"GA beats the airlines"

[jaymark6655]

I will take that 12 hour flying day over the same 8 hours of driving (even with your 2 hours of flight planning?), which also ends up being about 12 hours when you add in all the fuel/pit stops.

Now a commercial flight from Portland to Phoenix can be nonstop at about 2.5 hours+1 hour for boarding + .5 hour for TSA + maybe .5 to 1 hour for driving to an airport that supports commercial flight and you at 4.5 to 5 hours if it all works out perfect. If you get stuck with a layover, that time jumps to 8 to 10 hours. The prices I just looked at where $450 a person, one way on roam a nome. At that rate I can rent a plane and pay for the gas and come out ahead even on that 1000 mile trip if I am taking my family.

 

[Gucci Pilot]

Can't afford to fly myself to destinations unless it is some small town in PA. First off I don't own an airplane. Round trip to Orlando from Philly non-stop for $300. My break even point for GA one-way is somewhere around Richmond, VA. I usually try to get to the airport an hour before departure time. Always check in using my phone so I don't even have to go to the airline desk, just go straight to security. Always use carry-on and don't check bags and use TSA Pre-check. From the time I walk in the terminal to the time I am sitting at the gate waiting to board is usually 30 minutes or less. Plus as Kritchlow said, I can study/work the majority of the time I am flying airlines. Can't do that GA. Plus I have never seen myself get off the ground within 15 minutes of arriving at the GA airport. Check weather, then it's usually bulls**t with all the pilot buddies for a half hour. I'd say I usually get to the GA airport about 45 minutes to an hour before take-off.

 

[bikert]

A lot of us really hate flying the airlines. Being at the control of the airlines who will just cancel flights for no apparent reason in some cases, having to sit next to smelly, fat or sick people who are hacking all over you, dealing with security, etc. It's not just about the cost and the time. In some cases you have to do it... those of us lucky enough to have another option just prefer it even if the cost is higher.

Talking about cost I just did a rough calculation based on my typical commercial flights. The typical prices I'm paying over the distances flown. I get a cost of about $130/hour flying commercial in an economy seat and let's say double that in first class/business (which is more equivalent to flying yourself in terms of comfort). My hourly cost for GA is about $80-$90/hour in fuel (until fuel prices go up again). I have other costs of course hangar, insurance, maintenance and so on. Those other costs depend greatly on how many hours I fly per year. Factoring those other costs in my GA cost per hour is $300/hr. Not too bad if I compare that to first/business class. And I don't have to deal with being crammed up next to smelly, fat or sick people.

 

[RudyP]

bikert - not sure a /hour cost comparison makes a lot of sense on GA vs. airlines given the speed difference. Comparing /mile seems more fair to me.

Otherwise, I'm with you on the convenience aspect.

 

[wayne]

Why are we comparing the costs for something we want to do? Do you really think buying a fishing boat, trailer, truck, fishing gear, fuel and other consumables comes close to the price of buying fish for dinner? Really?

Sometimes for us it's cheaper going GA, but typically it's more expensive. Usually it's faster going private for most places east of the Rockies. It's definitely more flexible on timing. When the four of us are going it might be cheaper. If I'm going solo or only two of us it's typically more money. Now, I flew to upstate NY last summer with just two of us. Didn't look at the commercial prices as I didn't care. I wanted to fly up there private. I looked recently at the price, on a somewhat short notice, so maybe looking further out would lower it, but it was more for two than what I spent flying private. That's more unusual though. But again, I didn't look at the time because it was a moot point. I wanted to fly private, and I was fine with the cost, so I did.

Sure, check the prices to see if there is a huge difference, but more importantly if the cost of going there private is too high, then check to see if there's a better price going commercial. If so, go commercial. But if the cost of going private is fine, who cares what the cost for going commercial is? Fly private and enjoy it.

We're going to NYC this summer. I'm flying private. I don't care that I can get a cheaper flight going commercial. I just wish I could park the plane at LaGuardia. Part of the reason for going private on this trip is we are going to Cape Cod after NYC, then home after that. Plus we may hop over to Martha's Vineyard while on the Cape. We I mentioned go the Martha's Vineyard to our neighbor that's also going and he thought going there would take to much time, until I told him we'd just hop there in the plane. He was thinking of going by ferry.

I fly up to get my daughter at college for her breaks. Sure, I could drive, but that's 6 hours each way with no traffic issues versus about 1:45 flying each way. No thank you. For Christmas we flew her home on Delta due to the risk of icing at that time of year. Great call on our part as there was low clouds, freezing temps below 6,000' and scattered light snow the day she flew home. The day she went back is was solid snowing. I've never flown a FIKI plane, so those days wouldn't have worked. Delta could do it and no schedules had to be adjusted due to weather.

 

[Kritchlow]

Why are we comparing the costs for something we want to do? Do you really think buying a fishing boat, trailer, truck, fishing gear, fuel and other consumables comes close to the price of buying fish for dinner? Really?

Sometimes for us it's cheaper going GA, but typically it's more expensive. Usually it's faster going private for most places east of the Rockies. It's definitely more flexible on timing. When the four of us are going it might be cheaper. If I'm going solo or only two of us it's typically more money. Now, I flew to upstate NY last summer with just two of us. Didn't look at the commercial prices as I didn't care. I wanted to fly up there private. I looked recently at the price, on a somewhat short notice, so maybe looking further out would lower it, but it was more for two than what I spent flying private. That's more unusual though. But again, I didn't look at the time because it was a moot point. I wanted to fly private, and I was fine with the cost, so I did.

Sure, check the prices to see if there is a huge difference, but more importantly if the cost of going there private is too high, then check to see if there's a better price going commercial. If so, go commercial. But if the cost of going private is fine, who cares what the cost for going commercial is? Fly private and enjoy it.

We're going to NYC this summer. I'm flying private. I don't care that I can get a cheaper flight going commercial. I just wish I could park the plane at LaGuardia. Part of the reason for going private on this trip is we are going to Cape Cod after NYC, then home after that. Plus we may hop over to Martha's Vineyard while on the Cape. We I mentioned go the Martha's Vineyard to our neighbor that's also going and he thought going there would take to much time, until I told him we'd just hop there in the plane. He was thinking of going by ferry.

I fly up to get my daughter at college for her breaks. Sure, I could drive, but that's 6 hours each way with no traffic issues versus about 1:45 flying each way. No thank you. For Christmas we flew her home on Delta due to the risk of icing at that time of year. Great call on our part as there was low clouds, freezing temps below 6,000' and scattered light snow the day she flew home. The day she went back is was solid snowing. I've never flown a FIKI plane, so those days wouldn't have worked. Delta could do it and no schedules had to be adjusted due to weather.

You CAN park your airplane at LGA..

 

[wayne]

You CAN park your airplane at LGA..

Might be cheaper to sell and buy a new one at the end of the week though.

I looked at it a few years ago and what I remember was there was a substantial rate for every 6 or 8 hours.

 

[Kritchlow]

Might be cheaper to sell and buy a new one at the end of the week though.

I looked at it a few years ago and what I remember was there was a substantial rate for every 6 or 8 hours.

I agree it is very expensive, but if you want to land at LGA it does factor in to the price/time equation.

 

[wayne]

I agree it is very expensive, but if you want to land at LGA it does factor in to the price/time equation.

Ok, ok, it's not "impossible", just cost prohibitive for a multi-day stay. Literalists, sheesh.

 

[Kritchlow]

Ok, ok, it's not "impossible", just cost prohibitive for a multi-day stay. Literalists, sheesh.

But my point is you essentially said cost isn't a factor should you decide to go private. Obviously it is. I respect that but just saying it needs to be factored in.

 

[drotto]

Is it possible to create a spreadsheet with those variables?

My "fixed" times using commercial.

1. drive to airport 50 minutes
2. parking and shuttle 15 minutes
3. initial check in 10 minutes
4. TSA about 15 minutes
5. waiting around to get on and waiting to leave gate once boarded (remember be there 2 hours early!!!) 75 minutes
6. getting out of airport at final destination 30 minutes
7. driving to final destination 30 minutes (rough average)

total time not including flight = 3 hours 15 minutes.

Granted on rare occasions I can fly regional at an airport very close to home. That saves me about 1 hr, so total time down to about 2 hrs 15 minutes.

 

[wayne]

But my point is you essentially said cost isn't a factor should you decide to go private. Obviously it is. I respect that but just saying it needs to be factored in.

No, what I was saying was that it doesn't have to be cheaper than commercial for one to decide to go private. If one wants to and is ok with the costs, then just do it. Who cares if it is cheaper going private or not. Buying a new Hyundai Elantra is cheaper than buying a new BMW 7 Series, but people still buy 7 Series cars from BMW.

My main point is: "Quit trying to justify it".

 

[Kritchlow]

No, what I was saying was that it doesn't have to be cheaper than commercial for one to decide to go private. If one wants to and is ok with the costs, then just do it. Who cares if it is cheaper going private or not. Buying a new Hyundai Elantra is cheaper than buying a new BMW 7 Series, but people still buy 7 Series cars from BMW.

My main point is: "Quit trying to justify it".

It doesn't have to be cheaper... I agree. But you are concerned with the expense of doing it private.

That's my point.