There is little else that can set me off as much as taking the time to fight traffic to arrive an hour and a half early for a flight, just to have it delayed. I end up spending more time waiting around the airport than actually flying. What’s really pathetic is the delays are getting worse, to the point that at some hubs, like those in the northeast, they’re the norm.

Needless to say I’ve got plenty of time sitting around airports, to mull over possible solutions to this very large problem.  Once upon a time, I really did enjoy flying, but these days the experience isn’t the same, and the large airports which I tend to frequent are the worst.

On occasion I end up going through a regional airport and it’s like night and day. By and large, you don’t have to arrive hours before your flight, the lines are shorter, and the hassles fewer. Delays don’t happen as often, and when they do the fault is rarely local, but lies instead with some major hub.

So what’s happened to our system of air travel? More travelers, more planes, more flights, all competing for the same airspace, while being managed by antiquated air traffic control technology, are the basic problem.

There is endless debate and finger pointing about resolving it, yet not much happens. It seems to me that modernizing the air traffic control system is a no brainer, and will certainly allow stacking planes closer together, but even doing that will only be a partial solution.   

What would make a lot of sense is to make far more use of regional and local airports. Instead of forcing people to connect through hubs, just create more direct flights between regional facilities. There are some small, fuel-efficient jets available these days that would do the trick.

Of course the rental car companies will be lobbying against that as flying into where you actually want to go will negate having to rent a car as often.

Other solutions include going private. Using charter services that fly smaller aircraft were once far out of reach for most folks, but they are becoming a more competitive alternative.

Nowadays they’re mostly pure hype. They still claim to offer the same rewards, but it’s simply not true. They’ve so diluted the program that the rewards have become useless. By giving away miles for all sorts of reasons that have nothing to do with flying, the actual flyers don’t even have to be loyal to earn miles.

But the real problem is that by giving away miles for all these other reasons, there are more folks trying to use them than the airlines have available seats. Each flight has only a handful of seats obtainable by redeeming miles but with everyone and their cat trying to cash in, they go fast. Instead of 2 or 3 weeks planning ahead, you can count on needing 6 to 9 months lead time.

Who wants to plan that far into the future? I like to pick up and go when I want, and that used to be possible using my miles. But no more. It also means you’re going to have the added expense of purchasing trip insurance because no way can one tell what might happen that far out.

I’ve had elite status for years but have stopped caring about mileage programs because it’s hardly worth the effort anymore. It’s more trouble trying to use the miles than they’re worth.

Here’s an example. With tons of miles stacked up, I recently tried to book a trip using them. Even looking out nearly six months, there were no seats. Well there were a few, but only by spending about 3 times the miles. The coach seats I got for a trip six months out, cost the same miles as those I got a couple years ago, with only six weeks advance planning and going first class.

And are the perks really worthwhile? Being able to board early means more of a chance of getting your carry-on into an overhead. Then again, that’s only become necessary because of the hassles of waiting on luggage or the airlines losing it.

Upgrades to the front of the plane are nice since you actually get a decent seat with leg room. Of course if airlines provided adequate seating in the first place, this would be a non-issue.

Similarly, using first-class check-in to bypass the long coach lines is useful but truth is no one should be required to wait forever in line. With the kiosks it’s gotten better, but like most things with airports, they’re still understaffed.

The reality is that airline seats have become a simple commodity. There is little to distinguish one from another, and therefore none of them deserve loyalty anymore. These days I find that by waiting until the last minute, I can buy seats at super discounts, and that works for me.