The world of commercial air travel is a strange terrain marked by rivers of statistics, mountains of expert (and not-so-expert) analysis, swamps of impenetrable acronyms, and myriad technical complexities, all of it at times obscured by a fog of marketing and public relations smoke. Everything’s debatable—or at least constantly debated. Everybody’s got more than an opinion about air travel—they know wherein the truth lies. After all, everybody flies.
To explore this vast and murky landscape and illuminate it for the everyday air traveler, you need good guides, even if you’ve spent twenty years trekking through it, as I have. Knowing about airline economics or regulatory aero-politics doesn’t mean you know anything about piloting a Boeing 777 or making “hot” bag transfers at busy connecting hubs or closing virtual fare buckets or calculating fuel burn or searching suitcases for hidden explosives. For all that and more, I’ve been fortunate in writing this book to have had good guides—more than can be (or wish to be) named here individually.
Senior airline pilots took the time to sit with me for extensive interviews; a former director of pricing for a large network carrier schooled me in the intricacies of airfares and ticket buckets; the director of a city-sized airport hub invited me to shadow him for a day; leading industry and independent economists, as well as lobbyists and aviation lawyers, shared their perspectives, insights, and data; and federal aviation officials and regulators, present and former, helped me focus the consumer issues. Along the way, I’ve watched bags being screened in the “Bomb Room” (it’s not called that anymore), checked out the pilots’ private quarters behind the A380 flight deck, discussed corporate culture with airline officers, timed “the turn” of a rush-hour flight, and even interviewed one flight attendant on horseback (but that’s another story). Individuals at US airlines and their high-powered trade association provided facts and tried to set me straight.
I’m indebted to the many folks in various corners of the commercial aviation world who took the time to patiently answer my nagging email questions and personal inquiries, and especially grateful to my longtime consulting business partner Pat Murphy, who’s forgotten more about the airline business than most in that business are likely ever to learn. I’m also grateful to the array of extraordinary journalists and enlightening bloggers (plus informative web sites and online forums) whose insightful work this book also draws on, as the extensive bibliography reflects. Two veteran journalists, Marilyn Adams and Dan Reed, especially helped advise and edit and keep me honest.
Beyond the support of aviation experts, my sincere thanks go to my editor, Brendan Curry of W. W. Norton, who skillfully kept it all on track with grace, patience, and a fine editor’s pen. Many thanks also to my talented literary agent, Rafe Sagalyn, who stuck with me to make this book happen, as well as to his creative colleague Shannon O’Neill and to my longtime associate Linda Miller, who for years has tried in vain to keep me organized. Others owed thanks include William Swelbar of MIT, journalist Laura Parker, copy editor Rachelle Mandik, and editorial assistant Will Glovinsky.
Most important, this book would not have been realized without the support, love, and patience of my wife, Lisa. Beside her
unfailing encouragement, her skill as both an elegant wordsmith and a discerning editor vastly improved this work. Finally, thanks are due to my amazing kids: Charlotte, my intergenerational sounding board, and Adam, for whom air travel has always been something very special.