Jessica
Every single day, more than eight million people board airplanes and fly off to various destinations around the world. In 2013 alone, the total number of passengers surpassed more than three billion people for the first time ever. Even as recent events have painted air travel in a bad light, there are still plenty of reasons why flying is the way to go if you want to get somewhere:
- Safety: Odds are you’ve heard a thing or two about flying being the safest way to travel. Believe it or not, that’s still true today as the numbers mentioned above illustrate. Whether you love flying or don’t care for it much, you’ll get where you need to go fast and in a safe manner.
- Affordability: It’s true that not every airline ticket is cheap, but, believe it or not, the price of airline tickets today is actually fairly cheap. Competition among airlines, better planes and the ability to use all sort of pricing websites have definitely tipped the scales in favor of passengers. The flight you’re looking for can usually be found more often than not for an affordable price.
- Speed: If you’re a person who gets a limited amount of vacation time each year and you want to make the most of it, flying is the best (and quickest) way to reach a destination. Depending on where you want to go, you can take a domestic direct flight across the country in as little as a day, which means you get to start your vacation earlier than if you used another means of transportation. And let’s face it, at the end of a vacation, flying gives you a chance to rest, rather than having to battle traffic on a long drive home.
- Entertainment: One of the best perks about flights these days is that there’s plenty of in-flight entertainment. More than a few airlines offer passengers a selection of TV shows, music and movies with inflight entertainment systems. If that isn’t the case, there may be an in flight video or you’ve got your phone you can pull out to keep yourself entertained. You can even keep your electronics charged in an airplane power outlet or airplane power adapter.
- Productivity: If you bring a laptop or a tablet with you on a flight, you can pass the time by being productive. Most airlines offer Wi-Fi and an airplane power outlet these days, which is great news for the 37% of passengers who indicated in a 2013 Trip Advisor Survey that a tablet is a carry-on essential. Having such tools like an airplane power outlet available gives you a chance to read and answer e-mails and get some real work done. An airplane power outlet ensures you won’t run out of juice either.
- Togetherness: One of the great benefits of flying is that it creates a sense of community between you and your fellow passengers. If you’ve got a long flight on a crowded plane, sometimes there’s no better way to pass the time then by striking up a conversion with the person or people sitting next to you. Who knows? You may find the people you talk to very interesting and you might quickly bond over shared interests.
- Sleeping: When it comes to flights, everyone seems to have their go-to activity-41% of folks tend to watch movies; 21% of passengers like to read and 17% of passengers prefer to sleep. If you’ve got a long domestic flight or perhaps an international flight, one way to pass the time is to catch up on sleep. You’ll wake up refreshed and ready to embrace whatever adventures await you at your destination.
- Sightseeing: If you’re one of those people who loves window seats on planes, you’ll likely be treated to some great views no matter where you go. Sometimes seeing the shear beauty of the U.S. landscape can be breathtaking whether you’re looking at oceans, lakes, mountains or farmlands.
Flying is still one of the safest ways to travel and between the chances to see great scenery, a multitude of entertainment options, the chance to catch up on sleep and being part of a interesting group of people, there are still many advantages to traveling by plane.
