Posted on 01/26/2020 12:06:21 AM PST by Olog-hai
For the second year in a row, the number of passengers on German domestic flights has declined, according to data from the German Airports Association (ADV), as reported by the news service Tagesschau on Saturday.
The number of domestic passengers in 2019 fell by 1.9% from the year before to 47.1 million. In 2018, passenger figures fell by 0.8%
Figures have dropped continually since August last year, the association said.
The number of passengers on domestic flights in 2019 was just 1% greater than the figure from a decade ago. […]
The ADV said the drop in passengers was not related to increased concern over the link between climate change and CO2 emissions from flying, so-called flight shaming. […]
The German Aviation Association (BDL) told DW there were two reasons for the drop in domestic passenger demand. “The first is the cooling global economy — declining global trade and trade conflicts. Secondly, the insolvencies of Germania and Air Berlin,” BDL said in a statement, adding that excess capacity from both airlines had been withdrawn from the market. …
(Excerpt) Read more at dw.com ...
Before the travesty flying has turned into domestic flying wasn’t a thing in Germany too. Every car maker from cheap to the luxury ones traditionally offered hot-rod v8 station wagons. The main purpose for it was to replace short to mediul haul flying.
The arrival in the 1990s of the cheap discount tickets and cheaper airlines....really bulked up in-country flights. A flight from Hamburg to Munich is roughly $110 (in the non-tourist season), round-trip. From Berlin to Munich, it’s $85 round-trip.
But you can travel from Hamburg to Munich by car under 7 hours and under $50 in gas. You can take 4 more people with you. Or you may travel faster in a faster car.
Quite honestly, I have avoided flying because of the time and cost required. Getting to the airport is difficult, parking is expensive. You need to get to the airport about 2 hours before your flight which (for me) often means waking up a 3 or 4 AM. Airports have become zoos (especially the TSA line where you have to undress) and airline cost cutting has not helped. The latest wrinkle is the anxiety you feel when you don’t know if they’ll make you check your carry on or not. It really only makes sense these days if your destination requires 8 or more hours of driving.
One thing I do like about Europe is the train system. Very convenient and inexpensive.
I used to fly 100,000 miles per year and rather dislike flying now.
My local airport in Montana added 233,000 seats last year and filled them all, so I guess lots of folks are flying...
I’ll echo what other people have said. I only fly if Drive or train travel time is over 8 hours. Airport security, parking fees, transportation costs and time at the airport make it too costly and too much of a hassle. Airplane seats and space are too small for my frame. I don’t like being treated like a potential terrorist. Flying the friendly skies is a thing of the past.
And heavily subsidized.
If Nixon had deregulated the railroads instead of doing something like creating Amtrak, we could have had something similar, but in the private sector instead of government-owned.
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