3 ms·

That's the just flight time, but you've also got travel to/from the airport, parking, maybe shuttle bus/monorail, and checking/security/wait time at the airport

That's the just flight time, but you've also got travel to/from the airport, parking, maybe shuttle bus/monorail, and checking/security/wait time at the airport as well. So, add an hour for door-door travel to airport, and 2-hr before flight check-in, and now the comparison isn't 3 vs 6hr but 9 vs 12hr, which doesn't sound so worthwhile, although no doubt there are customers for it. For longer flights it'd be much more attractive, but this is never going to be an affordable service for the masses.

Animats 10mo ago
A service where your limo drives out to the aircraft, with all searches and paperwork pre-done, would have about the same time gain as going Mach 1.7 vs. Mach 0.85.
- notahacker 10mo ago
  And probably fewer regulatory hurdles (and I don't mean that because they wouldn't be considerable...)
- pinko 10mo ago
  Underrated observation. The low-hanging fruit is all in the office/home-to-takeoff and touchdown-to-office/home blocks on each end, not the time in the air. The commute, checkin, security, airport transit, boarding, and taxiing are the time-sinks worth optimizing.
  - ekelsen 10mo ago
    private jets already solve these problems.
    - mrguyorama 10mo ago
      Which already is a bad signal for the article's argument. We already have a way to significantly reduce that travel time and it's a niche. Could Boom Supersonic or whoever actually survive selling only to a hundred Taylor Swifts? How are they going to keep the lights on for the 30 years those jets fully saturate the market?
  - Animats 10mo ago
    That's a real service. Some airports, including LAX and London Heathrow, allow a "tarmac transfer", where the limo goes directly to the plane. [1][2] Cost is $200 to $1000. That could save an hour or more at each end. VIP Terminal Access: Skip the standard queues and enter exclusive VIP terminals where you’ll receive expedited passport control, security checks, and personalized services, all while enjoying luxury amenities. Avoid long security lines with expedited security processing, ensuring you spend minimal time in the airport. [1] https://limossist.com/tarmac-transfers/ https://limossist.com/tarmac-transfers/ [2] https://airssist.com/airport-tarmac-transfer-service/ https://airssist.com/airport-tarmac-transfer-service/
ekelsen 10mo ago
But for the private jet market, the reduction would be huge. They're already paying a premium to save time. The top end will pay an even larger premium to save even more time. I agree with you that for commercial, anything other than super long haul (which is technically very hard), the time saving advantages are much less compelling.

Animats 10mo ago

A service where your limo drives out to the aircraft, with all searches and paperwork pre-done, would have about the same time gain as going Mach 1.7 vs. Mach 0.85.

notahacker 10mo ago
And probably fewer regulatory hurdles (and I don't mean that because they wouldn't be considerable...)
pinko 10mo ago
Underrated observation. The low-hanging fruit is all in the office/home-to-takeoff and touchdown-to-office/home blocks on each end, not the time in the air. The commute, checkin, security, airport transit, boarding, and taxiing are the time-sinks worth optimizing.
- ekelsen 10mo ago
  private jets already solve these problems.
  - mrguyorama 10mo ago
    Which already is a bad signal for the article's argument. We already have a way to significantly reduce that travel time and it's a niche. Could Boom Supersonic or whoever actually survive selling only to a hundred Taylor Swifts? How are they going to keep the lights on for the 30 years those jets fully saturate the market?
- Animats 10mo ago
  That's a real service. Some airports, including LAX and London Heathrow, allow a "tarmac transfer", where the limo goes directly to the plane. [1][2] Cost is $200 to $1000. That could save an hour or more at each end. VIP Terminal Access: Skip the standard queues and enter exclusive VIP terminals where you’ll receive expedited passport control, security checks, and personalized services, all while enjoying luxury amenities. Avoid long security lines with expedited security processing, ensuring you spend minimal time in the airport. [1] https://limossist.com/tarmac-transfers/ https://limossist.com/tarmac-transfers/ [2] https://airssist.com/airport-tarmac-transfer-service/ https://airssist.com/airport-tarmac-transfer-service/

ekelsen 10mo ago

But for the private jet market, the reduction would be huge. They're already paying a premium to save time. The top end will pay an even larger premium to save even more time. I agree with you that for commercial, anything other than super long haul (which is technically very hard), the time saving advantages are much less compelling.