Why are flights so bad
35% View from the Wing
30% Live and Let's Fly
28% One Mile at a Time
7% Other
Flights can feel disappointing for a variety of reasons that stem from both industry economics and on‑board experiences.
Economic and Financial Factors
- Airlines operate with high fixed costs and volatile demand, which squeezes profit margins and can force cost‑cutting measures that affect service quality.
- Intense competition creates excess capacity, driving fares down and leading to frequent bankruptcies that destabilize operations. 🔗
- Low‑cost carriers often rely on taxpayer bailouts despite chronic losses, a situation that can limit investment in reliable equipment and customer service. 🔗
- Startup airlines face especially steep financial hurdles, making it difficult to sustain high‑quality operations without substantial backing.🔗
Operational and Staffing Issues
- Crew shortages and scheduling restrictions can cause widespread flight cancellations and delays, as seen with major carriers experiencing hundreds of cancellations in a single weekend.
- Inconsistent staffing levels and operational reliability problems contribute to on‑time performance challenges that directly impact passenger satisfaction.🔗
On‑Board Service and Experience
- Even brand‑new aircraft with modern amenities can deliver a poor experience if other factors, such as cabin service, fall short.
- Loud or disruptive flight attendant behavior, especially on overnight flights, can disturb passengers who are paying a premium for a restful journey. 🔗
- Passengers may encounter uncomfortable cabin environments despite upgraded interiors, highlighting that equipment upgrades alone do not guarantee a good flight.🔗
Live and Let's Fly 18%
My Dismal 737 MAX 9 First Class Flight On United Airlines…
View from the Wing 20%
Why Airlines Keep Going Bankrupt Even When Flights Are Packed
View from the Wing 9%
Now Budget Airlines Want A $2.5 Billion Taxpayer Bailout — With Government Ownership Across The Industry
The federal government is considering a $500 million bailout of Spirit Airlines under flimsy legal authority, in exchange for warrants that could see taxpayers taking a 90% stake in the airline. Now we could see this expanding to a $2.5 billion program where the government owns part of several airlines. Spirit has only enough unrestricted cash for a few days and no one willing to put more money in, with little prospect of getting it back. The rest of the low-cost industry sees an opportunity and has been making asks. Previously they wanted a suspension of the 7.5%
Points with a Crew 7%
Should Children Be Allowed To Sit In Business Or First Class?
People seem to have very strong opinions on where people should and should not sit, and especially so when it regards children (and more specifically, OTHER people’s children). I’ve seen some people advocating for “child-free” flights (never gonna happen), and some parents seem to let their kids do whatever they want without making any attempt to actually parent. Personally, I think a reasonable middle ground is that parents should do their best to make sure that kids do not bother other passengers and that for everyone else, it’s part of the social contract that we deal with occasional discomfort.
View from the Wing 6%
Airlines Are A Terrible Business — Here’s How I’d Lose Less Money Starting One
Airlines are such a bad business that the smartest startup strategy is probably not building the most beautiful premium carrier, but finding a way to lose less money than everyone else. If I had to start one anyway, I would skip the glamorous dream model and focus on underserved leisure routes, modest costs, and selling more of the trip than just the seat. Last summer One Mile at a Time laid out the U.S. airline he’d start and it was basically a premium-focused carrier flying Airbus A321neos and A220-300s, operating on premium routes with a three-cabin configuration including true
Live and Let's Fly 12%
Why Are American Airlines Flight Attendants So Loud On Redeye Flights?
One Mile at a Time 22%
Delta Mysteriously Canceling Hundreds Of Flights Due To “Crew Restrictions”
Despite generally good weather around the country, Delta canceled nearly as many flights today as Spirit did… and Spirit didn’t fly. I don’t know what’s going on, but Delta is unarguably losing its edge when it comes to operational reliability. In this post: Delta is having some issues with operational reliability at the moment. Yesterday, Friday, May 1, 2026: Today, Saturday, May 2, 2026, things are looking worse for Delta. As of 4PM ET: Just for reference, Spirit canceled 277 flights today (it ceased operations), so by the time the day is over, Delta might almost
One Mile at a Time 6%
American Airlines Will Start Scoring Flight Attendants, And It Won’t End Well
American Airlines is reportedly launching an initiative to start scoring flight attendants based on a variety of metrics. While I’m in theory in favor of flight attendants being subject to more of a performance-based system, I have to imagine that this likely won’t end well. In this post: JonNYC reports on how American is rolling out what’s being called the Me@Work program, whereby flight attendants will be scored by management. The idea is that scores will be based on the last 12 months of data, including things like: These are all the details we have as of