Why Airlines Make Flights Longer On Purpose
Flights are much longer than they were a few decades ago. For example, in 1973, a flight from New York City to Houston, Texas, was only two and a half hours long. However, the same flight takes almost four hours today.
Why does it take longer to fly the same distance? The simple answer is fuel efficiency.
Fuel is very expensive and airlines can save millions of dollars a year by flying more slowly. In less than 20 years, the price of airplane fuel has gone from about eight US cents per liter to over 50 cents per liter. In 2008, when fuel prices reached $1.03 per liter, the airline JetBlue saved about $13.6 million by adding less than two minutes to each of its flights.
Fuel costs are also the reason that airlines are trying to make planes weigh less. This involves changes to the planes themselves, such as using lighter materials, and charging more money for luggage.
Flights may also feel longer because of something called "schedule padding," which is when an airline adds a few minutes to the expected arrival time to seem more punctual. For example, your ticket might show a 10:30 a.m. arrival, while the actual arrival time is 10:15 a.m.
Airlines flying within the European Union (EU) have another reason to arrive on time: since February 2005, anyone flying to or from an EU airport has been able to receive up to about $670 if their flight is more than three hours late.
