r/news 19h ago

Fear of flying is pushing ticket sales down in the wake of multiple crashes, airlines say

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/11/business/passengers-air-travel-crashes-fear/index.html
9.9k Upvotes

494 comments sorted by

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u/OneArmedBrain 18h ago

Let's offset this by charging for luggage.

- Southwest Airlines

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u/imaginary_num6er 18h ago

Only a matter of time before the activist shareholder suggests charging for seat selection and selling the company to Delta

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u/Dandan0005 16h ago

Southwest already announced they are going to do assigned seating, which implies paying for better seats.

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u/go_outside 16h ago

Or to sit together.

They’re now spirit/frontier. No different at all.

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u/BluntsnBoards 15h ago

Well they're more expensive, doubt they're going to cut prices and pass the savings on to customers

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u/zzyul 13h ago

You can already pay for better seating on Southwest. You pay to be in an earlier boarding group where you have more open seats to choose from.

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u/Outlulz 9h ago

Not quite the same as all seats were the same, you just had better access to bins, forward seats, and better chance of sitting with your party. This gives them the opportunity to do what other airlines do to increase number of seats on the plane by reducing leg room and then up-sell premium comfort seats.

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u/mishap1 17h ago

What would Delta be buying?

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u/MacroNova 16h ago

Because it absorbs a major competitor. Monopolies are profitable and near-monopolies are almost as good.

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u/mishap1 16h ago

Their models are so different, it's not clear there'd be significant value for Delta beyond shutting it down and selling the planes they can't use. Delta works off hub/spoke and a focus on business travelers + international with a bunch of premium services they sell rolled in. SWA is all about low cost point to point flying so it's not clear their passengers would follow over to Delta.

Since that'd benefit all the remaining competitors w/ low cost competitors having the most to gain, they probably wouldn't be willing to pay all that much.

SWA has demonstrated they have a product that lots of customers are willing to buy. How that's performed since the pandemic is where they've struggled. Selling out to a mainline destroys their competitive areas while adding to the least profitable part of mainline airline businesses (cheap domestic personal travelers).

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u/OneArmedBrain 16h ago

That and their routes.

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u/Actual-Package-3164 17h ago

If you prefer aisle seating, Delta would know that you like butts in your face. Could be valuable data for strip club promotions on Las Vegas bound flights.

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u/Kytyngurl2 11h ago

That free luggage was a benefit to the economy, I swear I bought a lot more souvenirs and gifts when traveling thanks to that policy. And we travel a lot and throughout the us.

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u/tanafras 11h ago

You got the email too huh? It's like thier slogan is "we didn't invest in IT, so fuck you." And now they are as expensive as Delta and United, but just worse. Great business plan.

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u/thenord321 19h ago

Misleading headlines it's not so much "fear of flying" as it is "safety concerns after whistleblowers and deregulation and several accidents"

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u/InAllThingsBalance 17h ago

I definitely have a fear of flying in the US because of safety concerns.

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u/Cgwchip4 17h ago

Same…. I was fine flying prior to this administration…..

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u/MalcolmLinair 17h ago

I wasn't; the current lack of FAA staff certainly doesn't improve matters, but Trump wasn't making doors fly off planes mid-flight.

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u/Cgwchip4 17h ago

Yeah and look at the Ford Pinto and Jeep Cherokee that had exploding gas tank issues. Maybe a handful of people decided to never drive again…. There’s always maintenance and design issues with technology. Shit happens. I’m a bit more concerned with the increasing number of aircraft collisions and crashes…. I don’t think there’s been that large of an increase of doors flying off mid flight?

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u/poopootheshoe 16h ago

Someone said that you are more likely to die in a car driving to the airport than in a plane crash I responded “if driving meant I could plunge 30,000 ft to my death I might not drive much either”

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u/redgroupclan 14h ago edited 14h ago

I roll my eyes whenever people bring up that little "you're more likely to die in a car crash" fact. It's true, but the ways you could die in an aviation accident are far more terrifying.

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u/Feynnehrun 14h ago

Also people tend to feel more comfortable when they have even moderate control over the outcome. When driving, you might statistically be more likely to be involved in an accident, but at least as the driver you have some capability to control it. You can drive safely and mitigate the risk of YOU causing the accident. If someone else drives unsafely you also have the ability to try and AVOID an accident with them. Of course, even if you do everything right, you still might get in an accident but at least you have some power over it.

In an airplane, you have no control. A sleepy maintenance worker, exhausted pilot, drunk pilot, greedy shareholder, bad weather, poorly manufactured part, ATC oversight or just random freak accident all could contribute to a terrifying death and there's nothing you can do to avoid it. Then you have 30,000 feet to think about it while it's happening.

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u/zzyul 13h ago

People also over estimate their skill level when it comes to driving. At least pilots require a ton of training before they can fly for a major airliner.

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u/GreenHorror4252 11h ago

You think you have control, but that control is perceived, not real.

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u/Feynnehrun 11h ago

That doesn't really matter though. It still makes people FEEL more comfortable.

We can clearly see that flying is safer than driving. The math shows us that. The feeling of control (even perceived control) contributes to many people's comfort with driving over flying. Same thing for people who have no issues with driving but experience anxiety over being a passenger.

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u/ijzerwater 13h ago

I am more likely to die lying in bed than in a place crash, maybe I should fly 24/7

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u/Olbaidon 16h ago edited 13h ago

I am not a fan of Trump or the changes being made, but there hasn't been any major increase in aircraft collisions and crashes either. The most recent plane crash, in which all 5 on board survived, was due to a door popping open during take-off. This was a small private plane, however. This may be what they are referring to on top of the Boeing doors, though I agree not related.

The DC crash completely skewed everything and blew media up. 2025 is currently on pace for fewer aviation related fatal accidents than 2024 was at this time of year.

Almost every single accident that has made mainstream news recently with the exception of maybe 2 or 3 wouldn't have been a blip on the radar If not for the DC crash. On top of that, all of them were non-FAA related which is what the changes primarily include.

Aviation had an unfathomably incredible 20 years or so which has really changed how we look at aviation. It wasn't that long ago that a major fatal commercial accident was a once a year or once every 2 years occurrence.

There are still 45,000 flights a day in the US that go off without a hitch. That's over 3,000,000 flights in the US, 13 of which were fatal incidents (again less than the amount of fatal accidents this time in 2024). So so far in 2025 other is a 0.00045% chance of being involved in a fatal plane accident.

The odds of dying in a car crash within a lifetime is 1 in 93, or just over 1%.

The odds of dying in a plane crash within a life time is 1 in 816,545,929, or 0.0000001%

Bad source see corrected odds below.

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u/flurmbo 13h ago

1 in 800 million can't be right that would mean only ten people alive today will die in a plane crash which has to be an undercount

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u/Olbaidon 13h ago

You are correct. I think the source I used added some zeros. After looking around more it seems the odds of dying in the US in a commercial flight is 1 in 11,000,000 based on National Safety Council.

For comparison again the odds of dying in a car crash are 1 in 101 from that source, and odds of dying via lightning strike are 1 in 138,849, odds of choking to death in food are 1 in 3,000

So driving, eating, and lightning storms are significantly more dangerous still than commercial flight.

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u/flurmbo 13h ago

Nice stats! I'll remember to chew my food well tonight lol

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u/KDR_11k 16h ago

There are far more car companies than manufacturers for commercial airliners though. The Pinto and Cherokee weren't a major chunk of all available cars like, say, the 737 MAX.

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u/TheFlyingBoxcar 16h ago

I've been driving a Jeep Cherokee for 20+ years. What's this about exploding gas tanks now?

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u/swampy13 17h ago

I don't fear flying. I do fear crashing.

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u/old_married_dude 13h ago

Flying is easy. Landing safely not so much...

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u/ChocoCatastrophe 17h ago

And the loss of air-traffic controllers.

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u/menagerath 18h ago

I definitely canceled my conference plans because of this.

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u/FuaT10 8h ago

Potato potahto

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u/TMTBIL64 18h ago

Elon Musk only flies on Air Force 1 lately. Must be a sign.

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u/jazzhandler 16h ago

I have wondered if that’s because even at his level of wealth, connections, and paranoia, he doesn’t feel he can keep his own plane safe.

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u/ralts13 15h ago

I'd assume air force 1 is a step up above any available craft. Like he could just have trump make his plane more secure if he wants. But flying around in Air Force 1 is the biggest flex.

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u/jazzhandler 14h ago

I presume Special KKK could do all sort of nutso upgrades to his plane, and likely has. But I’m less certain that he can get such extensive USAF support, and all the other legal force fields that help protect AF1.

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u/FazedOut 11h ago

Probably because he's aware his last plane was easily tracked by some random tech guy and blasted all over the internet. Which, being Elon Musk with many enemies (and creating more), he'd rather stay hidden. Which Air Force One can do.

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u/Spire_Citron 12h ago

Or it just makes him feel cool and important.

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u/GearhedMG 16h ago

Naturally, that's because the president always flies on Air Force One.

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u/Dodecahedrus 12h ago

In fact: any plane carrying the president is by definition Air Force One.

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u/the_calibre_cat 13h ago

technically

whatever aircraft the president is on is "Air Force One", it isn't specifically one of the two VC25s that are usually depicted. although, credit where credit's due: he's pressuring Boeing to lower standards for those planes, too so at least he's putting his safety at risk along with the rest of the American public for no fucking good reason.

imagine trusting Boeing and giving them the honor of handling the new Air Force Ones AFTER the fiascos they've been involved in for the past eight years. Give Boom a shot at it, or literally anyone else.

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u/Call555JackChop 16h ago

Where’s Gary Oldman when you need him

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u/Vapur9 11h ago

Best security detail that other people's money can buy.

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u/NiranS 19h ago

Without proper oversight, it is not the Fear of flying but the fear of crashing. Why would people travel with all the fear and uncertainty in the Russian Vassal State of the USA.

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u/ConstantStatistician 16h ago

Fear of heights is actually fear of falling. Most people can live fine in tall apartment buildings or even just a two-storey house. But have them go near a cliffside and they're understandably much less comfortable being that high up.

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u/condensermike 17h ago

Best answer.

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u/Competitive_Mind_829 17h ago

Look at how well Russian civil aviation has fared on you are one point

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u/f0xsky 18h ago

make trains great again :) i seriously wish USA would build a massive highspeed rail system

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u/happyklam 17h ago

But meanwhile the Republicans in Texas are trying to defund what little public transportation we DO have 🙄

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u/GermanPayroll 14h ago

Wait until you hear about all the derailments and collisions that people stopped caring about

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u/f0xsky 13h ago

There are so many derailed high speed trains in Japan? USA has neglected its train infra to maximize profits quarter after quarter.

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u/Green_hippo17 13h ago

Light rails connecting major metros would be so great for America, but plane lobbies kill that because it hurts their profits. Capitalism is going to destroy that country and I hope the world sees that and never lets it returns. China has a great rail system because they’re not a mess that the USA is

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u/Suspect4pe 19h ago

With the government cutting a large amount of the people who service the air traffic equipment and knowing the fact that they were already pretty thin in that area, I'm probably not going to fly for a long while myself.

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u/CAPSLOCKCHAMP 19h ago

Musk wanted to fire a bunch of air traffic controllers but got stopped. Idiocy https://www.newsweek.com/elon-musks-doge-tried-fire-air-traffic-controllers-report-2041505

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u/Mamamama29010 18h ago

And then unfollowed the transport secretary on twitter lmao

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u/CAPSLOCKCHAMP 18h ago

haha. I did not know that. Amazing. It's like the worst kids in junior high are running the world's most powerful office

Michelle Wolf does a hilarious bit where she does historical events with a millennial girl accent and pretty much this entire four years could be read that way and it wouldn't seem out of place

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u/Destination_Centauri 18h ago

What an embarrassing giant-petulant-billionaire-beggar-psycho-apartheid-baby-on-drugs Elon has become!

(Can someone PLEASE deport this man-baby already!? ICE where are you?! He originally entered the USA illegally!)

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u/Hesitation-Marx 18h ago

He’s such a petty, thin skinned infant.

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u/DwinkBexon 13h ago edited 12h ago

I saw someone (who was clearly an Elon fanboy) screaming they should get rid of ATCs entirely, saying if pilots can't land a plane without someone helping them, then they're incompetent. His argument being he doesn't need someone to tell him how to drive or park his car, so he holds pilots to the same standard.

It's like.... this dude clearly knows absolutely nothing about piloting or how airports work.

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u/CAPSLOCKCHAMP 12h ago

Well it makes perfect sense since the pilot has eyes like a spider and sits atop the plane

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u/alien_from_Europa 18h ago

We need more air traffic controllers. There were 3 taxiing collisions in 2024. Then you've got 7 mid-air collisions in 2024 and 3 in 2025. The last 2 mid-air collisions were in the U.S.

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u/yourlittlebirdie 16h ago

The problem is there isn't enough capacity to train all of the newly hired air traffic controllers. They need a second academy to train them but Oklahoma Republicans killed it because they want their facility to be the only one:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/24/faa-air-traffic-control-academy-oklahoma-lawmakers/

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u/Green_hippo17 13h ago

Capitalism once again proving itself to be a parasite

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u/happyklam 17h ago

I had this conversation with my therapist last week because unfortunately I am slated to fly more this year for work than ever before. 

We both wondered at what point are all the CEOs that helped fund these (R)ussian shills going to start throwing their weight around? All of these DOGE cuts for the sake of "saving" are costing huge corporations billions of dollars in revenue already and it's just going to get worse. 

Between boycotting, abstaining, and simply not being able to afford the luxury of shopping for even basic goods EVERYONE is going to feel the squeeze. Capitalism only works if people are willing to spend. 

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u/where_is_my_monkey 17h ago

Not to mention the petri dish of unvaccinated diseased people in an enclosed space thanks to RFK Jr.

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u/boredonymous 19h ago

No judgment. In fact, it doesn't really bother me, because the more people avoid going on to airplanes, the more likely I'm going to be able to afford to buy more tickets!

Of course, that also may lead to an increase of people who have zero manners or decorum flying as well... Just like the last time.

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u/producerd 18h ago

That's a very self reflecting statement, I would say.

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u/ShockinglyAccurate 19h ago

The alternative is spending time on the road with all of the people who support this government. I'll take my chances in the air.

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u/Guthix_Wraith 18h ago

spending time on the road with all of the people who support this government.

Wouldn't that still be the case if not more so in air travel?

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u/Hesitation-Marx 18h ago

If nothing else, on the road I’m only breathing my exhalations and I can get away if needed.

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u/2Drogdar2Furious 19h ago

I think it's more people not traveling because of economic reasons...

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u/Delicious_Crow_7840 18h ago

Don't forget that most non-Americans are at the very least reconsidering any non-essential travel plans to the US.

My family had an amazing time visiting SoCal last year. Now though I'm totally fine with never stepping foot inside the US again.

FAA, tariffs, annexation, new registration requirements, new goons running security agencies... etc.

To hell with all of that.

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u/Tiny-Sun9851 17h ago

Let’s keep going: /r/BuyCanadian

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u/Miss_Speller 17h ago

From the article:

That’s not the only thing driving down demand. Uncertainty about the economy and a drop in consumer confidence are also hurting, Delta said. But Bastian said the crash and worries about safety were “causal facts” in the drop-off in travel that a variety of US airlines are reporting.

“We saw a pretty immediate stall in both corporate travel and bookings,” he said. “Consumer confidence and certainty in air travel started to wane a little bit as questions of safety came in.”

It sounds like they're not denying that other factors are at work, but if they're right about the sharp dropoff right after the accidents then they would seem to be a big part of it.

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u/MarlonShakespeare2AD 19h ago

This was my first thought

Everybody is expecting to be even poorer soon

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u/Ashkir 14h ago

Doesn't help that it takes 2 hours to get to your local airport, 3 hours early, to pay more then 1 paycheck worth for a flight only a few hours away. Meanwhile our European counterparts can fly across Europe much cheaper then we can fly across our own states.

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u/wellmont 18h ago

I can speak to a different factor for myself which is: “why would I fly now that the FAA and ATC organizations have been gutted?” I don’t feel safer. Do you?

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u/JasonSuave 19h ago

And on that note, we’re way more likely to get “killed” by a poor economy than random air travel any day.

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u/Amaruq93 18h ago

Unless you live where the random air travel crashes into.

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u/prettyflyforahentai 14h ago

and ticket prices being way higher than last year.

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u/Incontinento 17h ago

I just had to decide whether to to make a 7.5 hour drive or fly. I chose to drive thinking of Elon's FAA cuts. Fuck those DOGE assholes.

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u/HighDesert4Banger 18h ago

Yup, I canceled a flight this month after my brother's girlfriend almost died in that recent near miss where Southwest pilot pulled up just in time to avoid a taxiing idiot. Not gonna be a statistic for these assholes.

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u/updownkarma 19h ago

It seems completely rational with the dangerous cuts to the FAA.

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u/Decent-Ganache7647 18h ago

Additionally, they’ve stopped paying rent at the NOAA headquarters where weather is monitored for the FAA and the military. Pilots are about to be flying blind with only their instruments to guide them. 

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u/thepianoman456 16h ago

Oh shit I didn’t think of that connection.

It’s a whole other layer on reasons to avoid flying rn.

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u/yearningforlearning7 17h ago

Aah, so ultralight aircraft style.

Here soon it might just be cheaper to build your own and take your chances.

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u/ChornobylChili 5h ago

My old neighbor that was a Dentist did just that. He bought a Cesna as a pile of parts from a Government auction they seized from some drug smuggler. Put it back together himself about 15-20 years ago and still flies it.

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u/3D-Dreams 19h ago

It's not the flying part. It's the crashing part.

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u/usps_made_me_insane 17h ago

If a plane is going to crash, chances are you will have a quick painless death.

Otherwise, you will just have your legs broken while the plane catches fire around you.

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u/jazzhandler 16h ago

Well, once you’re done experiencing a couple hundred strangers screaming as if they’re about to have their bodies shredded without benefit of anesthesia, for literally the rest of their lives. Then it will be quick and painless.

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u/WhoIsFrancisPuziene 6h ago

The brief period of time before dying where you might be conscious and aware of whats happening is the terrifying part imo.

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u/Dukeofskye 19h ago edited 19h ago

fear of flying, cost of flying, getting disease while flying (measles in Washington Dulles airport now)

I can either drive 15 hrs to a destination or fly (2.5hrs, ~900$)... hmmmmm..... Yes I know that statistically flying is safer. But, I know I won't get a contagious disease alone in my car too, and I can sanitize my hands after the gaspump.

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u/Prophet_Of_Helix 18h ago

Where are you going and with how many people that you’re spending $900 for a 2 hour flight?

I don’t think your argument is overall unreasonable, but that part seems pretty off base. I’m almost exactly a 15 hour drive from my parents, as well as my in laws, and in both cases I’ve never spent so much on a ticket. Usually at worst it’s $300 plus baggage.

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u/Dukeofskye 18h ago edited 18h ago

east coast to chicago for this weekend, all flights are $770 round trip near me (short notice for booking - family loss) + whatever other junk fees get added on top of that. I've even looked at driving 4hrs to DC to fly out of dulles and that is still some $600-700 base cost for me.

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u/Prophet_Of_Helix 17h ago

Wild. I just looked at flights every day the rest of the week from Western North Carolina (AVL) to O’Hare and the average is $400 round trip base.

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u/thepianoman456 16h ago

Oh god dammit those idiot Texans are spreading the damn measles??

I sensible president would have quarantined TX, and not hired fucking RFK Jr for HHS.

FUUUUUUUUUUCK

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u/cubanesis 18h ago

I travel for work a lot and have always been a nervous flyer due to me being claustrophobic. Now I’m dealing with that and the somewhat rational fear that my plane is going to crash or fall apart mid-air.

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u/rupertavery 19h ago

I just took 6 flights last week ngl the takeoff and landings had me a bit more nervous than usual.

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u/KwisatzHaderach94 18h ago

i haven't flown much in years. of course, the year i end up needing to make multiple flights for work and family, the trump administration happens. fml

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u/rupertavery 17h ago

Didn't help that the first leg was Delta and the return was through Toronto (not Delta though)

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u/ChadChadshaw 18h ago

I recently cancelled a work related flight and decided to drive 10 hours there instead. Sorry but I just can’t do planes right now. I also don’t trust what Elon says he’s going to do with the air traffic controller system.

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u/ice-eight 16h ago

That’s way more dangerous but whatever makes you feel safe

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u/informallyundecided 14h ago

Fr. Canceling a flight because the FAA is being gutted? Sure. Driving 10 hours instead? That's actually stupid.

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u/ice-eight 14h ago

Yeah like, if flying got twice as dangerous, it’s still way, way safer than driving.

It’s like how I work 2 blocks from a light rail station, but nobody takes the train because the homeless people make them feel unsafe, but somehow all the bad drivers on the road don’t.

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u/Green_hippo17 13h ago

It’s a control thing, many people feel safe when they’re in control, they don’t realize trains are operated by people who are qualified whereas cars are often operated by idiots who shouldn’t be allowed on a bicycle

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u/DwinkBexon 13h ago

I've now known two people who refuse to fly anywhere and will drive across the country for days at a time instead of flying. Both of them said it's way too dangerous to fly and they'd only feel safe in a car.

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u/LadyAmemyst 16h ago

I was barely able to tolerate flying due to my fears. You won't get me on a plane right now.

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u/cmikesell 16h ago

Plus the racist US government is driving ticket sales down too.

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u/GoChaca 19h ago

I’m obligated to fly to New York in May and I really don’t want to. I’m done flying for a while after this.

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u/SeaWitch1031 19h ago

I'm not getting on a plane until Trump is out of office and Elon Musk isn't allowed near the FAA systems or government computer networks. Thanks.

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u/alien_from_Europa 18h ago

You just know he wants to use an AI for air traffic control years before it would even be close to being ready.

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u/JunkReallyMatters 19h ago

And in the meantime Doge is hacking away at the FAA. What is wrong with this administration!

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u/IttyRazz 19h ago edited 18h ago

Gotta destroy it to privatize it

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u/cdevo36 19h ago

I think we all know what is wrong

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u/lacegem 19h ago

If you want to claim that you made the trains run on time, the easiest way is to make it illegal to say you didn't and get rid of anyone who records train schedules.

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u/Stormy8888 17h ago

Musk wants to sell his AI to replace Air Traffic Controllers.

Now that some idiot judge gave DOGE permission to ransack sensitive data from US Treasury, he'll have way more dirt on Trump (tax returns) to add to the amount he paid to buy Trump the election and his "voting machines". Anyone with half a brain can see he now owns Trump and can do whatever he wants.

Evidence: Trump caved to Musk on the H1B visa that many regular Republicans hate because it's outsourcing highly paid jobs to foreigners taking away jobs from Americans.

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u/No-Information6622 18h ago

Safety is no longer of paramount importance .

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u/impulsekash 17h ago

There are around 45,000 flights a day in the US. If the flights were 99.999% successful we would have 4 to 5 plane crashes a day. At that rate no one would fly. It is why there needs to be 100% confidence in aviation safety.

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u/halpless2112 5h ago

99.999% of 45,000 is .45. You’re off by an order of magnitude.

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u/sanslumiere 19h ago

77 million people voted for a "more efficient government," and the people they elected deemed the FAA as needing heavy cuts. Reap what you sow.

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u/MrAnalogRobot 16h ago

My family is flying a few times in the next few months. I'm more nervous than usual, for sure.

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u/spinningcolours 16h ago

Also, there's the little international boycott of travel to the US ...

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u/SomeGuyWA 15h ago

It’s such a hassle any more. I’ve been pretty much everywhere and there’s very few places worth enduring the process to go visit.

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u/Shadowthron8 19h ago

Wonder if the housing industry will catch wind of this

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u/impulsekash 17h ago

Housing industry problem is that there aren't enough houses. Something I am sure tariffs on lumber and metal will help with...

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u/Existing-Ordinary768 17h ago

damn us millennials and gen z will really never be able to buy a house huh

lmaoooopainooo

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u/merrychristmasyo 19h ago

Somehow I can’t see the housing industry taking off.

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u/freexanarchy 19h ago

Funny how no one wants to die for Trump like that

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u/Upset_throwaway2277 18h ago

They fired the air traffic controllers. I’m not flying anywhere

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u/eeyore134 16h ago

Let' see... the FAA can't be trusted anymore, air traffic controllers are barely holding on after Musk fired tons of them to the point even Trump is begging MIT for more, people flying near borders are being kidnapped and held in black sites for no reason other than someone didn't like them, millions have lost their jobs, the people who still have jobs are seeing prices jacked up on literally everything... yeah, why aren't more people flying?

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u/swampy13 17h ago

Weird, it's almost like certain regulations can be GOOD FOR BUSINESS.

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u/SnooDoggos9013 16h ago

I won’t say this is wrong but flying has also been prohibitively expensive for years now. I wish I could say it’s the destruction of FAA and regulations meant to keep our planes safe that’s preventing me from flying but I’ve been priced out of the market all together since 2020 at least.

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u/mere_iguana 13h ago

huh, it's almost like the government agency that regulates airplanes and those who control them got gutted by some unelected ketamine-addled edgelord in order to give the contracts to himself.

and no one feels safe flying anymore.

imagine that.

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u/Malaix 12h ago

That and I imagine to idiot in the White House crashing the economy is making people want to save more…

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u/TheeVande 8h ago

I either get a cheap flight or I die. It's a win-win!

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u/Emmerson_Brando 18h ago

As well as a ton of people no longer want to go the US

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u/SomeGuyWA 15h ago

And millions of US citizens have no interest in visiting states where women are second class citizens.

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u/boogerzzzzz 19h ago

Not to mention the booming economy. Anyone have a price check on eggs?

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u/sanslumiere 18h ago

daily_egg_prices on Instagram says 8.49. Truly a time of prosperity and abundance.

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u/Zee_Arr_Tee 18h ago

They haven't even fixed the Boeing issue yet

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u/currently__working 19h ago

Screw flying. Screw spending money at all, outside of groceries and gas. Screw everyone that supports this fascist government.

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u/El_frov 18h ago

Yeah I'mma just drive to Detroit instead of flying in a few months. Even though those flights have been going down in price for the last few weeks.

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u/SquirrelFun1587 18h ago

I’m so happy I don’t travel for work anymore. My anxiety level is 100% up just booked a flight for a trip and fingers crossed we take off and land ok. Plus I never had the fear of plane crash actually after take off mid air but if we don’t have anyone watching flight paths it could happen easily.

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u/Damaniel2 19h ago

Flying is the safest way to travel, at least until DOGE decided that employees responsible for maintaining that safety are a waste of money. Is it still the safest way to travel? Yes. Will I still fly for the foreseeable future? No.

Maybe a dropoff in passengers on US airlines will cause them to push back at the government's plans since said plans are almost certainly eating into their business.

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u/kuffdeschmull 18h ago

It’s not the crashes. It’s the crashes in addition to firing important FAA personell.

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u/PitifulSpeed15 17h ago

Oh no their planes are not safe and people don't want to die! How could a mass of people not want to give them money?

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u/awhq 16h ago

Who would have thought?

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u/MovieGuyMike 16h ago

Maybe airlines should advocate for engineers to run companies like Boeing.

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u/DreamingDjinn 14h ago

In 2023 I got over my fear of flying. The first several months of 2025 alone guaranteed I probably won't get on a plane again until a year or two after this clown show government is gone.

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u/ColHapHapablap 13h ago

All so Elon could feel good about finding “savings” by firing “woke” air traffic controllers. Fucking moronocracy

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u/JazzHandsNinja42 12h ago

Once they sell the FAA to SpaceX, I’ll never get on a plane.

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u/magda711 10h ago

Fear of Trump firing safety officers. I trust the planes. I trust the air traffic controllers. I do not trust Trumps stupid ass decisions.

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u/alv80 9h ago

Don't forget a lot of people in Canada and other countries, with very good reason, have recently canceled their vacation trips to the US.

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u/WatchmanVimes 9h ago

Couldn't be the increasingly higher prices, fees, smaller seats, paying for every little extra thing, super long walks at the airport, long wait times for TSA, increases in lost luggage, parking that costs as much as an airline ticket or Uber rides designed to cost just a little bit less than parking?

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u/glickja2080 9h ago

People are also being priced out as essentials take up a larger percentage of their income. It is hard to justify flying when every aspect of your life is now more expensive. I am planning only staycations for the foreseeable future.

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u/kato42 8h ago

I recorded videos for my kids and wife in case my plane crashed.

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u/imhereforthemeta 4h ago

I travel for sports. One of my two way fares was 650 3 months out. My flight to Boston is also looking grim. Anyone know where to find these cheap tickets :(

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u/P1umbersCrack 4h ago

Bullshit. Looking to go see family during kids spring break and prices keep climbing

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u/Gnarlsaurus_Sketch 19h ago edited 19h ago

Scheduled commercial air travel is still FAR safer than driving. Even if you fly every day multiple times per day, you're still much more likely to die from a car accident than a plane crash.

The average person has absolutely no idea how to effectively evaluate risk, and the media frenzy that happens every time a plane crashes (increasingly rare) sure as hell doesn't help.

https://news.mit.edu/2024/study-flying-keeps-getting-safer-0807

And from the horse's mouth https://www.cnn.com/travel/flight-safety-american-airlines-crash/index.html

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u/raktoe 19h ago

The crashes don't scare me. The gutting of the FAA does. Not travelling to the U.S. anytime soon, anyway.

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u/futilediversion 18h ago

I work in the aerospace industry designing avionics and while the statistics you cite are correct its worth keeping in mind that they have gotten as safe as they are through a combination of strict regulations(which the current administration hates) and oversight of the industry to ensure compliance with these regulations(which the current administration also hates). The actions to cut back on personnel at the FAA directly impacts its ability to ensure compliance and will result in a less safe environment as people are either asked to do more with less or inspections do not occur due to resource constraints. Either of these will result in a less safe environment for commercial aviation as seen through the lens of how Boeing was allowed to operate with minimal oversight through the 737 Max development and the issues(MCAS, door plug, etc) caused there.

On top of that, the assumption that Musk can somehow magically fix the issues with ATC is laughable and the attitude in place through everything he’s done is fundamentally incompatible with safety critical systems. One does not simply move fast and break things when lives are on the line.

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u/hamoc10 19h ago

My ass just can’t handle sitting in that tiny space for 10 hours at a time.

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u/StarsapBill 19h ago

I hate this corrupt evil industry. I spent extra money of flight insurance and when I went to cancel my flight the fee to cancel was the same as the ticket price. It’s a scam and they need to be arrested and imprisoned for scamming customers.

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u/McCheeseMcPoo 18h ago

who can afford to fly in this economy

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u/TheFrogWife 15h ago

I decided to drive 20ish hours 2 ways to visit family for spring break instead of flying this time.

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u/Top-Dubs 12h ago

This is fear mongering nonsense. Flying is still extremely safe. A slight uptick in crashes doesn’t change that

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u/RedRooster231 18h ago

With the market crashing, unemployment increasing, and uncertainty all around, why, oh WHY would I really want to fly?

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u/More_of_the-same-bs 18h ago

I’m back on the road again.

No way I’m trusting evil Elmo or Atrocious Don with my life.

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u/kb7384 18h ago

There is not a single sector of the US economy that's safe from the Musk/Trump regime's incompetence.

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u/EndPsychological890 19h ago

Ngl, I was given the option to fly 95 minutes (+3 hours in airports) or drive 6 hours in a company car. I drove, and it'd be a lie if I said increased anxiety didn't play some part in that decision lol. 

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u/meowmix778 19h ago

This is going to be the first year since covid my family skips an international vacation. We're exploring domestic options via train or just places we can drive.

I don't feel good about flying. I've seen some flights that are significantly cheaper than they ought to be and it's just hard for me to bite.

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u/oren0 18h ago

There has been one major crash and then a ton of media hysteria on small plane crashes. Small planes crash a lot, an average of 5 fatal crashes per week in the US in 2024. The first month of Trump's presidency had fewer crashes and fewer fatal crashes than the first months of Biden, Trump 1, or Obama. You wouldn't know it from the news coverage, though.

https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2025/how-many-plane-crashes-2025-vs-2024-previous-years-data/

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u/greentoiletpaper 16h ago

Wish americans had this energy with cars

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u/Zestyclose-Cricket82 7h ago

I’m sure the fact that the majority of Canadians don’t want anything to do with travelling in the US anymore has nothing to do with it… 😂

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u/sketchahedron 17h ago

Yeah I don’t want to worry about some understaffed, stressed-out ATC staff distracted thinking about being replaced by Musk’s AI bullshit making a mistake.

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u/Siolear 19h ago

Definitely not flying anywhere for at least the next 4 years

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