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Comment by _red | Hacker News Reader

All in all, one of the silver linings of the covid hysteria is the destruction of airlines. I'm someone who has probably flown very close to 1M miles in my life. Spent about 15 years on planes weekly.

Flying in my lifetime has moved from being something 'fun and exclusive' to 'taking the bus with strip searches'.

After 911 none of the airlines really pushed back on the Orwellian security theater its customers were forced thru...I understand it, perhaps it just wasn't worth the effort, perhaps enough of their customers wanted more searches.

Around 8 years ago, I moved to trying to do online meetings when possible and agreeing to drive for anything less than 8 hours or so. Its been a welcome upgrade in life. As much of a pain as driving 6 hours for meeting is, you strangely feel less stressed out than dealing with the insanity of airports and cattle-cars.

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Customers want(ed) it. Remember when the TSA was going to roll back the ban on pocket knives[0] and then due to feedback from a bunch of Karens they backed off and kept the ban in place[1]? I think more rollbacks would have been on offer had that happened but now the safety/nerf people endorse it all. There's no going back at this point, I'm afraid.

[0] https://www.cnn.com/2013/03/05/travel/tsa-carry-on-changes/i...

[1] https://travelinglight.com/can-you-bring-a-knife-in-checked-...

Wow, 1M miles... I don't think I could have handled that. Continental gave bonus miles which is the only reason I had 500k, but I think I made it to 150k actual miles.

The bonuses were self propagating, I would get a bonus miles because I was upgraded for free to first class because I had so many miles.

That is probably why they were devalued so hard when United bought them.

Having friends that work for a major airline I initially reacted with horror at your opening statement. But this, so much this:

“ Flying in my lifetime has moved from being something 'fun and exclusive' to 'taking the bus with strip searches'.”

I’m the same way now too. I will drive up to 8 hours to avoid flying and typically just don’t make the longer flights unless absolutely necessary.

I never flew before TSA, or if I did I don’t really remember because I was only a few years old. But at one point I was flying commercial a lot for work and it became a real hassle. I don’t mind it once in a while, and I’m pretty good at my personal procedure for zipping through the security line, but it’s an emotional drain, all the security and getting to the airport so early. What a drag, I am the same way in that I would prefer a long drive over flying commercial.

In recent years I’ve been lucky enough to largely fly private and it feels like it must have felt pre 9/11, at least on the security and not having to arrive hours early fronts.

I've done all three, and flying private is still far different than what it was like pre-9/11.

Back in the 90s, you still had to go through security checkpoints, you just didn't need to take anything off, open anything up, or be touched/prodded/scanned except for maybe a metal detector.

You still had to show up early, because they still checked people in manually and thus you traded long security lines for long check-in lines. They also were much worse about losing luggage back then, and if it was lost, if was gone for good usually.

Private is another ballgame entirely. If you can afford it (or someone else is paying), and you don't mind the inflated carbon footprint, there's really no reason not to choose it.

Interested in your story about being in your early 20s and lucky enough to "largely fly private"

Not sure what they were referring to, but there are airlines like JSX [1] which are sort of a "semi-private" experience. My experience is limited, but flying JSX was a breath of fresh air. Security was a questionnaire and a short bag search (no scanner, no TSA, no XRay) and took about 30 seconds. Staff hand-wrote my seat/flight info on a paper ticket. Went from arrival to seated in plane in ~15 minutes more than once. Plus unlimited drinks onboard.

[1] https://www.jsx.com/home/search

I agree completely. Now that I have a Tesla and I actually like driving again, I am willing to drive upwards of 12 hours to avoid getting on a flight.

If it’s too far to drive I have to fly first class. The security is still a pain in the ass but at least you don’t have to be stuffed in coach like cattle, people lining up to use the bathroom while farting 2 inches from your face. If that ticket is too expensive then wherever I’m going is not worth the trouble.

This was my opinion long before covid and needless to say I haven’t warmed up to flying in the last 6 months.

I had been flying a lot for business that last few year. With TSA precheck and lounge access I didn't find it to be so bad.

Completely disbanding the TSA would be optimal, but PreCheck + Clear is pragmatically the way to go. The line experience goes back to a pre-9/11 level of sanity.

Pre-check plus clear is a shakedown. And it exposes how the TSA bullshit is just a grift.

Same experience here, it's been quite pleasant to roll through security and then kick back in a lounge before my flights. I would have thought it's the same for most frequent travelers.

No it’s not, because the alternative is to sleep 2 more hours or extending your vacation for 2 more hours!

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