I first critiqued this terrible take by looking at how food has actually improved substantially. Even though I said the same could be done in every category, people said “you’re only doing food.” So let’s do air travel and see why it’s not gotten better, not worse.

▪️Aircraft have greatly improved. Just 15-20 years ago, many domestic routes (~15%) were flown by turboprops like the Brasilia, Dash 8 or Saab. Now, almost everything is in jets, and most aircraft have WiFi. Some even have Starlink, where you probably have faster WiFi than your home. Most major airlines offer dozens or hundreds of movies and shows to watch.

▪️Newer designs like the 787 have lower cabin altitudes and improved humidity, which make a huge difference in passenger comfort on long haul flights. The first/business class international market has gotten very competitive globally, with many carriers offering excellent service and amenities. Pods, suites, showers, etc. Coach still sucks but is dramatically cheaper than the past, allowing most people the option of air travel instead of just the affluent.

▪️Technology has made it much easier to book and rebook flights. Often, you are automatically rebooked during delays or can rebook yourself on the app. You can see the status of your flight from home, track the inbound, check in online, etc. If you aren’t checking bags you don’t need to wait in line (except for security). You used to need an agent or call for everything.

▪️Safety has dramatically improved. In the 70’s there were ~6 fatal accidents/million departures. That improved to 0.23 in the 90s and just 0.04 by the 2020s. This despite a dramatic increase in global flights. It feels like there are more incidents now, but that’s because everything is captured on video and posted to social media.

▪️Airports and their amenities have improved. La Guardia used to feel cramped and like a third world shithole, now it’s quite nice and spacious. The new Portland airport is gorgeous. I was in the new Pittsburgh terminal recently, very nice, I’ve heard the new San Diego is a huge improvement, etc. Food at many terminals is much better than in the past. Austin and Nashville are excellent. Most offer plenty of variety and a mix of fast food chains and local eateries.

▪️It seems like there’s a competition to have the best airport bathrooms now. MSP set the bar awhile back, but recently I’ve seen Kansas City and Baltimore outdo them with totally private stalls, and many other airports are following suit. All of these improvements are gradual and not found everywhere, but are happening at most major airports. Most older terminals are cramped and gloomy, a reminder of the past.

▪️The main drawbacks to air travel are due to govt control. Security is probably the biggest gripe, because it’s controlled by the TSA. The air traffic control system is also extremely antiquated, resulting in many unnecessary delays. By all means, let’s try to improve these areas!

▪️There are exciting new aviation advancements happening like Boom, which has developed a “boomless” supersonic wing that could not only bring back supersonic travel, but have it over land. Both United and American have pre-orders. Trump has an EO that ended the decades old ban on supersonic flight, paving the way for this technology.

▪️I don’t see how there’s any convincing empirical evidence air travel is worse than 10 or 20 years ago, remember every one complained back then, too. Compared to the 90s it’s worse because of TSA, but better in almost every other way. Compared to the heyday in the 1960s the service is definitely worse, but air travel was only for the wealthy and was much more dangerous.