essay about travelling by plane

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Traveling by Plane

We take air transport for granted nowadays, but what are the advantages and disadvantages of traveling by plane? In this post, we take a look.

Pros and Cons of Air Travel

Whether you like flying or not, when it comes to the pros and cons of flying, there are plenty of both.

On the one hand, air travel is the quickest way to get from A to B. It’s also an ideal means of transport that is relatively safe and comfortable, thanks to advances in technology.

On the other hand, flying can be expensive, stressful and detrimental to the environment.

There's no denying it is one of the most popular forms of transport for both business and pleasure, and has brought the world closer together in many ways, but nothing is perfect!

In this guide, we'll list 10 advantages that traveling by plane offers, and balance those out with 10 disadvantages. By the end, you should have a good idea of whether or not flying is the right choice for your next trip.

Related: How to plan a travel budget

Air Transport Advantages:

Let's kick off in a positive way, and look at airplane advantages and the benefits of making a journey by plane.

– One of the best advantages of airplanes, is that when you need to get somewhere fast, flying is often the best option. It can get you across the country or around the world in a matter of hours. If you have a choice between flying and driving, flying will almost always get you there faster.

For example, as I write a lot about Greece, I'm often asked how to travel from one place to another. Many people who want to get from Athens to Santorini are surprised to find that to fly rather than take a ferry is quicker, and often cheaper!

– With wider seats, more legroom, and in-flight entertainment, flying can be a very comfortable experience. On international flights anyway! When you compare it to other forms of transportation like buses or trains, it’s often much more pleasant.

3. Efficiency

– One of the key advantages of air transport, is that planes are designed to get you from Point A to Point B as quickly and efficiently as possible. They can cover large distances in a relatively short amount of time. Even when you factor in the time it takes to get to and from the airport, flying is often just as quick but usually quicker as other forms of travel including high speed trains.

Related: Airport Instagram Captions

4. Relaxation

– For some people, flying is a chance to relax and escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. When you're up in the air, it's easy to forget about your troubles down on the ground.

You can watch movies , listen to music , or sleep. Falling asleep on a flight is easy for many people, and there's never the concern you might miss your stop as with other modes of transport!

– I think it was Superman who said, “Statistically, it’s safer to fly than to drive.” Flying is one of the safest forms of transportation, making it one of the best advantages of planes. In 2015, there were over 35,000 commercial flights per day in the US, and only 21 accidents .

That means that your odds of being in a plane crash are about 1 in 8 million . With modern technology and safety protocols, the chances of an accident or plane crashes are very low.

Related: International Travel Safety Tips

6. Convenience

– One of the pros of planes, is that flying is often the most convenient option, especially when traveling long distances. It can save you time and hassle, and get you where you need to go with minimal fuss. When compared to driving or taking a train or bus, flying is often much more convenient.

Related: Long Haul Flight Essentials

7. Accessibility

– With more people flying than ever before, there are now more options for flights to unique and hard-to-reach destinations. You can fly almost anywhere in the world, and there are usually multiple flight options to choose from.

8. Networking

– Flying can be a great opportunity to network with other professionals either on long haul flights or shorter flights of just a few hours. If you're traveling for business, you'll often find yourself sitting next to someone who could be a valuable connection.

Related: Can you take a powerbank on a plane?

9. Adventure

– For some, flying is an adventure in and of itself. Travelling by plane is a chance to explore new places, meet new people, and experience the world in a whole new way.

Related: Adventure Couple Quotes

– Flying can be a lot of fun, especially if you're traveling to somewhere you've never been before. It's an opportunity to explore and have new experiences. Here's a look at the plane we took to Con Dao in Vietnam!

Related: Can you take spices on a plane?

Disadvantages of air travel:

Travelers who are making arrangements to travel long distances by plane might also want to keep some of the disadvantages of flights in mind:

– One of the biggest disadvantages of flying is the cost. It can be very expensive to purchase a plane ticket, especially if you're flying internationally. Sure, budget airlines might offer some cheap flights, but they often come with their own set of problems (more on that below).

2. Time Commitment

– Flying can take a lot of time, especially if you're flying to a far-flung destination. You have to factor in travel time to and from the airport, as well as time spent waiting at the airport itself.

– Even for hardened travelers, flying can be a hassle, especially if you're dealing with delays, cancellations, or lost baggage. It can be frustrating to deal with the logistics of air travel, and it's not always a smooth or easy process.

Related: Tips for stress free travel

4. Inconvenience

– Flying can be inconvenient, especially if you have to travel on short notice. It can be difficult to find a flight that fits your schedule, and you may have to deal with unforeseen delays or cancellations. You also need to make sure your plane tickets, passport, and other documents are in order. And did we mention the long lines at security?

Related: Why do flights get cancelled

5. Missed Connections

– One of the biggest headaches of flying is dealing with missed connections. If your flight is delayed or canceled, it can throw off your whole travel schedule. When buying tickets, you should leave plenty of time between connecting flights!

Related: Common Travel Mistakes

– Jet lag is a real problem for many people who fly frequently. It's a disruption of your body's natural sleep cycle, and it can be difficult to adjust to a new time zone. If your air travels involve a long journey, you're likely to experience some jet lag.

Related: How to minimize jet lag

7. Baggage Fees

– Many airlines now charge baggage fees, which can add up quickly if you're traveling with multiple bags. It's important to check the baggage policy before you travel to avoid any surprises, especially if using a budget airline.

8. Security Lines

– One of the biggest hassles of flying is dealing with security lines. They can be time-consuming and frustrating, especially if you're running late for your flight. One tip is to get to the airport early so you have plenty of time to clear security.

9. Crowded Flights

– One of the disadvantages of travelling by plane, is that flying can be cramped and uncomfortable, especially if you're on a crowded flight. It's important to book a seat in advance so you can avoid being stuck in the middle of the plane. What is the best seat on an aisle of a plane?

I prefer to sit near the window so that I can take advantage of the view during takeoff and landing, but some people prefer to sit on the aisle so they have easy access to the lavatories.

10. Environmental Impact

– Finally, it's important to consider the environmental impact of flying. Air travel is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, so if you're looking to reduce your carbon footprint, flying is not the best option. If you want to be a responsible traveler , consider offsetting your emissions by planting trees or investing in renewable energy.

The bottom line is that there are both advantages and disadvantages to flying. It's important to weigh the pros and cons before you decide whether or not to take a flight. And if you do decide to fly, make sure you're prepared for the hassles that come with it!

Advantages and disadvantages of air transportation – Conclusion

Overall, the advantages of flying outweigh the disadvantages. While it can be expensive and inconvenient at times, flying is a very safe and efficient way to travel. It offers access to unique destinations around the world, and it's a great way to network with other professionals. For some people, flying is an adventure in and of itself, and it's a great way to explore new places and have new experiences.

10 Tips For Flying long distances

Now we've seen some of the advantages and disadvantages of air transport, how can you make the most of your journey by air? These tips for traveling by plane will help you get the best out of your flight:

1. Choose your seat wisely –

When booking your flight, be sure to choose a seat that is comfortable for you. If you're traveling with a partner or friend, book seats together so you can chat and pass the time more easily. If you're flying solo, consider an aisle seat so you can get up and stretch your legs when needed.

2. Bring a good book –

Flying can be a great opportunity to catch up on some reading. Be sure to bring a good book (or two!) to keep you entertained during the flight. If you get bored easily, consider bringing a Sudoku puzzle or other brainteaser to keep your mind sharp.

3. Stay hydrated –

It's important to stay hydrated when flying, as the dry air can be dehydrating. Be sure to drink plenty of water (and avoid alcohol) during your flight. If you're traveling with a reusable water bottle, fill it up before you board the plane.

Related: Best snacks to take on a plane

4. Get up and move around –

Sitting in a cramped seat for hours can be uncomfortable, so be sure to get up and move around when possible. Take a walk up and down the aisle, do some stretches in your seat, or take a trip to the lavatory.

5. Wear comfortable clothing –

You'll be more comfortable on your flight if you dress in comfortable clothing. Avoid constricting clothing, such as jeans or tight dresses, and opt for loose-fitting clothes that won't restrict your movement. It's also a good idea to wear layers so you can adjust to the changing temperature on the plane.

6. Bring snacks –

If you get hungry during your flight, be sure to bring along some snacks. It's often more expensive to buy food on the plane, and the selection is usually limited. Pack some snacks that you enjoy and that will tide you over until you can eat a proper meal.

7. Bring a travel pillow –

If you're flying long-distance, consider bringing a travel pillow to help you sleep. A good night's sleep on the plane can make a big difference in how you feel when you land.

8. Keep your valuables close –

Be sure to keep your valuables close to you at all times while on the plane. If possible, keep them in a carry-on bag so you can have easy access to them. If you need to put them in the overhead bin, be sure to keep an eye on them throughout the flight.

Related: Choosing the best digital nomad backpack

9. Plan ahead –

If you're flying long-distance, it's important to plan ahead so you can avoid jet lag. Consider what time zone you'll be landing in and try to adjust your sleep schedule accordingly. 

10. Sit comfortably –

If you're going to be sitting on the plane for a long time, it's important to be comfortable. You may want to consider upgrading to a premium seat with more leg room if you have the option.

Related: International Travel Packing Checklist

Do you have any thoughts on the advantages and disadvantages of air travel? Let us know in the comments below!

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Traveling, Its Advantages and Disadvantages Essay

This essay about travelling abroad explores all the advantages and disadvantages of this activity.

Introduction

• Advantages of traveling
• Disadvantages of traveling
• How to choose a trip

Traveling refers to movement from one geographical location to another, either for recreation or work. The majority of the people who love traveling do it when they are young because of the availability of adequate time and lack of pressing responsibilities such as work and family (Hasbrouck, 2011). Traveling is an important pastime activity that is fun, and that exposes people to other countries, cultures, and societies. Travelers learn a lot because traveling necessitates changes in lifestyle and ways of communication. Moreover, travelers learn new languages, interact with people from other races and ethnicities, and explore new geographical locations (Mitchell, 2006). Individuals who travel regularly possess adventurous spirits that yearn for new experiences to learn new things. Despite having numerous benefits, traveling has disadvantages too. It is costly, exposes individuals to the risk of contracting diseases, and causes excessive fatigue.

Advantages of Traveling

Traveling offers people an opportunity to visit interesting places, learn new things, and meet new people ( 5 Benefits of Travelling , 2013). It is one of the best ways to interact with people from other races, cultures, and ethnicities. Travelers explore the various beliefs and traditions that guide other people’s lives and learn how interconnected humanity is (Mitchell, 2006). For example, there are very many cultures in the world that have preserved their traditional beliefs, customs, and practices. Visiting countries such as Kenya, Mexico, China, and India is an occasion to experience such unique cultures. On the other hand, meeting new people who speak different languages and who live differently is exciting and educational. Travelers also visit interesting places that have great cultural and historical value ( 5 Benefits of Travelling , 2013). For example, the Eiffel Tower in France, Machu Picchu in Peru, and the Pyramids in Egypt possess great historical and cultural value. Learning about their histories can help travelers to comprehend the cultures, traditions, and customs of different tribes and societies, as well as their dynamics.

Another advantage of traveling is the chance to learn, relax, and widen one’s scope of knowledge (Mitchell, 2006). In certain cases, one of the requirements of traveling abroad is learning the language that is used in the country that one intends to visit. English is an international language. However, it is not spoken in all countries. Therefore, it would be necessary to learn new languages in order to enhance effective communication and interaction with people who speak indigenous languages (Thumb, n.d). There are numerous historical sites to visit around the world, and visiting them teaches furnishes knowledge about their historical significance to various countries and cultures (Marks, n.d). For instance, people who travel to Egypt learn a lot about the pyramids as well as when and why they were built. Exploring the cultures practiced by different communities increases appreciation for human diversity (Mercer, n.d).

Traveling allows people to improve their communication skills and create networks that can be beneficial in their lives (Mercer, n.d). Interacting with people who speak different languages and who have different cultures is challenging. However, it is important for the improvement of communication skills. Multicultural interaction is an important skill in contemporary society, especially due to globalization and technological advancements (Mitchell, 2006). Learning to interact with different cultures inculcates strong communication and social skills that are beneficial in personal and professional life (Marks, n.d). On the other hand, it helps to create networks that can be used in different areas of life. For example, travelers can create business, social, political, and religious networks that can help them to improve their lives, communities, and society at large. The international labor market is open for exploration to everyone around the world. Therefore, possessing strong networks and multicultural communication skills is beneficial and necessary.

Traveling exposes people to different living styles. As a result, it inculcates the value of compassion and changes people’s perspectives regarding life (Hasbrouck, 2011). For instance, travelers from developed countries who travel to developing countries get an opportunity to see the effects of poverty, ignorance, and diseases on communities. This makes them grateful for their lives. Also, it enhances the development of compassion and empathy toward the needy and the suffering. Traveling exposes people to new cultures, societies, people, and lifestyles (Mitchell, 2006). This exposure changes people’s perspectives, attitudes, and opinions. They develop new ways of looking at the world, and it also gives their lives meaning.

Disadvantages of Traveling

One of the major disadvantages of traveling is the costs involved. Traveling is expensive and involves the use of money that many people cannot afford (Thumb, n.d). For example, traveling to foreign countries by plane is costly, and people incur numerous expenses that can have severe financial consequences. Many people only travel locally because they cannot afford to travel internationally. Traveling includes other expenses such as food, entertainment, and accommodation (Thumb, n.d). Both local and international travel offer opportunities for exposure to new people, places, and cultures. However, the pricey nature of trips and vacations prevents many people from indulging and enjoying the many thrills they offer.

Another disadvantage of traveling is the risk of exposure to diseases and deadly illnesses. In the past few years, outbreaks of deadly diseases such as Ebola and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) have been reported in several countries. These diseases put the lives of travelers at risk because they can cause death within a very short time once contracted. In many countries, governments impose travel bans on regions that have been flagged for disease outbreaks. A disease outbreak can lead to the quarantine of affected individuals until the disease is contained. Quarantine causes inconveniences and delays that can interfere with the exhilaration of taking a trip.

Traveling requires a lot of time and planning, which can cause great stress and fatigue (Hasbrouck, 2011). Preparing for a trip is time-consuming because of the need to book accommodation, arrange for transport, and make all the necessary inquiries. On the other hand, trips usually involve pre-arranged plans that eliminate flexibility and the freedom to engage in other unrelated activities. Following strict schedules creates rigidity that eliminates the fun that is involved in traveling.

How to Choose a Trip

Choosing a trip is primarily based on the purpose of travel. People usually travel for reasons that include recreation, tourism, migration, work, religious pilgrimages, business, trade, and volunteer work, among others. Others travel to relax, discover new things, explore, and get acquainted with new cultures (Hasbrouck, 2011). If an individual is traveling to relax or for recreation, they may choose to visit historical sites and beaches. On the other hand, people who travel to learn and explore new places may choose to visit countries where communities that have preserved their traditions are found.

For adventure, they may choose to travel to countries with mountains and forests that can provide fun and enjoyable experiences. Those who travel for migration reasons choose countries that provide the opportunities they are looking for. The steps to choose a trip include the establishment of a purpose for traveling, research regarding countries and regions that can fulfill that purpose, and determination of all the requirements for traveling to that location, such as vaccination and learning a new language or skill. There are various types of trips available that serve the aforementioned purposes. The two most important aspects of taking a trip are determining the purpose of traveling and selecting the most appropriate travel option.

People travel for many reasons, including relaxation, recreation, work, business, adventure, migration, and exploration. Taking trips is beneficial because it offers an opportunity to learn, interact with new cultures, learn new languages, improve communication skills, gain new insights and perspectives regarding life and the world, and meet new and interesting people. In contemporary society, traveling has been made easier by globalization and technological advancements. Despite its benefits, traveling has disadvantages too. It is expensive, time-consuming, causes fatigue, and exposes people to risks of diseases. It is important for travelers to determine the purpose of their trips in order to enable them to choose the most appropriate travel plan or program. It is also important to make all the necessary inquiries and arrangements before traveling to avoid getting stuck in new places. For example, it could be necessary for a traveler to learn the basics of communication or language when traveling to certain areas of the world where indigenous languages are used. This is necessary for the enhancement of communication and interaction.

5 Benefits of Travelling . (2013). Web.

Hasbrouck, E. (2011). The Practical Nomad: How to Travel Around the World . New York, NY: Avalon Travel Publishing.

Marks, H. (n.d). 8 Benefits of Travelling . Web.

Mercer, L. (n.d). Educational Benefits of Travel . Web.

Mitchell, S. (2006). Global Adventure: Travelling Around the World . New York, NY: AuthorHouse.

Thumb, C. (n.d). The Pros and Cons of Travel . Web.

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IvyPanda. (2023, October 29). Traveling, Its Advantages and Disadvantages Essay. https://ivypanda.com/essays/traveling-its-advantages-and-disadvantages/

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Essays About Traveling: Top 5 Examples and 10 Prompts

Discover our guide with essays about traveling, including topic prompts that will make you write about traveling and hit the road for your next adventure. 

Traveling is a much-loved activity by many; exploring the world and seeing new and beautiful places can be a great way to unwind and recharge. Many fond memories are created during holidays abroad, and we carry these precious times with us. But for those who only travel for official business purposes and never really get to explore destinations fully, travel can be a more stressful experience. 

Beyond the anxieties one endures in planning a travel or boarding flights, traveling can do wonders for mental health, open our eyes to new experiences, help us be closer to nature, and allows us to reflect on our progress and accomplishments in life.

5 Essay Examples 

1. rebooting the economy: restoring travel and tourism in the covid-19 era by patrick l. osewe, 2.  humans may dream of traveling to mars, but our bodies aren’t built for it by charles wohlforth and amanda hendrix, 3. what’s sustainable about soaring private jet use by terry slavin, 4. instagram travel bragging is killing the family vacation by meagan francis, 5.  pre-travel stress by sally black, 1. travel bucket list, 2. your first solo travel , 3. travel to ghost towns, 4. how technology transformed travel, 5. how movies influence our travel preference, 6. learning cultures from traveling, 7. earn from travel vlogging, 8. traveling through time, 9. your most memorable travel experience, 10. benefits of traveling while working .

“Even as travel restrictions and lockdowns have relaxed, cautious return-to-travel behavior among travelers—due in part to lingering health and safety concerns—suggests that the recovery process for the industry will be long and slow.”

The travel industry was one of the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. With its importance to the economy, especially in Asia, where the industry could easily account for 80% of the GDP, a fast recovery is imperative. To make this goal more attainable, multisectoral coordination in planning and implementing safety rules will be essential. You might also be interested in these essays about holidays with family and essays about journeys .

“Even a short, sortie mission to Mars and back would be extremely hazardous to human health. A Mars colony is out of the question. Living long-term on its surface is beyond the capacity of our bodies to survive.”

Amid the excitement over sending humans to travel to Mars, there has been emerging research that highlights the dangers of such missions. The space between the Earth and Mars already poses many obstacles. And even if, by rare luck, man reaches Mars, staying will be the next paramount challenge as consequences could mean a halt in blood circulation or blindness. 

“When it comes to the carbon footprint of travel, there is nothing worse than traveling by private jet… Yet despite all the net-zero rhetoric from the corporate sector, and pressure from the flight-shame movement, private jet use is booming.”

As private jet use is starting to burgeon, society is demanding greater accountability from the ultra-rich and the commitment to invest in sustainable technologies for air travel. This could compensate for their use of private jets, a single one of which is estimated to ​​be several times more polluting than commercial planes.

“What, I wonder, does the financial strain of planning a trip you can’t really afford do to your expectation level — and how much can you enjoy your vacation once there? When the bill arrives, do most find that the experience was worth the stress after all?”

The culture of bragging on Instagram is destroying the true meaning of family vacations. Where such experiences used to be for relaxation, fun, and strengthening of family bonds, family travels are now a ticket for boasting, requiring ridiculous expenses for which some families are willing to be in debt. 

“While a vacation maybe me one of the highlights of your entire year, the days leading up to departure can be stressful. For some people, this stress can bubble over into a full-blown anxiety or panic attack complete with physical symptoms.”

Pre-travel stress is a common symptom for many. Worries often stem from hoping for the vacation to be smooth sailing. However, unpleasant incidents may always occur. On our part, we must focus on those we have control of, such as how we pack and how we address our ultimate pre-travel concerns.

10 Topic Prompts To Help With Your essays about traveling

How far have you progressed in completing your travel bucket list? Take this essay to share your experiences in traveling to your dream destinations. If you haven’t started ticking anything from your travel bucket list, you can simply enumerate these places and explain what drove your attraction. For example, you may visit Italy for tasty authentic Italian food and drink.

If you’ve traveled solo, this is the essay prompt for you. Turn this essay into a guide for helping people travel solo. So, provide tips on planning a solo trip and making the proper arrangements. Share the places you’ve gone to and travel hacks that helped ensure your safety, especially as safety is a chief concern when traveling solo. Finally, don’t forget to write down what made you bold enough to try a solo flight and how it has benefitted you.

For seekers of thrilling adventures, ghost towns are the best place to travel. First, find a ghost city that allows tourists. Then take on a story-telling essay by narrating the town’s story from its birth to its abandonment. Finally, ensure to provide your readers with a list of what they must do to enter the ghost town’s premises.

Efficiency and convenience in travel are the best gifts technology has given modern generations. Gone were the days when you still had to scout for a hotel upon arriving at your destination. For this writing prompt, compare today’s travel experience with the days before the computer. You may extend your essay by adding what more digital advancements the tourism industry has in store for travel lovers.

Almost always, the setting of a favorite movie becomes a part of your travel bucket list. This desire stems from the longing to connect with your favorite characters and mentally relive your favorite movie scenes, this time with yourself in the picture. For your essay, write about film-induced tourism becoming a key strategy for marketing travel destinations. 

Traveling is the best way to immerse in cultures and better understand the many worlds beyond your own. Share your experience traveling has helped open your mind to new cultures, practices, languages, and beliefs. To help your readers appreciate your trip, write a few paragraphs about the place, starting from its main point of attraction and its economic and socio-cultural statures. You can also interview other travel enthusiasts for this cultural essay. 

Travel vlogging is one of the best ways to earn money while having the best time. First, give a short overview of the travel vlog industry to entice your readers into travel vlogging. Next, gather reports that inform how one can generate money from this venture and how much they can expect in time with quality content. Then, provide a list of recommendations. You can use tips from other successful travel vloggers as well. 

Movies that tinker with time travel machines always appeal to many of us. This is certainly true for those thrilled over the possibility of visiting an era we can only imagine through our history books. If you were to time-travel, what historical period would you like to visit? Reveal this in your essay and explain why.

Share the most memorable travel experience with your readers and help them picture it with adjectives and vivid detailing. Your story doesn’t have to be a luxurious experience. It can be as simple as a scenic drive around the lake, a tan from a sunny beach, or your first travel by plane or boat.

Looking for more? Check out our guide on how to write a postcard .

The COVID-19 pandemic has made us realize that work can be done from a distance, pushing the telecommuting trends higher and fulfilling people’s travel vengeance. This essay cites the physical and mental health benefits of traveling while working. Share your opinion on whether companies should incentivize arrangements that allow work while traveling.  For more help with your writing, read our guide explaining persuasive writing . If you are interested in learning more, check out our essay writing tips .

Yna Lim is a communications specialist currently focused on policy advocacy. In her eight years of writing, she has been exposed to a variety of topics, including cryptocurrency, web hosting, agriculture, marketing, intellectual property, data privacy and international trade. A former journalist in one of the top business papers in the Philippines, Yna is currently pursuing her master's degree in economics and business.

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How To Write a Good Travel Essay

Home / Blog / How To Write A Good Travel Essay - Guide With Examples

Introduction

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”

-Gustav Flaubert

Packing the duffel with the bare essentials and hopping into the car, getting behind the steering wheel and driving with no perfect destination in mind – we all dream to live such a life, don't we? Travelling to unseen places and exploring what it has to offer can be an enriching experience. However beautiful can travel be as an experience, writing a travelling essay can be quite a challenge. It may seem easy to come up with the ideas that you want to include in the essay but putting them into coherent sentences can be difficult. Your words should be impactful enough to be able to sweep the readers off their feet and take them on the cliff or make them feel the saline breeze on a beach.  

A perfect travel essay must reflect the journey and highlight the little-known facts about the region. It should be infused with the character and culture of the place. If you are feeling stymied while writing a travel essay, then we have some brilliant tips for you that can make the task considerably easy for you.

8 tips for an outstanding essay on travelling

Here are 8 tips that you can cash on to produce a winning travelling essay:

• Be specific with the destination

Before you choose a topic for your travel essay, keep the time spent in the location in mind. If your trip is just for a couple of days, then do not make the mistake of writing about an entire city. Think it out practically – is it possible to travel through a city in just a few days? Take for instance your essay is about London. It is quite an insurmountable task to be able to cover all the distance even in a week. So stick to a particular destination so that you can include the nuances and minutest details of the place to paint a picture in the reader’s mind with your words. 

• Less guide, more exploring

Also, the destination need not be about an exotic locale. It can be a story about an idyllic rustic location in the suburb of the teeming city. It can be about a cottage up on the hills with just the view of snowy valleys and iced peaks. Your words should give the sense of exploring and not touring. The essay should not be like a guide. It should be a view of the location through your lens.

• Know the location like the back of your hand

Before starting to write a travel essay, do your research. A travel essay isn’t a made-up story so there should not be any fake information. Readers will be looking for more than just the necessary information about the must-visit tourist attractions. So you need to go beyond the surface and include more about the history of the place. Just do not write about the restaurants – talk about the cuisine of the place and the story behind it, if any. To get into the innermost recesses of the location, you can speak to the residents of the area. To bring richness in your travel essay, you must reveal another side of the destination.

• Include the nitty-gritty

The key to an impressive travel essay is to be able to break down the location into kernels and write the core details about them. As mentioned earlier, so not just write about the tourist attractions and restaurants in the destination. Write about the lesser talked streets and unknown landmarks and the history behind them. If the place is known for its delicacies, write about how the cuisine has evolved and who had started it. From quaint bookstores to ice cream parlours to run-down shabby pubs – shed light to such nuances to bring your essay to life. You can even mention the negative things that you have faced in the place – like irregular transport modes or impolite locals. These little details will help you make your essay more impactful.

• Be creative with the writing style

Since a travel essay is more like an anecdote, there is no specific format to write it. Therefore, a travel essay gives you the scope of setting your foot into the unchartered areas of creativity. You have got the creative freedom to write what you want. You can study how the natives of the locale speak and learn some of the basic words and phrases they use. To put them into writing you can read the local newspaper to get the pulse of the city you are in. Using the colloquial lingo can help the reader get a closer peek into the lives of the people living in the place. It will reflect a slice of how they live their way of life. Your words should be simple and yet impactful to portray and not just merely narrate. Touch every bit of the rust in the roof to make the reader feel like they are on the same journey with you.

• Make it personal

The travel essay is your story. So add some personal experience in the story and at the same time do not make it self-indulgent. Include stories that can resonate with all your readers. Your experiences should be able to bring the reader back to the travel destination and connect him with the place. It should be the perfect blend of narration of the experiences you had while on the trip along with a vivid description of the place. To achieve the balance, write your essay in first person perspective to give a real touch to the story. Include the most interesting bits that will help the reader connect with you. You can even include the quotes of natives living in the area you had visited.

• Start with a captivating catch

Like every essay, the introduction is the key to make it an impressive read. The opening should be capturing enough to attract the reader’s attention. It should leave an impact and should make them want to go on reading the piece. Start with an unknown fact about the place and leave it hanging from the cliff. Use a tone of suspense to excite the readers to keep them guessing about the contents of the essay.

• Make it vivid with images

For certain places, words may fall short in being able to explain the exact description of a place. You cannot describe how the sky looked with the mountains seemingly touching the clouds or the horizon fading beyond the sea. Certain things cannot be explained in words – like the color of the sky or the water! This is where pictures come in! Providing real images of the place in between can help the readers stay connected. Vivid photos can also make the readers understand the story better by bringing them closer to it. So make sure you take breathtaking pictures of the place you are writing about. The images will help your essay stay in the readers’ mind longer.

With the above tips, we are sure you will be able to write an excellent travelling essay  that will impress your professor and fetch you a good grade.

And if you are still unsure about putting these to use, then below is a winning sample to show you how it is done!

Travelling essay sample

I have visited London several times, and yet it is amazing how I find something new to explore every time I visit the capital city. My visit last autumn too did not fail to surprise me. With the hustle and bustle and the rich royal history, London city has a lot to offer. Since I just had a few days to spare, I wanted to make the best out of this trip.

Although vast and sprawling, I decided to visit most of the city on foot this time. Now since in my previous visits I had seen most of the tourist-y attractions already, I wanted to take the path less travelled this time to discover the hidden gems of the city. The last time I had been to London, I had missed out on the chance to visit the chock full of literature and history that awaited me in the Shakespeare Globe Theatre. Being a student of literature, visiting the place where the Bard of Avon once enacted the plays he wrote was a spellbinding moment. And guess what? I also caught a staging of the Macbeth before I left the place. Before heading towards the Hyde Park tube station, I grabbed some of London’s famous Fish ‘n’ Chips from the oldest food market of the city, the Borough Market. From Hyde Park to Tower Hill in under fifteen minutes by Tube, I began exploring the Tower of London. It was there that I heard a guard speaking about where he hailed from. A quick conversation with Peter, I had gotten intrigued to know more about his village – Suffolk in Lavenham. I asked him how to get there and Peter, being the quintessential helping guide that Londoners are known to be, told me that I could either take a car from central London. Or I could wait for the next day and take the train from Liverpool to Sudbury and then take the bus route 753 and reach in around two hours. Having nothing to do, I spent that day in the British Museum and walking on Oxford Street.

The next morning, I started my journey to the quaint village of Suffolk. I had picked up a book about the village where I learned that the village had once housed Henry III in 1257. And a bonus for all the Harry Potter fans – the village also starred in ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ as Godric’s Hollow where Hermoine and Harry are seen to be visiting Bathilda Bagshot. On reaching the village, the first thing that grabbed my attention was the picture-perfect silhouette of prosperous medieval England with all the half-timbered houses. The lime-washed and brightly coloured buildings added an idyllic element to the village with the De Vere House standing out from the rest. Adding to the rustic touch was the fifteenth-century St Peter Church with its soaring height of a 141ft tower. The autumn breeze welcomed me as I walked on the leaf-covered high streets. I saw some young guns cycling around in a park and called out to them for directions. My stay for the trip was an Air BnB home-stay where I had to put up with an elderly couple – the Havishams. I still remember how on reaching the gate of the house, I had caught a waft of crumpets and hot scones. After an exchange of banalities followed by me gorging on the scones, I had found out about the hidden gems from Mr Havisham who happened to be quite a cheerful talker. He told me what a must-visit Hadley’s was when in Suffolk. I had then set out with a local map to find the hidden gem. On reaching I had found that Hadley’s was a cutesy ice cream shop, almost run down, run by an old lady. Here Rebecca told me how the ice cream parlour was opened back in the 1850s and was still known for their hand-made sorbets.

Like the sorbet, my stay in Suffolk had been a sweet experience – a trip of revelation. The tour – with all the lonely walks – had in an inexplicable way helped me to get my perspectives right. It isn’t the exotic locales and the flight above the clouds that make travelling my drug. Rather, it is little but beautiful discoveries like Suffolk that feed my wanderlust. Thank you, London. Thank you for being a wonderful experience, once again.   

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Why we travel

I t's 4.15 in the morning and my alarm clock has just stolen away a lovely dream. My eyes are open but my pupils are still closed, so all I see is gauzy darkness. For a brief moment, I manage to convince myself that my wakefulness is a mistake, and that I can safely go back to sleep. But then I roll over and see my zippered suitcase. I let out a sleepy groan: I'm going to the airport.

The taxi is late. There should be an adjective (a synonym of sober, only worse) to describe the state of mind that comes from waiting in the orange glare of a streetlight before drinking a cup of coffee. And then the taxi gets lost. And then I get nervous, because my flight leaves in an hour. And then we're here, and I'm hurtled into the harsh incandescence of Terminal B, running with a suitcase so I can wait in a long security line. My belt buckle sets off the metal detector, my 120ml stick of deodorant is confiscated, and my left sock has a gaping hole.

And then I get to the gate. By now you can probably guess the punchline of this very banal story: my flight has been cancelled. I will be stuck in this terminal for the next 218 minutes, my only consolation a cup of caffeine and a McGriddle sandwich. And then I will miss my connecting flight and wait, in a different city, with the same menu, for another plane. And then, 14 hours later, I'll be there.

Why do we travel? It's not the flying I mind – I will always be awed by the physics that gets a fat metal bird into the upper troposphere. The rest of the journey, however, can feel like a tedious lesson in the ills of modernity, from the pre-dawn X-ray screening to the sad airport malls peddling crappy souvenirs. It's globalisation in a nutshell, and it sucks.

And yet here we are, herded in ever greater numbers on to planes that stay the same size. Sometimes we travel because we have to. Because in this digital age there is still something important about the analogue handshake. Or eating Mum's turkey at Christmas.

But most travel isn't non-negotiable. (In 2008 only 30% of trips over 50 miles were made for business.) Instead we travel because we want to, because the annoyances of the airport are outweighed by the visceral thrill of being someplace new. Because work is stressful and our blood pressure is too high and we need a vacation. Because home is boring. Because the flights were on sale. Because New York is New York.

Travel, in other words, is a basic human desire. We're a migratory species, even if our migrations are powered by jet fuel and Chicken McNuggets. But here's my question: is this collective urge to travel – to put some distance between ourselves and everything we know – still a worthwhile compulsion? Or is it like the taste for saturated fat: one of those instincts we should have left behind in the Pleistocene epoch? Because if travel is just about fun, then I think the new security measures at airports have killed it.

THE GOOD NEWS, at least for those of you reading this while stuck on a tarmac, is that pleasure is not the only consolation of travel. In fact, several new science papers suggest that getting away – and it doesn't even matter where you're going – is an essential habit of effective thinking. It's not about a holiday, or relaxation, or sipping daiquiris on an unspoilt tropical beach: it's about the tedious act itself, putting some miles between home and wherever you happen to spend the night.

Let's begin with the most literal aspect of travel, which is that it's a verb of movement. Thanks to modern engine technology, we can now move through space at an inhuman speed. The average walker moves at 3mph, which is 200 times slower than the cruising speed of a Boeing 737. There's something inherently useful about such speedy movement, which allows us to switch our physical locations with surreal ease. For the first time in human history, we can outrun the sun and segue from one climate to another in a single day.

The reason such travels are mentally useful involves a quirk of cognition, in which problems that feel "close" – and the closeness can be physical, temporal or even emotional – get contemplated in a more concrete manner. As a result, when we think about things that are nearby, our thoughts are constricted, bound by a more limited set of associations. While this habit can be helpful – it allows us to focus on the facts at hand – it also inhibits our imagination. Consider a field of corn. When you're standing in the middle of the field, surrounded by the tall cellulose stalks and fraying husks, the air smelling faintly of fertiliser and popcorn, your mind is automatically drawn to thoughts that revolve around the primary meaning of corn, which is that it's a plant, a cereal, a staple of farming.

But now imagine that same field of corn from a different perspective. Instead of standing on a farm, you're now in the midst of a crowded city street, dense with taxis and pedestrians. (And yet, for some peculiar reason, you're still thinking about corn.) The plant will no longer just be a plant: instead, your vast neural network will pump out all sorts of associations. You'll think about glucose-fructose syrup, obesity and Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food ; ethanol made from corn stalks, popcorn at the cinema and creamy polenta simmering on a wood stove in Emilia Romagna. The noun is now a web of tangents, a loom of remote connections.

What does this have to do with travel? When we escape from the place we spend most of our time, the mind is suddenly made aware of all those errant ideas we'd suppressed. We start thinking about obscure possibilities – corn can fuel cars – that never would have occurred to us if we'd stayed back on the farm. Furthermore, this more relaxed sort of cognition comes with practical advantages, especially when we're trying to solve difficult problems.

Look, for instance, at a recent experiment led by the psychologist Lile Jia at Indiana University. He randomly divided a few dozen undergrads into two groups, both of which were asked to list as many different modes of transportation as possible. (This is known as a creative generation task.) One group of students was told that the task was developed by Indiana University students studying abroad in Greece (the distant condition), while the other group was told that the task was developed by Indiana students studying in Indiana (the near condition). At first glance, it's hard to believe that such a slight and seemingly irrelevant difference would alter the performance of the subjects. Why would it matter where the task was conceived?

Nevertheless, Jia found a striking difference between the two groups: when students were told that the task was imported from Greece, they came up with significantly more transportation possibilities. They didn't just list buses, trains and planes; they cited horses, triremes, spaceships, bicycles and even Segway scooters. Because the source of the problem was far away, the subjects felt less constrained by their local transport options; they didn't just think about getting around in Indiana – they thought about getting around all over the world and even in deep space.

In a second study, Jia found that people were much better at solving a series of insight puzzles when told that the puzzles came all the way from California and not from down the hall. These subjects considered a far wider range of alternatives, which made them more likely to solve the challenging brain teasers. There is something intellectually liberating about distance.

The problem is that most of our problems are local – people in Indiana are worried about Indiana, not the eastern Mediterranean or California. This leaves two options: 1) find a clever way to trick ourselves into believing that our nearby dilemma is actually distant, or 2) go someplace far away and then think about our troubles back home. Given the limits of self-deception – we can't even tickle ourselves properly – travel seems like the more practical possibility.

Of course it's not enough simply to get on a plane: if we want to experience the creative benefits of travel, then we have to rethink its raison d'être. Most people escape to Paris so they don't have to think about those troubles they left behind. But here's the ironic twist: our mind is most likely to solve our stubbornest problems while we are sitting in a swank Left Bank cafe. So instead of contemplating that buttery croissant, we should be mulling over those domestic riddles we just can't solve.

The larger lesson is that our thoughts are shackled by the familiar. The brain is a neural tangle of near-infinite possibility, which means that it spends a lot of time and energy choosing what not to notice. As a result, creativity is traded away for efficiency; we think in literal prose, not symbolist poetry. A bit of distance, however, helps loosen the chains of cognition, making it easier to see something new in the old; the mundane is grasped from a slightly more abstract perspective. As TS Eliot wrote in the Four Quartets : "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."

But distance isn't the only psychological perk of travel. Earlier this year researchers at Insead, a business school in France, and at the Kellogg School of Management in Chicago reported that students who had lived abroad were 20% more likely to solve a computer simulation of a classic psychological task known as the Duncker candle problem than students who had never lived outside their birth country.

The Duncker problem has a simple premise: a subject is given a cardboard box containing a few drawing pins, a book of matches and a waxy candle. They are told to determine how to attach the candle to a piece of corkboard on a wall so that it can burn properly and no wax drips on to the floor. Nearly 90% of people pursue the same two strategies, even though neither strategy can succeed. They elect to pin the candle directly to the board, which would cause the candle wax to shatter. Or they say they'd melt the candle with the matches so that it sticks to the board. But the wax wouldn't hold; the candle would fall to the floor. At this point most people surrender. They assume that the puzzle is impossible, that it's a stupid experiment and a waste of time. Only a slim minority of subjects – often fewer than 25% – come up with the solution, which involves attaching the candle to the cardboard box with wax and then pinning the cardboard box to the corkboard. Unless people have an insight about the box – that it can do more than hold drawing pins – they'll waste candle after candle. They'll repeat their failures while they're waiting for a breakthrough. This is known as the bias of "functional fixedness", since we're typically terrible at coming up with new functions for old things. That's why we're so surprised to learn that an oven can be turned into a small closet or that an apple can be used as a bong.

What does this have to do with living abroad? According to the researchers, the experience of another culture endows us with a valuable open-mindedness, making it easier to realise that a single thing can have multiple meanings. Consider the act of leaving food on the plate: in China this is often seen as a compliment, a signal that the host has provided enough to eat. But in America the same act is a subtle insult, an indication that the food wasn't good enough to finish.

Such cultural contrasts mean that seasoned travellers are alive to ambiguity, more willing to realise that there are different (and equally valid) ways of interpreting the world. This in turn allows them to expand the circumference of their "cognitive inputs", as they refuse to settle for their first answers and initial guesses. After all, maybe they carry candles in drawing-pin boxes in China. Maybe there's a better way to attach a candle to a wall.

OF COURSE THIS mental flexibility doesn't come from mere distance. It's not enough to just change time zones or to schlep across the world only to eat Le Big Mac instead of a quarter pounder with cheese. Instead this increased creativity appears to be a side-effect of difference: we need to change cultures, to experience the disorienting diversity of human traditions. The same details that make foreign travel so confusing – Do I tip the waiter? Where is this train taking me? – turn out to have a lasting impact, making us more creative because we're less insular. We're reminded of all that we don't know, which is nearly everything; we're surprised by the constant stream of surprises. Even in this globalised age, slouching toward similarity, we can still marvel at all the earthly things that weren't included in the Lonely Planet guidebook and that certainly don't exist back home.

So let's not pretend that travel is always fun. We don't spend 10 hours lost in the Louvre because we like it, and the view from the top of Machu Picchu probably doesn't make up for the hassle of lost luggage. (More often than not, I need a holiday after my holiday.) We travel because we need to, because distance and difference are the secret tonic of creativity. When we get home, home is still the same. But something in our mind has been changed, and that changes everything.

• The Observer

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Editor’s Note: We know that many of you are looking for help writing travel experience essays for school or simply writing about a trip for your friends or family. To inspire you and help you write your next trip essay—whether it’s an essay about a trip with family or simply a way to remember your best trip ever (so far)—we enlisted the help of Professor Kathleen Boardman, whose decades of teaching have helped many college students learn the fine art of autobiography and life writing. Here’s advice on how to turn a simple “my best trip” essay into a story that will inspire others to explore the world.

Welcome home! Now that you’re back from your trip, you’d like to share it with others in a travel essay. You’re a good writer and a good editor of your work, but you’ve never tried travel writing before. As your potential reader, I have some advice and some requests for you as you write your travel experience essay.

Trip Essays: What to Avoid

Please don’t tell me everything about your trip. I don’t want to know your travel schedule or the names of all the castles or restaurants you visited. I don’t care about the plane trip that got you there (unless, of course, that trip is the story).

I have a friend who, when I return from a trip, never asks me, “How was your trip?” She knows that I would give her a long, rambling answer: “… and then … and then … and then.” So instead, she says, “Tell me about one thing that really stood out for you.” That’s what I’d like you to do in this travel essay you’re writing.

The Power of Compelling Scenes

One or two “snapshots” are enough—but make them great. Many good writers jump right into the middle of their account with a vivid written “snapshot” of an important scene. Then, having aroused their readers’ interest or curiosity, they fill in the story or background. I think this technique works great for travel writing; at least, I would rather enjoy a vivid snapshot than read through a day-to-day summary of somebody’s travel journal.

Write About a Trip Using Vivid Descriptions

Take your time. Tell a story. So what if you saw things that were “incredible,” did things that were “amazing,” observed actions that you thought “weird”? These words don’t mean anything to me unless you show me, in a story or a vivid description, the experience that made you want to use those adjectives.

I’d like to see the place, the people, or the journey through your eyes, not someone else’s. Please don’t rewrite someone else’s account of visiting the place. Please don’t try to imitate a travel guide or travelogue or someone’s blog or Facebook entry. You are not writing a real travel essay unless you are describing, as clearly and honestly as possible, yourself in the place you visited. What did you see, hear, taste, say? Don’t worry if your “take” on your experience doesn’t match what everyone else says about it. (I’ve already read what THEY have to say.)

The Importance of Self-Editing Your Trip Essay

Don’t give me your first draft to read. Instead, set it aside and then reread it. Reread it again. Where might I need more explanation? What parts of your account are likely to confuse me? (After all, I wasn’t there.) Where might you be wasting my time by repeating or rambling on about something you’ve already told me?

Make me feel, make me laugh, help me learn something. But don’t overdo it: Please don’t preach to me about broadening my horizons or understanding other cultures. Instead, let me in on your feelings, your change of heart and mind, even your fear and uncertainty, as you confronted something you’d never experienced before. If you can, surprise me with something I didn’t know or couldn’t have suspected.

You Can Do It: Turning Your Trip into a Great Travel Experience Essay

I hope you will take yourself seriously as a traveler and as a writer. Through what—and how—you write about just a small portion of your travel experience, show me that you are an interesting, thoughtful, observant person. I will come back to you, begging for more of your travel essays.

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How to write a travel essay

November 22, 2023 by Josh Collins Leave a Comment

Travel essays and short notes allow you to dive deep into the memories and share your experience with readers. If written well, readers can explore new places without traveling or get inspired to explore new things. The location you have visited may contain many things to discuss: architecture, sightseeing, nature, culture, and much more. How can you tell about it in a short essay? Whether you are planning to write an essay, blog post, or another type of writing – all the tips below will help you craft an appealing paper.

Understand your goals

Before writing a travel essay: 1. Define the main idea you want to stick to in your writing. If you have a specific word limit, you may be unable to cover everything you wish to write about. 2. Check whether the professor asked you to cover specific experiences during your trip or stick to a more descriptive writing style. 3. If you are free of what to write about, make up a list of things you wish to focus on.

Understanding your goals will help you see the big picture and write the text within a limited time. If you were assigned to write an essay about your travel and can’t meet the deadline or have no ideas, you can get punctual help with essay writing from EssayShark .

Write catchy introduction How did your travel start? What were your plans? You can start with a quote about adventure or just begin your story by planning or arriving at the destination place. For example, here are some starters for travel essays: ● Who has said traveling is pricy? ● Don’t let the routine bore you; add a bit of spice with traveling to your everyday life. ● And the adventure begins!

Experiment with various approaches to engage the reader. You can put this step at the end when you finish the first draft, when the overall idea will be more transparent.

Add vivid descriptions First, think about whether you can attach images to your essay to make it more appealing to the reader and support your adventures with real photos. An additional illustration can create a unique atmosphere that will transfer the reader to the place you have visited.

Use a more relaxed writing style and understand that a travel essay is not a formal academic paper but more personal writing. Use the language you use every day, and avoid cliches and slang to sound more natural and appealing to the reader.

Focus on several ideas What if you have no solid experience in traveling? Or maybe you haven’t seen anything special to talk about. In fact, even a small town has its own spirit and local sightseeing that, you can tell in your essay. For example, you can discuss local cuisine the weather, and share specific descriptions of the places.

Tell the simple story The main aim of every travel essay is to help the reader wear your shoes and imagine what you have experienced during the trip. Describe your emotions and experience in detail to help the reader feel like they have already visited the place. Avoid listing attractions or telling the traveling process step by step. Share your thoughts, and use creative expressions to keep your natural flow.

Ensure your travel story has a standard format and contains an introduction, main body, and conclusion. Don’t interrupt your writing in the middle of an idea; wrap up everything you have said in a meaningful conclusion.

Wrapping Up In general, you can approach traveling essays from different points of view. Grab the reader’s attention with an exciting intro, add vivid details, and focus on several aspects of your journey to keep them reading. Share your experience in a storytelling manner, and your writing won’t be unnoticed.

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Fully explain your ideas

To get an excellent score in the IELTS Task 2 writing section, one of the easiest and most effective tips is structuring your writing in the most solid format. A great argument essay structure may be divided to four paragraphs, in which comprises of four sentences (excluding the conclusion paragraph, which comprises of three sentences).

For we to consider an essay structure a great one, it should be looking like this:

• Paragraph 1 - Introduction
• Sentence 1 - Background statement
• Sentence 2 - Detailed background statement
• Sentence 3 - Thesis
• Sentence 4 - Outline sentence
• Paragraph 2 - First supporting paragraph
• Sentence 1 - Topic sentence
• Sentence 2 - Example
• Sentence 3 - Discussion
• Sentence 4 - Conclusion
• Paragraph 3 - Second supporting paragraph
• Paragraph 4 - Conclusion
• Sentence 1 - Summary
• Sentence 2 - Restatement of thesis
• Sentence 3 - Prediction or recommendation

Our recommended essay structure above comprises of fifteen (15) sentences, which will make your essay approximately 250 to 275 words.

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Nowadays, more and more people decide to have children later in their life. What are the reasons? Do the advantages of this outweigh disadvantages?

Sending criminals to prison is not the best method of dealing with them. education and job trainning are better ways to help them. do you agree or disagree, write a letter you are studying for a qualification, and you would like some time off work to complete it. write a letter to your manager. in your letter: ask for some time off to complete a qualification. suggest what you will do later at work if you have time off. say how the qualification helps your job or company. you do not need to write any addresses. you should write at least 150 words., answer an e-mail to a travel agency: as a tourist who has traveled to australia with this company, give two pieces of information about the trip and make a suggestion;, fast food is becoming one part of life everywhere; this has bad effects on our lifestyles and diet. do you agree or disagree.

10 Reasons Flying is Better Than Road Trips

Driving instead of flying? What was I thinking? We just got back from a mini-road trip that I didn't even consider to be an actual road trip until we were in the middle of it. We were attending the wedding of a dear friend that on paper didn't seem that far away, but it was easily a five hour drive one-way thanks to traffic and potty breaks when it would have under an hour in the air if we flew. I thought driving would be more economical and simpler than flying such a short distance, but I'm not so sure I made the right choice.

I do think there is something romantic in a nostalgic sense about road trips circa the Route 66 days, but these days, and with my family, flying is absolutely better than road trips.

Road trips cost more than you think:

Unless you are using miles, plane tickets have a hefty upfront purchase price that can sting. This is probably the number one reason why folks load up in the car and drive. However, the costs of a road trip add up one credit card swipe at a time, and they aren't near as inexpensive as one might think. Gas was over $3.50 a gallon on this trip and we filled up the truck at least twice. That meant close to $160 in gas, maybe more. Add in the wear and tear on the vehicle, tolls, and snacks, and it costs more than you think. This is especially true on longer road trips that add hotel nights and extra meals on the road due to the extra travel time.

You eat unhealthy food:

Airports aren't necessarily known for their super healthy cuisine, but you can usually come up with a pretty healthy option in most airports such as sushi, salads, and even fresh squeezed juices. On the road you usually don't find those spots right along the freeway, and if you do they probably don't have the drive-through quick service that families are often seeking on the road. This meant we got to visit fast food restaurants that we normally stay far away from at home.

You ruin clothes:

I won't name names, but I do know someone who ordered greasy food from the above mentioned fast food restaurants that ended up on his clothes not once, but two meals in a row. Eating in the car is bad on many levels, but it happens on road trips, and at least on an airplane you would have a tray table to help catch the mess.

You are cramped and uncomfortable:

Our cars were selected to haul things and/or get us around town. We didn't pick cars designed to drive us on long distances regularly, so our choices for the road trip were a spacious fuel sucking truck, or a cramped sedan. Since we were bringing not just the human members of the family, but the old dog, we simply wouldn't fit in the sedan and opted for the roomier truck. However, it still isn't the most comfortable vehicle for a long trip, and sitting for hours at a time is just uncomfortable period. On a plane you can usually stand up and stretch or head to the lav as needed without slowing down the trip.

You power through:

As they said in the Cars movie, "folks didn't drive to make great time, they drove to have a good time". That may have been true, but I can assure you we aren't driving around to take in the scenery of Nowheresville, Texas and enjoy extra time with a young kid and old dog in the car. We want to get where we are going, and that means things like limited breaks, drive thrus, cramped legs, and snippy attitudes.

The scenery stinks:

Parts of the country are beautiful to drive through, and you would be remiss to not enjoy the drive from Vancouver to Whistler, from Anchorage to Seward, along the California coastline, and through the Rocky Mountains. However, a lot of this country is not pretty at all - especially along the freeway. You get power lines, traffic jams, fast food restaurants, strip malls, drug stores, and half empty office buildings. I can assure you that much of Texas is this way and you get a much nicer view at 36,000 feet.

Better use of time in the air:

Not only does air travel often result in a shorter total travel time, but the time in the air can be used more productively than in the car. For example, you can't really nap and drive, and even if you are the passenger it is harder to get any sort of work done in a car than on a plane. In the air you can nap, type, and even work online on many flights. That means you don't have to worry about catching up as much when you get back home.

Driving is just plain scary:

Statistics clearly back up the notion that driving is more dangerous that flying, and I can't count the number of instances of impromptu drag races, folks driving while staring at their phones, cars swerving for no apparent reason, and more on our journey. Thankfully none of those events resulted in a wreck, but I was gripping the car on more than one occasion as driving on busy freeways is just plain scary.

It gets annoying:

I know, I'm a bad mom for saying that hours of uninterpreted time in close quarters together with family can get annoying, but let's get real and admit the dirty truth. I vividly remember bickering with my sister in the back seat on car trips as a kid, and even today there are only so many times you can hear "how many more minutes" without starting to lose a small chunk of sanity. The same can happen on a plane, but the presence of "strangers" seems to keep people on a bit better behavior than in the privacy of your own car. I love having special time together with my family on trips, but not so much when we are all strapped in a car with not much to do for hours on end. I'd rather have more time at the destination enjoying and exploring together than spent simply getting to and from our destination.

Driving just takes forever:

I fondly remember ski trips to Colorado as a kid where we would drive all night long, and then some time on the second day of driving after the sun rose you would see the mountains for the first time. It was a magical moment on the journey, but since I was a kid, I was asleep through the painful nighttime portion of the drive. As an adult I can easily do the math and see that is 16 hours of solid driving to get from my house to many Colorado ski resorts. Ouch. On a plane it is roughly 2.5 hours. Even on today's mini road trip it was 4-5 hours in the car as opposed to less than an hour in the air. Of course you have to factor in travel time to the airport, boarding times, etc. but driving at 70 MPH is just so much slower than flying at 500 MPH.

We actually had a real road trip planned later in the summer, but you can bet I spent the last part of our drive today searching for award options to fly instead. Our trip today wasn't bad at all, so I don't want to paint some overly terrible picture, it just reinforced that my blood likes to soar through the clouds much better than snarl along the road. It's simply a better use of time. The road trip romantic in me still wants to do a big road trip with my family one day where you stop and enjoy the scenery along the way. However, if the purpose of driving instead of flying is to just save money or keep the travel process simpler, then I think that some very careful examination of the real costs of both types of travel is warranted. In most cases, flying is better than road trips, at least for us. Especially when you have miles to burn!

How does your family decide whether to drive or fly and have you regretted choosing one over the other?

Essay On Travel

500 words essay on travel.

Travelling is an amazing way to learn a lot of things in life. A lot of people around the world travel every year to many places. Moreover, it is important to travel to humans. Some travel to learn more while some travel to take a break from their life. No matter the reason, travelling opens a big door for us to explore the world beyond our imagination and indulge in many things. Therefore, through this Essay on Travel, we will go through everything that makes travelling great.

Why Do We Travel?

There are a lot of reasons to travel. Some people travel for fun while some do it for education purposes. Similarly, others have business reasons to travel. In order to travel, one must first get an idea of their financial situation and then proceed.

Understanding your own reality helps people make good travel decisions. If people gave enough opportunities to travel, they set out on the journey. People going on educational tours get a first-hand experience of everything they’ve read in the text.

Similarly, people who travel for fun get to experience and indulge in refreshing things which may serve as a stress reducer in their lives. The culture, architecture, cuisine and more of the place can open our mind to new things.

The Benefits of Travelling

There are numerous benefits to travelling if we think about it. The first one being, we get to meet new people. When you meet new people, you get the opportunity to make new friends. It may be a fellow traveller or the local you asked for directions.

Moreover, new age technology has made it easier to keep in touch with them. Thus, it offers not only a great way to understand human nature but also explore new places with those friends to make your trip easy.

Similar to this benefit, travelling makes it easier to understand people. You will learn how other people eat, speak, live and more. When you get out of your comfort zone, you will become more sensitive towards other cultures and the people.

Another important factor which we learn when we travel is learning new skills. When you go to hilly areas, you will most likely trek and thus, trekking will be a new skill added to your list.

Similarly, scuba diving or more can also be learned while travelling. A very important thing which travelling teaches us is to enjoy nature. It helps us appreciate the true beauty of the earth .

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Conclusion of the Essay on Travel

All in all, it is no less than a blessing to be able to travel. Many people are not privileged enough to do that. Those who do get the chance, it brings excitement in their lives and teaches them new things. No matter how a travelling experience may go, whether good or bad, it will definitely help you learn.

FAQ on Essay on Travel

Question 1: Why is it advantageous to travel?

Answer 1: Real experiences always have better value. When we travel to a city, in a different country, it allows us to learn about a new culture, new language, new lifestyle, and new peoples. Sometimes, it is the best teacher to understand the world.

Question 2: Why is travelling essential?

Answer 2: Travelling is an incredibly vital part of life. It is the best way to break your monotonous routine and experience life in different ways. Moreover, it is also a good remedy for stress, anxiety and depression.

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English Essay on “Travel by Air” English Essay-Paragraph-Speech for Class 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 CBSE Students and competitive Examination.

Travel by Air

Aeroplane is the most wonderful invention of the recent times in the field of transport. Today mart can go to the moon in spaceships and come back home quickly and safely. An Aeroplane is like a magic carpet of the fairy tales which could take you to the distant lands whenever you desired to go.

A flight from Bombay to Delhi by a plane takes less than two hours when by the fastest trains it takes about 18 hours. Aeroplane is the quickest means of transports. Some Aeroplanes fly at a speed of more than 800 km. per hour. It helps to save time and attend to urgent jobs at distant places. One travel from Madras to Bombay, Delhi or Calcutta by morning plane and return back by evening.

To make an air journey, you have to go to the airport where every passenger is given a boarding card with seat number as an aeroplane has limited number of seats. Announcement is made on the mike for the passengers to move to the particular plane with its flight number. Passengers board the plane by a ladder fixed to the door which is removed when all the passengers are seated.

Then the Aeroplane takes off. First it moves slowly on the cemented runway, then picks up speed and begins to run fast. Within a few minutes it begins to rise and fly higher and higher above the clouds and far above the earth to a height of about 6000 to 8000 meters.

Before taking off from the ground the passengers are advised to fasten their seat belts around them and remove them after the plane takes off high into the air, similarly when the plane is about to land, the same advice is given. This is to avoid jolting at the time of takeoff and landing. Up in the air, all things below look like tiny little toys. During the flight time, the Airhostess serves you snacks and soft drinks. She helps you to have a comfortable journey.

People all over the world like to travel by Air planes, it helps the people to develop contacts with the people of our own country and people of other countries. In advanced countries, wealthy people have their own plane and pilots to take them from place to place as and when they desire. An Aeroplane flies like a huge bird fluttering its wings in the air. Man dreamt long ago to float like a bird in the air. He made many attempts and ultimately he succeeded.

And the invention of an aeroplane has proved to be a most useful service to mankind. His struggles for the conquest air has yielded the fruit and we have the fastest Jets. Concord and Air buses carrying very many people in a single flight.

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Câu hỏi & câu trả lời mẫu IELTS Speaking – topic Planes

1. do you often travel by plane.

I travel by aironce in a blue moon . To be more exact, the last trip to Da Nang is the first time I have a chance to travel by plane.

• travel by air (verb phr.) : đi du lịch bằng máy bay
• once in a blue moon (idiom) : rất hiếm khi

Tôi rất hiếm khi đi du lịch bằng máy bay. Nói chính xác hơn, chuyến đi Đà Nẵng vừa rồi là lần đầu tiên tôi có cơ hội đi máy bay.

2. Do you like to travel by plane?

Yes, I really enjoy travelling by air because it gives me a great view out the front window. And I usually grasp this opportunity to snap some landscape photos.

• snap /snæp/ (verb) : chụp ảnh

Có ạ, tôi thực sự thích đi du lịch bằng máy bay vì nó cho tôi tầm nhìn tuyệt vời ra cửa sổ phía trước. Và tôi thường nắm bắt cơ hội này để chụp một số bức ảnh phong cảnh.

3. Is there anything you don’t like about travelling by plane?

Gợi ý sách liên quan

Câu hỏi và Bài mẫu IELTS Speaking Part 1 2 3 theo chủ đề

Nếu bạn muốn tham khảo các bài mẫu IELTS Speaking bám sát với đề thi thật nhất, thuộc những chủ đề thường được hỏi trong IELTS Speaking Part 1 2 3, sở hữu cuốn này chính là sự lựa chọn tuyệt vời.

Describe a person who often travels by plane

You sh ould say:

• Who he/she is
• Where he/she goes to
• What he/she feels about it

1. Is it very common for people in your country to do plane travel?

Travelling by air is gaining popularity in my country for several reasons. Firstly, as flight tickets are quite affordablefor even middle-income people, it did no longer belong to only the rich. Secondly, it’s the fastest mode of transport over a long distance, travelling by plane helps passengers save a great deal of time and energy.

• gain popularity /ˌpɒp.jəˈlær.ə.ti/ (verb phr.) : đang trở nên phổ biến
• mode of transport /məʊd/ (noun phr.) : phương tiện giao thông

Du lịch bằng máy bay đang trở nên phổ biến ở đất nước tôi vì một số lý do. Thứ nhất, vì vé máy bay khá hợp túi tiền của cả những người có thu nhập trung bình, nên nó đã không còn chỉ dành cho những người giàu có. Thứ hai, đây là phương thức vận chuyển nhanh nhất trên quãng đường dài, di chuyển bằng máy bay giúp hành khách tiết kiệm đáng kể thời gian và sức lực.

2. What are the advantages of traveling by plane?

Well, travelling by air brings passengers some great benefits. First of all, it is the fastest means of transport, so it helps them to save a great deal of time. In addition to that, people have a lot of options for entertainment such as enjoying the spectacular view through the window or kick back in comfort when in the plane.

• spectacular /spekˈtæk.jə.lər/ (adj) : đẹp, ngoạn mục
• kick back (phrasal verb) : thư giãn

Chà, di chuyển bằng máy bay mang lại cho hành khách một số lợi ích lớn. Trước hết, nó là phương tiện giao thông nhanh nhất nên giúp họ tiết kiệm được rất nhiều thời gian. Thêm vào đó, mọi người có rất nhiều lựa chọn để giải trí như thưởng ngoạn những khung cảnh đẹp qua cửa sổ hoặc thư giãn thoải mái khi ở trên máy bay.

3. What are the disadvantages of living near an airport?

4. why do some people prefer to travel by train.

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10 Things You Should Never Wear on a Plane — and What We're Replacing Them With From $6

Shop comfy sneakers, cozy layers, and more essential items to best prepare you for your next flight.

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People / Madison Woiten

Packing for a trip is stressful enough, but choosing the right outfit to wear on the plane is a land mine for potential mistakes that can throw your flight into flux. No matter if you’re dressing for comfort or style , there are quite a few no-no’s of air travel that should be avoided in order to ensure a smooth trip — but don’t worry, we’re here to help.

No matter how long your flight is or where you’re headed, we’ve outlined the 10 most common fashion mistakes that travelers make and the easy swaps to try along the way. From trading in open-toed shoes for a more sensible option to always having a cozy layer on hand , here’s how to ace your next flight with Amazon essentials starting at just $6.

Don't Wear: Open-toe Shoes

Wear this instead: comfy walking sneakers.

Leaving your toes exposed during a flight is not ideal. After all, sandals lack support and warmth, plus it’s unlikely that the floor of the plane has been cleaned in a while. These supportive Puma sneakers are an excellent alternative because not only will they get plenty of wear on vacation, but they also keep your feet insulated and protected. Plus, they’re on sale for 30 percent off at Amazon right now.

Don't Wear: Pajamas

Wear this instead: a versatile loungewear set.

You may be tempted to wear pajamas to maximize comfort, but when you’re traveling you want to make the most of your wardrobe — and anything you wear on a plane, you shouldn’t also wear into your clean sheets. A cozy alternative is this stylish two-piece set that can be styled in multiple ways throughout your trip, all while keeping you as comfy on your next long-haul flight. The half-zip sweatshirt is a great layer to easily take on and off during your travels, while the drawstring pants are the picture of sleek loungewear. Not to mention, it’s available in 21 gorgeous colors, like hot pink and green .

Don’t Wear: Your Engagement Ring

Wear this instead: an affordable alternative.

From theft to loss, there are too many things that can go wrong when wearing your engagement or wedding ring while traveling. With that in mind, it’s worth picking up a simple band that won’t draw attention to your jewelry, like this basic tungsten ring that’s only $17. The material is scratch-resistant, hypoallergenic, and comfy to wear, while coming in a wide range of sizes to fit all travelers.

Don’t Wear: Fragrance Deodorant

Wear this instead: unscented deodorant.

When you’re spending an extended amount of time in an enclosed space such as an airplane, there’s an unspoken rule to avoid strong scents such as perfume or deodorant to keep you (and other people on your flight that may be sensitive to smells) comfortable. This long-lasting, natural deodorant from Native offers an impressive 72 hours of odor control, plus it’s aluminum- and baking soda-free. You can still feel as fresh as the moment you left your house once you de-plane, just without the overwhelming traditional deodorant scent.

Don’t Wear: an Open-top Purse

Wear this instead: a zippered bag.

The chaos of boarding the plane and getting settled leaves far too many opportunities for your purse to spill over, so it’s not advisable to travel with an open-top tote that can’t safely be stowed under your seat. Instead, try investing in a zippered, anti-theft purse that will serve you well throughout the duration of your travels, all while keeping your belongings safe and secure from takeoff to landing. This shopper-loved option from Travelon is fitted with several reliable zippered pockets alongside an RFID-blocking pocket, providing peace of mind in the form of a wearable and sleek bag. The adjustable crossbody strap and convenient magentic snap flap are just icing on the cake.

Don’t Wear: Ankle Socks

Wear this instead: compression socks.

Inflammation and swelling are incredibly common during air travel, and if you often find yourself struggling with discomfort, you’ll benefit from swapping traditional ankle socks for a pair of these best-selling compression socks . Made from a high-quality spandex blend, these socks are lightweight and breathable, promoting healthy circulation in your legs for lessened fatigue and swelling during your trip. In fact, flight attendants have even called them “perfect” for air travel. 

Don’t Wear: Stiff Denim or Trousers

Wear this instead: slacks with an elastic waistband.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look your best on a flight. However, you’ll never regret prioritizing your comfort during longer trips, and these elastic waistband trousers are the perfect alternative to traditional denim. Still effortlessly stylish without digging into your skin, these flowy, cropped pants feature deep pockets, a trendy crop, and they’re made from 100 percent cotton. Did we mention they’re just $30 at Amazon? 

Don’t Wear: Claw Clips

Wear this instead: a soft scrunchie.

Ever tried getting comfortable against a headrest while wearing a claw clip? Well, if you haven’t yet, we certainly don’t recommend starting now. Claw clips may be stylish, but they’re not the most comfortable headwear to sport on a plane. Instead, pick up a pack of these satin scrunchies that keep your locks healthy and luscious without causing creasing or breakage. At just $8 for a pack of five, the scrunchies are just under $2 apiece.

Don’t Wear: a Tank Top

Wear this instead: a comfy layer.

Even if you’re headed to a warm weather destination, make sure to pack an extra layer. Airplane cabin temperature is notoriously fickle, quickly oscillating from hot to cold, so don’t forget to keep a cozy cardigan tucked into your carry-on suitcase. We like this sleek open-front cardigan that’s currently 54 percent off thanks to an on-site coupon. The cardigan is equipped with deep pockets and has a breathable, airy design that’s practically made for traveling.

Don’t Wear: an Underwire Bra

Wear this instead: a bralette or sports bra.

Longhaul flights are tedious enough, why make them worse by wearing an underwire bra that’s guaranteed to dig into your skin throughout the entire duration of the trip? Of course that doesn’t mean that you have to entirely forego support, and this Hanes seamless bralette is a far more comfortable choice. The breathable, ribbed material keeps you cool regardless of the temperature on your flight, and the smooth and supportive fit will immediately have you trading in your underwire bras. Best of all, it’s even available in sizes ranging from XS to 2XL, with a major discount bringing the price down to just $6.

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Automatic Refunds and No More Hidden Fees: D.O.T. Sets New Rules for Airlines

The Transportation Department issued new requirements on refunds when flights are canceled or delayed and on revealing “junk” fees before booking. Here’s what passengers can expect.

By Christine Chung

The Transportation Department on Wednesday announced new rules taking aim at two of the most difficult and annoying issues in air travel: obtaining refunds and encountering surprise fees late in the booking process.

“Passengers deserve to know upfront what costs they are facing and should get their money back when an airline owes them — without having to ask,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement, adding that the changes would not only save passengers “time and money,” but also prevent headaches.

The department’s new rules, Mr. Buttigieg said, will hold airlines to clear and consistent standards when they cancel, delay or substantially change flights, and require automatic refunds to be issued within weeks. They will also require them to reveal all fees before a ticket is purchased.

Airlines for America , a trade group representing the country’s largest air carriers, said in a statement that its airlines “abide by and frequently exceed” D.O.T. consumer protection regulations.

Passenger advocates welcomed the new steps.

Tomasz Pawliszyn, the chief executive of AirHelp, a Berlin-based company that assists passengers with airline claims, called it a “massive step forward and huge improvement in consumer rights and protection” that brings the United States closer to global standards in passenger rights.

Here’s what we know about the D.O.T.’s new rules, which will begin to go into effect in October.

There’s now one definition for a “significant” delay.

Until now, airlines have been allowed to set their own definition for a “significant” delay and compensation has varied by carrier . Now, according to the D.O.T., there will be one standard: when departure or arrival is delayed by three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international flights.

Passengers will get prompt refunds for cancellations or significant changes for flights and delayed bags, for any reason.

When things go wrong, getting compensation from an airline has often required establishing a cumbersome paper trail or spending untold hours on the phone. Under the new rules, refunds will be automatic, without passengers having to request them. Refunds will be made in full, excepting the value of any transportation already used. Airlines and ticket agents must provide refunds in the original form of payment, whether by cash, credit card or airline miles. Refunds are due within seven days for credit card purchases and within 20 days for other payments.

Passengers with other flight disruptions, such as being downgraded to a lower service class, are also entitled to refunds.

The list of significant changes for which passengers can get their money back also includes: departure or arrival from an airport different from the one booked; connections at different airports or flights on planes that are less accessible to a person with a disability; an increase in the number of scheduled connections. Also, passengers who pay for services like Wi-Fi or seat selection that are then unavailable will be refunded any fees.

Airlines must give travel vouchers or credits to ticketed passengers unable to fly because of government restrictions or a doctor’s orders.

The vouchers or credits will be transferable and can be used for at least five years after the date they were issued.

Fees for checked baggage and modifying a reservation must be disclosed upfront.

Airlines and ticket agents are now required to display any extra fees for things like checking bags or seat selection clearly and individually before a ticket purchase. They will also need to outline the airline’s policies on baggage, cancellations and changing flights before a customer purchases a ticket.

The rules, which apply to all flights on domestic airlines and flights to and from the United States operated by foreign airlines, have varying start dates.

For example, automatic refunds must be instituted by the airlines within six months. But carriers have a year before they’re required to issue travel vouchers and credits for passengers advised by a medical professional not to fly.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Christine Chung is a Times reporter covering airlines and consumer travel. More about Christine Chung

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai:  Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city  by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto:  The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation  in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .

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Passengers awarded thousands for ‘mental agony’ of ‘malfunctioning’ business class plane seats that wouldn’t recline.

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First-world, first-class problems.

A high-ranking member of India’s police brass and his wife won more than $2,000 in court because their lavish Singapore Airlines business-class seats would only manually recline and not do so automatically.

News reports cited the “mental agony and physical suffering” endured by the passengers , Ravi Gupta, a local Director General of Police, and his wife Anjali, during their under-five-hour trip from Hyderabad, India, to Singapore in May 2023.

Gupta and his wife, who had a layover in Singapore on their way to Perth, Australia, didn’t hold back about the “malfunctioning” seats in legal documents.

They wrote of the devastation that came with feelings of being relegated to the treatment of “economy class passengers” — sans the spacious extra legroom — per the Deccan Chronicle.

In a statement to The Independent , Singapore Airlines did confirm the “faulty” automatic recline ability in their seats — and how airline workers waited on the Guptas hand and foot over the issue.

“Our crew proactively checked in on these customers regularly and offered to manually recline the seat when needed,” the spokesperson said.

“As it was a full flight, SIA staff unfortunately could not reseat the customers elsewhere in the Business Class cabin.”

The airline rep also noted that “there were no issues” on their connecting flight to the land down under.

Gupta and his wife paid roughly the equivalent of $800US per seat and were awarded $2,400 in court at the end of April.

They declined a previous offer of 10,000 frequent flyer miles.

Last year, a passenger sued Emirates for $3,300 over a broken seat recliner and general untidiness.

The 20-year-old flyer called his business class seat “grubby” and “absolutely disgusting” after paying $2,166 for his ticket from Oslo to Dubai.

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Economy | San Jose airport passenger rebound shows signs…

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Economy | 5 hurt when santa clara county deputy’s cruiser slams into suv during chase, subscriber only, economy | san jose airport passenger rebound shows signs of losing altitude, weaker passenger pattern emerges at san jose aviation hub.

SAN JOSE — Passenger travel at San Jose International Airport is showing a loss of altitude, leaving the Silicon Valley aviation hub well short of its pre-coronavirus heights.

The airport handled 930,522 passengers in March — 13.4% above the passenger totals for February, but 3.6% below the passenger activity reported for March 2023. Over the 12 months that ended in March, the airport reported it handled 12.05 million passengers. That was down 0.4% from the 12.1 million passengers the South Bay travel hub accommodated during 2023.

The airport’s performance over the most recent 12-month period is far below the record heights San Jose achieved in 2019, the final year before the outbreak of the coronavirus and the resulting collapse of the worldwide travel industry due to government-imposed business shutdowns and transportation restrictions. The airport reported 15.65 million passengers in 2019, nearly 23% more.

“Prior to the pandemic, a significant portion of San Jose Airport’s traffic was driven by business travel,” airport officials said in emailed comments. “We suspect that the slow rebound in business travel, which is yet to fully recover globally, is having a significant impact on our recovery.”

The three major regional airports are all facing a feeble post-coronavirus recovery. Over the year-long period that ended in February 2024, Oakland International Airport handled 11.27 million passengers. That was 16% below the 13.38 million passengers Oakland accommodated in 2019.

San Jose airport officials, in the statement, also acknowledge the changes in air travel, saying, “We have welcomed the arrival of low-cost carriers, ZIPAIR and Spirit Airlines, that have entered the market to meet the growing demand for more leisure and family travel,”

ZIPAIR has added a flight between San Jose and Japan, which means six weekly departures from San Jose to Tokyo Narita International Airport.

Spirit Airlines has added nonstop flights between San Jose and the destinations of Los Angeles; Portland, Oregon; and the Baltimore-Washington region.

“Post-pandemic, we are adapting to the market,” the statement said.

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Delta plane returns to airport after emergency slide 'separated' from aircraft

A Delta Air Lines flight returned to JFK Airport in New York City shortly after takeoff Friday when the emergency slide "separated" from the aircraft.

According to Delta, flight 520 to Los Angeles received priority to return to the airport after the flight crew saw an indicator light related to the right overwing exit and heard a "non-routine" sound near the right wing. 

“As nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, Delta flight crews enacted their extensive training and followed procedures to return to JFK," a statement from the airline said. "We appreciate their professionalism and our customers’ patience for the delay in their travels."

The flight was operated by a 33-year-old Boeing 767 according to data from Airfleets.net , and passengers were accommodated on a different flight later in the morning. The Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating the incident and Delta said it would cooperate with that investigation and is supporting efforts to retrieve the slide. 

Cruising Altitude: Another Boeing plane issue? Don't fall for the headlines

Aviation safety has been under a microscope recently and the industry is working to redouble the redundancies that keep flying the safest way to travel.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at [email protected].