That driving costs less than flying is no secret. This is most evident for average families – and the greater the number of kids, the greater the potential for savings.
During 2006 and 2007, the average North American air fare with a Canadian airline was about $250. That means a family of five would have had to pay $1,250 to fly. Lower air fares would undoubtedly be available to those willing to fly shorter distances and in non-peak seasons. Anyone want to fly to the tropics in July? Unfortunately, most Canadians tend to travel during peak season which translates to higher prices – and higher still if the plane has to fly from one coast to another. On the other hand, the cost for a car to cruise the highways remains static, no matter how many people, and animals, fill it.
Consider that the average 2009 minivan uses about 10 kilometres of highway driving per litre. A distance of 1500 kilometres (from Toronto, Ontario to Saint John, New Brunswick, for example) will guzzle 150 litres of gas. If fuel costs $1.50 per litre (a pretty high estimate), the entire family can travel there and back for a reasonable $450. Even if an overnight stay is needed to break up the long drive, since most road side motels are less than $100 per night, a family of five still saves half the cost of air fare. Throw the dog in the car – or a cat for feline fans – and you’re saving another $50 that the airlines charge passengers to stow Benji or Fluffy in a kennel that fits under the seat.
Each year our family saves at least $700 by taking the road over the air, leaving us more cash to spend while we’re in Florida.
My husband and I have driven from Toronto to Florida four times in the past five years. Our fuel costs have ranged from $300 US to $500 US – the fluctuations dependent upon the price of gasoline that year. We usually stop overnight in a hotel each way, costing us anywhere between $60 and $150 per night – the scale for price directly correlating with the scale for luxury. Each year we save at least $700 by taking the low road over the high air which has left us more cash to spend at Florida’s outlet malls (and a day trip or two to Disney World.)
Other than general wear and tear on the vehicle and that extra stop at McDonald’s along the way, road trippers don’t have to fear unplanned costs en route. Airlines, however, are notorious for hidden costs that typically appear in the final tally of passenger tickets. More of the pesky expenses spring up again in the airplane itself. “Would you like a pillow and blanket?” sounds sweet as a flight attendant leans over a shivering grandma. “That’ll be five dollars” – doesn’t sound so nice. A little hungry after sitting on the tarmac for an hour before take off? Well, enjoy that cellophane wrapped packet of salted peanuts. If the plane even stocks a meagre selection of menu items, they will likely be available for a small fee. For drivers, the amount of money spent on food varies upon the family’s appetite. Packing a well-stocked cooler will save a great deal of money on the road and the proliferation of fast food joints along freeways ensure easy access to more substantial meals that will be priced affordably.
When one considers the high cost of flying, coupled with fewer comforts and an ever growing incidence of major flight delays, hitching a ride in the spacious minivan doesn’t seem so bad after all. In 2007, almost a quarter of all flights with American airlines were delayed. By 2009, the delays had dropped to twenty percent, bringing the total number of delays to just under one million flights. When a terrorist tried to bomb a plane headed to Detroit on Christmas day, the delays and cancellations went through the roof for weeks afterward. Toronto Pearson Airport was the worst offender, in fact. Whatever the annual statistics are, they don’t mean much to passengers stranded on a tarmac for hours with no food, wailing babies, and stinky toilets, as happened to 47 people who were forced to sit nine hours on a jet in Rochester, Minneapolis in August 2009. Things are bound to get better, so goes the thinking for the many passengers who’ve been duped by any of the inconveniences that come with flying. They may be right, but the most certain way to a comfortable ride in the sky is to go executive class.
While there appears to be little change forthcoming in the economy seats (tall legs, beware), some airlines are ramping up the luxuries at the front of the plane where the old adage, you get what you pay for couldn’t be more apparent. Air Canada’s web site boasts an abundant list of features for their North American Executive Class passengers including a guaranteed window or aisle seat, “comfy” pillow, and premium wines, spirits and cuisine. The offerings for Economy Class include a pillow and blanket – for a nominal fee, and an individual reading light. While car travel may not be a bastion of spa-like indulgence, at least families can control their schedules and pack any number of items to add comfort to their drive. And it’s nice to know that all the passengers in the car are suffering the same comforts – or lack thereof.
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