Recent hikes in airfare prices have made traveling more difficult. Until a few years ago you could find deals to Europe, during the winter time, for under $600 round-trip. However, Europe is not alone when it comes to expensive air fares. My wife was in Montreal for a few days this week on a business trip, and I wanted to join her, but I quickly changed my mind after checking Kayak and looking at the outrageous round-trip fares. The cheapest ticket I could find was a $900 round-trip, non-stop flight from DC to Montreal. The one-stop and two-stop tickets were even more expensive! I couldn't believe my eyes. A round-trip to Montreal from DC used to cost around $200 not that long ago. Is the price of oil making traveling so expensive? Or, should we blame it on the new security measures and airport taxes after 9/11? I don't know what is causing it.
Flying has turned into a somewhat stressful experience, specially if you are like me, always flying couch and looking for the cheapest fare. First you have to deal with huge security lines, which I don't mind because I want to be safe, but it does add some time to your trip. Then, you have to deal with the airlines customer service, which has severely declined in the last 20 years. I remember when I first flew in the late 80s. If your flight was longer than two hours, they would serve you dinner or lunch with metal silverware and free alcohol. And all that happened in the economy class. If you took an overnight flight, they would give you a free toothbrush, free toothpaste, and slippers. Flying used to be a fun thing to do. I can see the time coming when airlines will start charging passengers to use the lavatory.
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