Three Cheers for the Airlines Industry

For a change, let’s not criticize the airline industry. In many ways their performance really blows my mind.

Today I am flying from Nassau to Calgary on a direct flight that in itself is a small miracle. Who would have envisioned direct flights from Western Canada to the Caribbean ten years ago? It is a distinct improvement over the two or three stopovers I encountered on my first trip to the Bahamas in the ‘80s.

I found my own ticket on the Internet and purchased it online. No more travel agents or sitting endlessly in a travel agency or making ten phone calls to correlate the details of the trip with an agent. Today I am my own travel agent. And for further convenience, I can charge the flight to my credit card online and not have to deal with cash or checks as in the past.

This morning I again signed on the Internet and selected my own seat for the flight. No more begging for an emergency exit seat or a window seat. I could pick what I wanted. The final coup was that I could print off my own boarding pass at home and save further time at airport check in. Many airports now provide a special queue for those who have their boarding passes and just need to dispose of their luggage. Will airline miracles never cease?

The logistics that allow me to travel from Nassau to Calgary are truly a miracle. Someone, somewhere has to make sure the planes are fuelled and prepared, the crew is assigned and in place, the baggage handlers know where to load my bags, the check in staff is at work and knowledgeable and the customs and security agents are at their posts. The tasks of thousands of people must be coordinated and synchronized to make sure that MY trip is safe and secure and on time. If my flight was on the only airplane flying today, that would be quite a task. Multiply that by millions of flights around the world today and airline travel is truly one of the unsung miracles of our day.

Hats off to all the men and women who work behind the scenes and on the front lines to allow me to fly safely to Calgary today. Your collective efforts have blown my mind!