Most Americans feel about the airlines and .gov handouts to the Airline Industry just as the ranter in the OP. Many sources claim that around 40% of Americans fly commercially each year. The other 60% of us are subsidizing their travel desires.
But we all know how polls can be manipulated depending on the agenda of the pollsters. I am skeptical of the accuracy of these numbers. They would be easy to skew simply by directing calls toward upper level businessmen and executives.
The median American HOUSEHOLD income for 2018 was 62,000/anum. Take state, federal, property, & local taxes out of that. Take out a mortgage or rent payment, car payment, insurance on a house and car; gas, tires, fuel, and repairs on the car, and then groceries, electricity, water, & sewer for the house.
That does not leave much cash left over for frivolities such as air travel.
I know. If I get enough overtime, I can just about hit that $62,000 number. I will die with never having seen the inside of an airport. As will the vast majority of my family and social group. (Of course there is that group which just puts the tickets on the Visa Card, and then takes out bankruptcy after they get home.) You and I are subsidizing them again.
Most of us are just a bit tired of subsidizing other peoples vacations.
Flying isn't that expensive. Say that you want to go fishing in Florida from Idaho. Between the gas, tolls, hotel stays on the road and depreciation on your vehicle, it would be cheaper to fly. That and instead of driving 5-6 days, you're fishing.
My wife and I fly to LA every year to visit her family at Thanksgiving. Plane fare for two is around $1500. It's a lot better than 3 days driving each way, 6 extra nights in hotels and putting 5000 miles on a personal vehicle.
