The New Traveler
It seems as though some people, a good number of people, actually, are willing to fly standing up if that would save them some cash on a ticket. They are willing to, in effect, be treated like cattle. Even more people were willing to have pay-per-use toilets if that would save them some travel money.
First off, niether of these things are going to happen. The FAA wouldn’t allow people to stand for an entire flight, much less take off and landing. Some people have suggested that flyers could sit during take off and landing, but that raises a simple question. If they have enough seats for people to use at the beginning and end of the flight, why can’t they be used during?
Thinking about large numbers of people being willing to fly jammed into a cabin like cattle makes me sad because it reminds me of just how far gone the romantic days of airline travel are. Even when I was a kid there was a luxury to flying, whatever class. The airlines were actually looking into what new amenities they could add to coach, rather then tripping over each other trying to add fees.
Sphere It
Are people really that desperate?
Flying standing up isn’t like traveling by bus or by train while standing up. And even there, it’s starting to become a dying practice.
Flying while standing up though, isn’t that way too dangerous? I mean, if you hit some nasty turbulence, things could get really ugly.
I’m wondering if there’s something I’m missing here, because I can’t see why anyone would prefer traveling like cattle, as you said, rather than taking a bus or driving or what have you.
Comment by George K — July 21, 2008 @ 10:31 am