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This article states the obvious. I'm a little upset that there is no mention about fuel economy per passenger mile as that's where the numbers get interesting.
by blackaspen 13y ago
This article states the obvious.
I'm a little upset that there is no mention about fuel economy per passenger mile as that's where the numbers get interesting.
Concorde got 14 passenger miles per gallon, a 747 gets 91 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_economy_in_aircraft http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_economy_in_aircraft). That's why planes are slower. I'd imagine that a 787 is north of 100(probably 120ish) passenger miles per gallon, but it too is slower than a 747.
Now, with current technology, we could build a plane that is as economical as a 747 and much faster -- this would be the Boeing Sonic Cruiser, but cost still wins.
As far as the whole 2-hours-before-the-airport nonsense, I don't buy that that's an issue. I haven't shown up at an airport more than an hour before my flight time in a long time (and have yet to miss a flight). I walk right onto the plane.
The bigger problem with travel speed is the last mile. It may take me two hours to go from Denver to San Francisco, which is 967 miles, but it takes me an hour to get from SFO to Palo Alto on public transit at the least -- in the same time I could already be in LA.
- chrisBob 13y agoI guess it depends on the airport. Boston is one of the worst I have seen. When I fly through Raleigh/Durham it is magical how much better it is.
- eob 13y agoWhich terminal do you usually fly out of? I'm nearly always flying out of C (United/JetBlue) and my experiences in Boston have usually been the opposite: thankful at what a convenient airport we have here compared to the other city in my trip [1] -- including Raleigh (though the rocking chairs are a nice touch!). I never considered it before, but maybe Logan's terminals vary greatly in their convenience. [1] Assuming the other city is in the US, since international airports are usually more pain-free than US ones as a general rule.
- chrisBob 13y agoI don't fly too often, but it was actually terminal C where I showed up 2 hours early and then ended up diving through the door as they tried to close the jetway in front of me. That experience was on a Saturday morning. Week day mornings seem better. If I traveled any more than I do I would sign up for pre-check.
- lostlogin 13y agoHave you tried entering or leaving the US when only showing up an hour before? I'd like someone else to try that and let me know how it goes. With international travel, it isn't the last mile that's the problem IMHO. It is security checks and customs and it is awful.
- saryant 13y agoThe US doesn't have exit immigration or customs, departing the country is the same procedure (airport-wise) as taking a domestic flight. Same security and often the same terminal. I rarely show up an hour before a flight (including international) and I've yet to have an issue. Even United says that an hour is sufficient for international flights, even less if you aren't checking bags and can print your boarding pass at home: http://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/airport/process/default.aspx http://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/airport/proce...
- blackaspen 13y agoYes, many times. In the US it's no problem, there are no exit immigrations. The only time I've been nervous about catching an international flight was from HKG->SFO when there was a small line for exit customs. I showed up to the airport about 45 minutes before my flight and their lack of TSA-esque security made up for waiting to get my passport checked. I got to the gate just as they started boarding my group.