4 ms·

But can you turn up 5 minutes before your flight and just hop on?

• jrockway 15y ago
  Mainline flights? Nope. But there are various airlines that let you do this. One time, I was in Seattle and needed to be in Portland. I could have taken the train, but the schedule was very inconvenient. I then discovered SeaPort airlines, which operates single-engine aircraft out of Boeing field and flies to PDX. It was $80. I showed up 20 minutes before the flight. The check-in agent greeted me by name (since I was the only person on that flight), and we walked out onto the tarmac and into the plane. No baggage X-ray. No TSA. No metal detectors. I don't think I even showed anyone ID! I believe US Airways operates a similar service out of LGA, although they probably have more security since their planes are more expensive and seat more than 12 people. But it can definitely be done, and it's a lot cheaper than a high-speed rail line that nobody is going to ride. Look, I'm the biggest railfan there is. But in a country where the most of the major cities are very far apart, and where everyone owns a car and pays for the interstate system, high speed rail is a hard sell. I'm completely in favor of it, but I expect it to be a gift from the government: it will never pay for itself, and most people won't even think to use it.