6 ms·

I agree that airships will never directly replace with airplanes. However, historically airships reached 100 - 160 km per hour which is gets you to about 2 days

by patall 7y ago

I agree that airships will never directly replace with airplanes. However, historically airships reached 100 - 160 km per hour which is gets you to about 2 days for a transatlantic flight. Thats about a day more than a flight today but given the reduced effect of jetlag, I would assume quite a few people would go for it (not the buisness travellers, obviously). However, for that airships would need to have as much space as a cruise ship and therefore become really big again. You would start on in a small plane, land on the airship, travel long distance with it and exit again why another plane.

1996 7y ago
I disagree. They could replace planes for me. Give me a real bed in a room that can be locked (even if shared with a few other people), and a restaurant to socialize like in a train. For comfortable travel I would pay extra, business or not. I must not be the only consumer wanting that. And no, regardless of "class", airplane travel is miserable. I do not want to seat in a open space with people walking around, eating on my lap or from a folding table food served on a tray.
- specialist 7y ago
  Given strong coffee, broadband, a bit of legroom, and clean bathrooms, I'd love dirigible travel.
- dageshi 7y ago
  You're basically describing a sleeper train but those are increasingly rare because they are that much more expensive than flying that people don't consider them worth it. Not enough people will pay the extra for regular point to point travel. I could see something like that taking off in terms of an experience, like an air version of the orient express.
  - ghaff 7y ago
    I took the Caledonian Sleeper from London to Edinburgh recently. For two people, the pricing wasn't bad and I don't regret doing it. But it was a very small room and the common cafe space was very cramped as well. We're definitely not talking Agatha Christie Orient Express experience. But, yeah, in general sleeper trains don't work other than for the experience. Just for kicks, I looked at traveling to Chicago from Boston by sleeper a couple years back instead of flying. Made absolutely no sense for me in terms of time and I couldn't have justified the expense to my company. The concept of airship travel as presented in fiction looks really appealing. But it would probably cost $10K for a trans-Atlantic ticket. And if you have that kind of money to spend, and especially aren't really in a hurry, there are other attractive options.
    - Jaruzel 7y ago
      I do the Caledonian Sleeper a few times a year to Inverness. Recently they've rolled out new rooms on their trains which are much better, but compared to the price of flying it's really expensive. I still travel on the sleeper though because I cannot stand the indignity of modern standard-class air travel.
      - ghaff 7y ago
        We were on a longish trip and had checked luggage. I didn't want to fly a budget airline especially and my friend wanted to spend a bit of time in London. So it probably cost us a bit more but wasn't really too bad. But, especially given that I got a day room in London anyway, it certainly wasn't cheap either. The experience was fun and that's what counted anyway. I will take train when I reasonably can though. I never fly from Boston to NYC unless it's to connect to another flight.
    - dageshi 7y ago
      I've travelled in Thai and Chinese sleeper trains, think I probably like the Thai ones the most although Chinese ones are fine as well. Nice thing is they're cheap as well, although probably about comparable in price as a budget airline. For trips around 12 hours though it does make sense, go to sleep in one city, wake up in another.
      - ghaff 7y ago
        I've taken Beijing to Shanghai on a train. It was a few years ago and in a shared compartment. It was fine for me but wouldn't have been for everyone.
    - mschuster91 7y ago
      > But, yeah, in general sleeper trains don't work other than for the experience. Just for kicks, I looked at traveling to Chicago from Boston by sleeper a couple years back instead of flying. Made absolutely no sense for me in terms of time and I couldn't have justified the expense to my company. I regularly travel Munich-Hamburg via sleeper train. It has many advantages: - at short term booking it's way cheaper than a flight - I arrive well rested, showered and fed in Hamburg, compared to being essentially a wreck the whole day after having to get up at 0330 (this alone is well worth the extra cost compared to a flight) - I don't waste time travelling to and from the airports, or security crap, or have to expense taxis - I don't have any contact with police
  - Ericson2314 7y ago
    Jack up the carbon taxes and sure it will. Business travellers can use satellite internet on the trip and work so it should be fine for them too.
- callesgg 7y ago
  You could still get your own room in an airplane it would probably be allot cheaper than geting a room in an airship. We could easily fit 50+ small private rooms in an airplane.
  - ghaff 7y ago
    There are some private rooms in certain airline configurations. Of course, if you're paying for the ticket--as opposed to getting upgraded--the pricing can be pretty eye-watering. Airlines pretty much never go with all business or first class seat configurations though. The only exception I know of is BA's all lie-flat business between LCY and JFK which is just 32 seats. (There may be others in Asia.)

by patall 7y ago

1996 7y ago

I disagree. They could replace planes for me. Give me a real bed in a room that can be locked (even if shared with a few other people), and a restaurant to socialize like in a train. For comfortable travel I would pay extra, business or not. I must not be the only consumer wanting that. And no, regardless of "class", airplane travel is miserable. I do not want to seat in a open space with people walking around, eating on my lap or from a folding table food served on a tray.

specialist 7y ago
Given strong coffee, broadband, a bit of legroom, and clean bathrooms, I'd love dirigible travel.
dageshi 7y ago
You're basically describing a sleeper train but those are increasingly rare because they are that much more expensive than flying that people don't consider them worth it. Not enough people will pay the extra for regular point to point travel. I could see something like that taking off in terms of an experience, like an air version of the orient express.
- ghaff 7y ago
  I took the Caledonian Sleeper from London to Edinburgh recently. For two people, the pricing wasn't bad and I don't regret doing it. But it was a very small room and the common cafe space was very cramped as well. We're definitely not talking Agatha Christie Orient Express experience. But, yeah, in general sleeper trains don't work other than for the experience. Just for kicks, I looked at traveling to Chicago from Boston by sleeper a couple years back instead of flying. Made absolutely no sense for me in terms of time and I couldn't have justified the expense to my company. The concept of airship travel as presented in fiction looks really appealing. But it would probably cost $10K for a trans-Atlantic ticket. And if you have that kind of money to spend, and especially aren't really in a hurry, there are other attractive options.
  - Jaruzel 7y ago
    I do the Caledonian Sleeper a few times a year to Inverness. Recently they've rolled out new rooms on their trains which are much better, but compared to the price of flying it's really expensive. I still travel on the sleeper though because I cannot stand the indignity of modern standard-class air travel.
    - ghaff 7y ago
      We were on a longish trip and had checked luggage. I didn't want to fly a budget airline especially and my friend wanted to spend a bit of time in London. So it probably cost us a bit more but wasn't really too bad. But, especially given that I got a day room in London anyway, it certainly wasn't cheap either. The experience was fun and that's what counted anyway. I will take train when I reasonably can though. I never fly from Boston to NYC unless it's to connect to another flight.
  - dageshi 7y ago
    I've travelled in Thai and Chinese sleeper trains, think I probably like the Thai ones the most although Chinese ones are fine as well. Nice thing is they're cheap as well, although probably about comparable in price as a budget airline. For trips around 12 hours though it does make sense, go to sleep in one city, wake up in another.
    - ghaff 7y ago
      I've taken Beijing to Shanghai on a train. It was a few years ago and in a shared compartment. It was fine for me but wouldn't have been for everyone.
  - mschuster91 7y ago
    > But, yeah, in general sleeper trains don't work other than for the experience. Just for kicks, I looked at traveling to Chicago from Boston by sleeper a couple years back instead of flying. Made absolutely no sense for me in terms of time and I couldn't have justified the expense to my company. I regularly travel Munich-Hamburg via sleeper train. It has many advantages: - at short term booking it's way cheaper than a flight - I arrive well rested, showered and fed in Hamburg, compared to being essentially a wreck the whole day after having to get up at 0330 (this alone is well worth the extra cost compared to a flight) - I don't waste time travelling to and from the airports, or security crap, or have to expense taxis - I don't have any contact with police
- Ericson2314 7y ago
  Jack up the carbon taxes and sure it will. Business travellers can use satellite internet on the trip and work so it should be fine for them too.
callesgg 7y ago
You could still get your own room in an airplane it would probably be allot cheaper than geting a room in an airship. We could easily fit 50+ small private rooms in an airplane.
- ghaff 7y ago
  There are some private rooms in certain airline configurations. Of course, if you're paying for the ticket--as opposed to getting upgraded--the pricing can be pretty eye-watering. Airlines pretty much never go with all business or first class seat configurations though. The only exception I know of is BA's all lie-flat business between LCY and JFK which is just 32 seats. (There may be others in Asia.)