3 ms·

about a 350 mile trip, 20 miles per gallon That would be 17.5 gallons each way, not 30. The round trip is then 35 gallons, which should easily be less than thr

by kd0amg 16y ago

about a 350 mile trip, 20 miles per gallon That would be 17.5 gallons each way, not 30. The round trip is then 35 gallons, which should easily be less than three 15-gallon tanks. Even 450 miles each way fits in three tanks. Only for short trips does driving beat the cost of flying I don't know how much you can stick to highways on that DC-Boston route, but when I drive down to visit my parents, each way is 400 miles on 15 gallons. Even at $4.50 per gallon (and I'd likely pay a fair bit less than that after the return trip), I spend half as much on gas as I'd spend on air fare. Then there's the cost of transit to and from the airports (which I'd get hit with again in the too-likely event of a flight cancellation). I'm not sure I'd count eating as a cost advantage for flying: I can pack a lunch in the car if I want to eat cheap. The only advantages of flying are saving three hours of travel time in each direction and having a couple more hours when I don't have to pay attention to anything in particular (I can read or sleep instead of watching the road).

rexreed 15y ago
In my case, I need to refill my 15 gallon tank 3 times for the whole roundtrip. So, my best case is 45 gallons, which at $4/gal is $180. It's true I'm left with some gas at the end, so perhaps that skews the calculation. If I could refill it with just enough, I could shave some bucks. But I prefer not to return home on empty fumes. Next time you do the trip - calculate the cost. You'll see it's closer to the best airfare you can get on that route than you might think. If you prefer to fully-load the airport commute and wait time, then you can equalize the time cost. And then you'll be comparing the actual costs against the benefits. I've found that the driving cost even not factoring in time and food / other stuff, is remarkably close to the airfare. And don't forget the tolls. That adds close to $40. Blame the NJ Turnpike for much of that.
- BrandonM 15y ago
  Why are you calculating based on number of tanks of fuel used when you can instead calculate the exact number of gallons? Obviously you have some fuel left when you get home; that doesn't count as part of the cost of travel because you'll then use it in your normal course of affairs. You've ignored the costs (both monetary and opportunity) of renting a vehicle or using public transit while in the destination city as opposed to having your own vehicle there. You've also ignored the potential harm of being confined to a cabin with scores of people who might be carrying airborne pathogens. You haven't considered the emotional cost of being subjected to an invasive search at the airport, or the stress of getting to your gate on-time. To be clear, I am not anti-flying. I just think it's a sad state of affairs when it's more economically rational for a single individual to drive 450 miles each way than it is to fly. Get a more efficient car, add another person or two, require some bags, or plan an extended stay, and anywhere within a 12-to-24-hour driving radius becomes an economically irrational flight.

by kd0amg 16y ago

rexreed 15y ago

In my case, I need to refill my 15 gallon tank 3 times for the whole roundtrip. So, my best case is 45 gallons, which at $4/gal is $180. It's true I'm left with some gas at the end, so perhaps that skews the calculation. If I could refill it with just enough, I could shave some bucks. But I prefer not to return home on empty fumes. Next time you do the trip - calculate the cost. You'll see it's closer to the best airfare you can get on that route than you might think. If you prefer to fully-load the airport commute and wait time, then you can equalize the time cost. And then you'll be comparing the actual costs against the benefits. I've found that the driving cost even not factoring in time and food / other stuff, is remarkably close to the airfare. And don't forget the tolls. That adds close to $40. Blame the NJ Turnpike for much of that.

BrandonM 15y ago
Why are you calculating based on number of tanks of fuel used when you can instead calculate the exact number of gallons? Obviously you have some fuel left when you get home; that doesn't count as part of the cost of travel because you'll then use it in your normal course of affairs. You've ignored the costs (both monetary and opportunity) of renting a vehicle or using public transit while in the destination city as opposed to having your own vehicle there. You've also ignored the potential harm of being confined to a cabin with scores of people who might be carrying airborne pathogens. You haven't considered the emotional cost of being subjected to an invasive search at the airport, or the stress of getting to your gate on-time. To be clear, I am not anti-flying. I just think it's a sad state of affairs when it's more economically rational for a single individual to drive 450 miles each way than it is to fly. Get a more efficient car, add another person or two, require some bags, or plan an extended stay, and anywhere within a 12-to-24-hour driving radius becomes an economically irrational flight.