FirstUp" program. I can recall walking up to the TWA gate agent and literally asking for a 1st class upgrade, and getting it. Granted, I was frequent flyer of TWA and was in their Ambassador class, iirc, but it was still something up until then I didn't dream of doing as an economy passenger. Speaking of LLCs, if you are in the US and need to visit Japan, be sure to look at ZipAir with their 787-8s and the "Lie-Flat" class. Lie-Flat is not quite a business class, as it has no IFE, but free internet, and no in-flight meals unless you pre-order the meal. You also need to pre-order a pillow and blanket, but at least you then get to keep it.

Is that tea in your mug? Thanks for the video, Petter and MentourTeam. ❤

What really sucks is the size of the seats in economy. They get smaller and smaller. They are only usable for children and people smaller than 1.60m. (my experience in Airbusses NEO's)

Low cost carriers have the advantage and the big disadvantage of often being single type only. While it makes the operations cheaper and allows for better crew exchangeability, if your one type gets grounded, has issues, or has a required change, your whole fleet is down and you loose everything. Not only long haul, but this happened to many carriers, both with Airbus and Boeing aircraft types, and their engines, quite a few times in the recent past.

15:00 "This is actually very central in how the Gulf airlines can work the way they do…" It also doesn't hurt that they are wholly owned by their governments, and thus get a lot of sweetheart deals.

Personally my 2 frustrations are the seats (train seats are very comfy, please slap them in an aircraft thanks) and the lack of places to rest in the airport (tons.of.people on the floor to sleep or work).

phenomenal video, great talking points! informative as always keep up the great work!

As always, informative and tightly scripted. One of the very best RU-vid channels. Thank you.

I expect the same kind of experience in coach as traveling on the Long Island Rail Road without the waste of time and security hassle of an airport. Plus people are better dressed on the train.

From what I read online people are paying whatever airlines are charging at the moment. I am just not flying.

I love flying. I love the feeling when the plane accelerates and the when the wings finally get lift. The feeling when the plane reaches flying altitude and it feels like one is weightless for some seconds. I love it especially if it’s a slightly rough flight and on can feel the physics behind it. Can somehow feel how the wings move the fuselage cuts through the air. Also when landing one feels how the flaps go higher the weight is put on the runway. The captain pushes the breaks. also, I do like the time one has. a perfect excuse to do nothing. one is lucky when witnessing a sun rise or set from above.- and at night when the whole plane sleeps. The light is dimmed and there is no other noice then the plane itself- silenced with some noice cancelling headphones as it‘s really loud actually XD. - I hate everything around it. Literally. Booking, getting to the airport. The airport itself and getting back from the airport. One gets paranoid of everything being a rip off trying to squeeze the next penny out of one’s pocket. Anxious ones luggage is a Gramm to heavy or a cm to big. Hopefully one doesn’t get hungry or thirsty out of schedule as the worlds worst sandwiches a glass of horrible water will cost a fortune when bought on the airport or plane. And one can never really be sure the journey is successful and one and one’s luggage arrive in time at the destination. Then one needs to find the stuff one couldn’t take in the luggage like simple old fashioned razor blades or aftershave. Outside the flight itself one feels like a criminal and a puppet of marketing. A punchingbag for economy. An evil the world has to endure. On every corner it says „I hate you because you’re poor - now eat that over priced junk and wait until we charge you 40euros for one Gramm of luggage“

I always have a little bit mixed feeling about these divisions in transportation. What i mean by that is, that i hope no one will get tempted to downgrade economy class to the point, where it will actually become uncomfortable to fly, just so more and more people decide to pay more. Economy is used by many and for many it is the door to travel. I wouldnt want to see in future 5 classes in a plane, where the fifth is passengers strapped to pufas in cargo compartment :))

The whole aviation system has adapted to society in general .. a clown-world! - Glad I got to travel the globe during the better years 1970-2020. - Now "they" could not pay me enough to go through airport security. -

Thank you for a great explanation in easy to follow manner.

I used to like travelling by airplane back in 1970s, or even 1980s, but not anymore. Airports now are huge and crowded and have many controls. Travelling has become an unpleasant experience.

Before the pandemic, I managed twice to get a well-priced business class seat for a flight within Europe. Once even slightly cheaper than the economy class for the same flight. In both cases it was a A321 with no special seats for business class, though. They left he middle seat empty, I had priority boarding and there was better lunch. Sometimes it makes sense to peak into business class and compare prices.

Long haul flights in "sardine class" can be, and often is, a nightmare. Babies crying, kids kicking the back of your seat, sometimes obnoxious drunks, and a passenger vomiting in your lap. Jet-lag and blood polling in the bum, and back pains, etc, etc, add to the cocktail of discomfort, and it only seems go get far worse with age. Cabin crew quality also varies, and some will not intervene with disruptive passengers effectively in a timely manner. This is probably related to whether or not they have decent pay and conditions from their employer. And in the old days, smoking, which was both a blessing an a curse. After smoking was banned, airlines just recycled people's farts, rather than pulling in and conditioning fresh air. A technical or other fault that keep you on the apron for a few hours before the flight can make the place into a real zoo, and you still have those 18 hours in the air to look forward to afterwards, not to mention, customs, baggage collection, etc. I have come to realize that for many older folks, a lie-flat bed on a long-haul flight is essential, and not a luxury. Not interested in the caviar or $500 a bottle wines, but a flat-bed for at least some of those long hours is a must. The problem is, many cannot really afford it. Economy yes, perhaps, but business, often not. And there is the conundrum for many senior passengers.

The main difference in the airline business is the fare structure of each airline as IATA was the source of the fare structures of international flying. So if UA wanted to fly to LHR it had to use the same fare structure than its competitor because you only had two carriers per segment i.e. you could not find more than two company flying any specific international segment. The fare structure was for any segment needed to have the same fare structure and at the same price. You are very young so you do not remember that you had across the international flights the 7 to 14 days, 14 to 21 days, 21 to 45 days. The 7 to 14 days meant that you needed to stay at least 7 days at destination and needed to fly back between 8 and 14 days, otherwise your ticket was voided. You could not change any of the two dates nor upgrade to a longer stay. It was about the same on the domestic North American cities. The tickets needed to be bought from 14 to 30 days days prior departure. You could also buy a full fare (Y) at any given time and your ticket allow you to change destination, date and it was good for a full year. There was only two classes Y and F from which you could buy a 33% discount ticket for youth and senior citizens with the same rules as a full Y. In the 70, the average load factor was 62% and 74% in the 80's while 62% was the percentage needed to turn a profit. The difference between Y and F was only double (Y x 2 = F). Source IATA and ICAO where I worked for 47 years. The transatlantic routes had better results than transpacific flights which is the reason why the airlines flying to Asia had always two or three destinations. The first airline to introduce "business class" was SwissAir in 1976.

We had a carrier in the USA called Midwest Express. It was First Class seating with hot meals and wine service for every seat. It made it all the way to the Great Recession be for selling off to Frontier. It had an unusual origin as it started as the corporate transport for paper company Kimberly Clark.

A main difference between air travel then and now is the draconian security screening everyone has to go through. Take shoes off, belt off, jacket off, watch off, liquid restrictions, etc etc.

This was a very good video. I really enjoyed the information and also that you spoke just a bit slower than usual.

Have an Absolutely Fantastic Happy New Year Mentour!

The problems with air travel today are the airports in Western countries, not the aircraft.

I have been flying domestic USA the last few years on Delta. For flexibility I choose fully refundable fares and often choose what they call Comfort Class. This is an economy seat with additional legroom. I pay about $40-$60 additional for these seats for flights about 2-4 hours duration. Twice I did upgrade to domestic first class when prompted by Delta for about $90, but those promotions are now in excess of $300. I have used ULCC in the past but found the experience unpleasant. I did fly LCC JetBlue in the past but there lack of reliability due to broken planes and few spares caused me to discontinue flying with them. My son flew JetBlue this year and experienced a rejected takeoff due to a technical issue and waited several hours for a replacement aircraft.

I flew Premium Economy of British Air and American recently. British was worth the money, it was not nearly as good on American. Their seat was not as comfortable and there wasn't any special service.

I love flying, and plan to make a career out of it. But until then, I really enjoy driving places in a car and seeing new parts of the country try the way I want to and being able to stop when I want. I used to travel a lot for work and would get flown places. On one of the last trips I had, I told my boss not to get me a round trip plane ticket and instead just pay me for one night hotel stay and one full day of pay. I left three days early, was able to go to the Indy 500 race the first day, stayed at my sisters house the next day, went to Seneca rocks and did the skyline drive, and then finally arrived in DC the day before work (and also found time to go to the air and space museum of course!). It was one of the best trips I’ve ever taken, even though it was for work and it was miles on my own car and I spent a little extra money commuting myself rather than the company just covering everything. But it was genuinely so nice for once not being crammed into an airplane and just flying over all these states with things to see and do, and having the freedom to do it! Fresh air, loud music, new experiences. Again, I love airplanes and air travel. But I enjoy being the pilot the most. Being stuck in the back just ain’t it anymore, for several reasons.

This may sound crazy but crazy things over time have been coming true. There are groups, states, and nations already planning on restricting pleasure air travel with personal carbon allowances enforced through Central Banks Digital Currencies in the future to save the earth. Air travel creates 2% of CO2 and they can't have it. Australia only creates 1% and that nation is hell bent on going back to cave man days. We already have 15 minute ghettos being started to restrict auto travel and limit movement. These same people are messing with the food supplies so don't air travel will be exempt from the madness.