If you haven't been on a plane for a while, fasten your seat belt. There's good news and bad news.
You've probably already heard the bad news because it travels faster than the speed of sound. Airfares are rising. The same applies to baggage charges. And it seems like there's another problem with in-flight violence.
But there's more to this story. If you fly occasionally, you'll want to understand the big picture. You might be surprised at what you find.
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First, the bad news about air travel in 2024.
Some of the changes are not for the better. for example:
- Airfares are rising. Low airfares due to the pandemic will remain in history. The average round-trip fare for domestic flights fell to a low of $186 in May 2020. However, by the beginning of this year, it had returned to $261 and continues to rise.
- Checked baggage fees are rising. All major airlines have recently increased baggage fees. On domestic flights, checked bag fees can cost as much as $35 (even more if you wait until the last minute or your bag is overweight).
- Air Rage is back. In-flight violence hit a record high in 2021, largely due to masking requirements. However, the number of incidents of violence onboard remains high. This time around, a combination of increased flying and a continued decline in civility. It is on track to surpass the 2020 rogue passenger incident.
But don't despair. The experience of air travel is changing in small ways, and in some cases, in big ways.
What's it like to fly now?
Let's start with the experience of air travel. Flights are becoming increasingly full and space is tighter than ever. In fact, if you're flying somewhere this spring or summer, you should congratulate yourself. You're probably having the busiest year in the history of air travel.
“Air travel has rebounded,” said Jason Block, CEO of WorldVia Travel Group. As a result, ordinary passengers will be under pressure. If you book a no-frills economy ticket, you may be at increased risk of being removed from your flight. So if you have a little money to spare, Block suggests purchasing a more flexible ticket. You won't be crash-proof yet, but at least you'll move up to the top of the list.
▶ Smile at TSA: Passenger screening experiences are different, but not necessarily better. The Transportation Security Administration has introduced a new scanner that will take your photo and verify your identity. New technology may allow you to keep all your belongings in a bag, speeding up testing. “Maybe” is the appropriate expression.
“The process is more inconsistent than ever,” said Andy Abramson, a communications consultant based in Las Vegas who travels frequently. “Procedures vary from airport to airport. Some require just a boarding pass, some require ID, and some only require a facial scan.”
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Speaking of technology, many air travelers are raving about the new in-flight Wi-Fi feature. Airlines such as Air New Zealand, Emirates and JetBlue include Wi-Fi in their tickets, and connectivity has gotten even better since the pandemic.
▶ Your face becomes your boarding pass: The TSA isn't the only agency using facial scans. Some US airlines have started using facial scans in place of boarding passes. Just a small adjustment for passengers.
“I felt like a contestant on a dystopian game show, standing awkwardly in front of the camera,” said Chris McGuire, a real estate broker in Birmingham, Alabama.
A few months ago, Frankfurt became the first airport in Europe to fully implement facial recognition. Other airports such as Tokyo and Dubai have also introduced facial scanning technology. If you haven't flown in a while, you may not need to look for your boarding pass before boarding the plane.
I've used face scanning technology many times and it usually works, but it can be slow. In Santiago, Chile, it took a long time to clear customs, and the official kept apologizing for technicalities. So don't forget to pack your patience.
▶ No more flight ticket change fees: U.S. airlines have eliminated ticket change fees during the pandemic. So if you need to change your flight, you won't have to pay the fare difference plus the $250 fee.
“This is one of the most important changes,” said Bob Batchelor, managing director of Flying Angels, a medical transportation service that uses frequent flights. “Airlines have introduced more flexible booking and cancellation policies, allowing passengers to change or cancel their flights without incurring heavy penalties.”
Batchelor thinks the fees will eventually come back, and he's right. If they did, the airline would call them something else – perhaps “convenience” fares?
▶ You can also board your flight in other ways: “Some airlines are implementing new check-in procedures,” said Andy Palacios, vice president of growth and strategic partnerships at App in the Air. Most importantly, United Airlines last fall began boarding passengers in window seats before those in middle or aisle seats in economy seats.
Palacios recommends avoiding common boarding confusion by getting a credit card or obtaining elite status. If you can get into the first boarding group, you won't have to gate check your carry-on or get stuck in a crowd.
▶ you also have new rights: If something goes wrong with your flight, the airline may be able to help you further. That's because the Department of Transportation (DOT), which regulates airlines, has put steady pressure on domestic airlines to improve customer service. (After all, taxpayers bailed out airlines during the pandemic.)
Airlines now guarantee meals, accommodations, and ground transportation to and from hotels in the event of a responsible cancellation. (All rights can be found on DOT's Fly Rights website.)
The government is working to carve out more rights for air travelers, addressing everything from simpler and more honest pricing to minimum seat sizes. But it's a work in progress.
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Flying on a plane now feels “different''
Passengers say it feels like something has changed when it comes to air travel.
“It feels different to be on a plane,” said Robert Khachatryan, a frequent flyer and founder of a freight forwarding service in La Crescenta, California.
He's right. It's not just that customers are getting some new rights, technology is being upgraded, or even that the way you fly is changing a little bit.
I feel like something big is on the horizon. With people like Elon Musk teasing a flying Tesla and personal flying vehicles making headlines almost daily, there's a sense that airplanes are about to take a big leap forward.
Air travelers are becoming disillusioned with commercial air travel due to high fares, fees, long lines, and poor customer service. And that relief may come not through new rules to protect the rights of air travelers, but through fundamental changes to the way we fly.
So if flying on a plane feels different right now, wait a minute. You haven't seen anything yet.
This is part 1 of a two-part series on the future of air travel. Next week is flying cars. Yes, I'll go there.
Christopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes Elliott Confidential, a travel newsletter, and Elliott Report, a customer service news site. If you need help with a consumer issue, you can contact him here or email chris@elliott.org.
