How much does it cost to go to space like William Shatner?

It's the dawn of a new space age.

William Shatner, who for decades explored space on screen as "Star Trek's" Captain Kirk, finally launched into the final frontier.

"Everybody in the world needs to do this," he said. "Everybody in the world needs to see it."

On Wednesday, the 90-year-old became the oldest person in space, a title briefly held by Mary Wallace "Wally" Funk and previously held by legendary astronaut John Glenn. At age 82, Funk, a longtime champion of women in space, joined Amazon founder Jeff Bezos on Blue Origin's flight to the edge of space in July.

What does this mean for the future of civilian space travel? Will space become the next ultimate human amusement park?

NASA Director Phil McAlister weighs in after more than 20 years working in the space industry.

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How much does it cost to go into space?

It depends, says McAlister. For a trip on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo and Blue Origin's New Shepard, seats typically cost $250,000 to $500,000.

"Those are suborbital transportation systems. They are about a 15-minute ride, and they just barely touch the edge of space and then come back down. They don't go into orbit," McAlister says.

SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission in September was different.

The spacecraft of civilians was in orbit and circling the Earth for three days, similar to orbital spaceflight required for astronauts to get to the International Space Station.

►Rocket visuals: Visual explainer: SpaceX flight puts all-civilian crew of 4 into Earth orbit for 3 days

►The Inspiration4 mission: No professional astronauts: SpaceX will launch first all-civilian crew into orbit tonight

Jared Isaacman, a 38-year-old billionaire high-school dropout who promoted the flight as a massive fundraising effort for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, paid for it all.

Issacman, a pilot who is qualified to fly commercial and military jets, reached a deal with SpaceX in late 2020 for the mission.

Neither is saying how much he paid SpaceX, an Elon Musk-founded company, for the launch, though Isaacman has said it was far less than the $200 million he hoped to raise for St. Jude.

For NASA astronauts, McAlister says, orbital trips can have a $58 million price tag, based on averages calculated from commercial contracts with SpaceX and Boeing.

While $58 million may seem like a lot, it's actually a great bargain for NASA.

After retiring its space shuttle, NASA had to pay Russia around $80 million for each seat on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft.

The privatization of space by American companies

This initiative to partner public and private resources for American space exploration has been years in the making.

NASA has been working with SpaceX and Boeing on their systems for the last 10 years, transferring their knowledge from more than 60 years of human spaceflight and innovation in low Earth orbit.

"During that 60 years, only about 600 people have flown the space, and the vast majority of them have been government astronauts. I think in the next 60 years, that number is going to go up dramatically, and the vast majority of them are going to be private citizens," McAlister says.

►Inspiration4 mission makes history: Cancer survivor Hayley Arceneaux to become youngest American in space with SpaceX launch

The goal for NASA is to eventually retire the International Space Station and allow companies to build their own space stations with the latest technological designs that require less maintenance.

In the future, astronauts could just rent seats on space shuttles and stay at rooms in space stations, similar to how business travelers buy plane tickets from airlines and sleep in hotels.

"If you remember back when airline travel first debuted, it was very expensive, and it was only for the very wealthy that can afford it. And then entrepreneurs entered the market. Forces of competition brought prices down to the point where today, most people, not everybody, but most people can afford a flight from New York to California," says McAlister. "I'm hoping that the same thing happens with human space transportation."

What would a trip to space look like?

Getting onto a spaceship definitely wouldn't be as simple as a check-in process at the airport. The participants on Inspiration4 had to train for months, understand spacecraft systems and prepare for the physical toll of space.

Here's who joined billionaire Jared Isaacman on the mission:

►Hayley Arceneaux, a physician assistant at St. Jude. She was treated for bone cancer herself at the hospital as a child.

►Chris Sembroski, an aerospace worker from Seattle who was selected from among 72,000 entries based donations to St. Jude.

►Sian Proctor, an educator and trained pilot who was a finalist in NASA's 2009 astronaut class.

SpaceX and Isaacman unveiled their project to the world in a TV ad that ran during the Super Bowl in February encouraging people to apply for the mission.

The crew ran a series of experiments related to health research, such as drawing blood and measuring sleep activity.

Research institutes and medical schools will use the data to understand how the human body is affected by space, and how to make space a potential travel, or living, destination.

In a SpaceX press briefing, SpaceX Director Benji Reed said, "We want to make life multiplanetary, and that means putting millions of people in space."

McAlister also imagined that a big chunk of the crew's time was spent just looking out the window, staring in awe at the curvature of the Earth and the thin blue line of atmosphere encircling it.

"You can see the Earth, the whole Earth from space, and there's no boundaries. There's no borders, and you feel a connectedness to the human race that you didn't necessarily feel before," says McAlister. "You come back with a better appreciation for our home planet."

Florida Day contributed. Michelle Shen is a Money & Tech Digital Reporter for USATODAY. You can reach her @michelle_shen10 on Twitter.

Virgin Galactic tickets to space will cost $450,000

Virgin Galactic will soon sell tickets for space trips to the public. The catch? They cost $450,000.

On Tuesday, the aerospace company announced plans to sell tickets to the general public to snag a seat for a future spaceflight.

Reservations open up Feb. 16 and will cost $450,000. Potential travelers must pay a $150,000 deposit to hold the spot, then pay the rest before their flight. Tickets will be available to 1,000 customers for trips later this year.

The flights will take off from Spaceport America in New Mexico. Virgin Galactic said trips will last about 90 minutes.

"The spaceship gracefully flips while astronauts enjoy several minutes of out-of-seat weightlessness and breath-taking views of Earth from the spaceship’s 17 windows," reads a statement from the company.

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Virgin Galactic is among several companies including SpaceX and Blue Origin – run by tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos respectively – pressing forward with plans to eventually support commercial space travel.

On July 11, Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson was among six crewmembers who traveled aboard the company's space plane, the VSS Unity. Two months later, the Federal Aviation Administration said it was investigating the flight.

Blue Origin launched a manned flight on July 20 with Bezos among the members of the crew. In September, SpaceX launched its first flight with an all-civilian crew.

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.

Flights are taking huge 'detours' to avoid Russian air space. Here's ...

CNN —

Since Russia closed its airspace to airlines from dozens of countries at the end of February – in response to sanctions levied for its invasion of Ukraine – about 400 flights per month that had previously been routed over the country are being forced to take a wider berth, according to Flightradar24.

In lieu of using Russian airspace, some flights from Europe to Asia are flying south of the country or, in some cases, taking a painfully long reroute over the Arctic. And Russia is huge; it’s the largest country on the planet – larger than the continent of Antarctica.

The new routes are leading to more time in the air for passengers and crew, more miles flown and more fuel burned – which means more planet-warming emissions.

Japan Airlines Flight JL43 from Tokyo to London, for instance, uses a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft that burns roughly 2,300 gallons of fuel per hour. The rerouted JL43 flight – which now heads east over the North Pacific, Alaska, Canada and Greenland – added 2.4 hours of flight time and likely burned around 5,600 gallons more fuel, a 20% increase.

That means Flight JL43 could be emitting an additional 54,000 kilograms, or 60 tons, of planet-warming carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, according to calculations by Paul Williams, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Reading, for CNN. That’s the same amount of carbon dioxide as the average car driving 137,000 miles, or nearly six times around the planet.

Williams said the exact fuel burn rate depends on the weight of the aircraft, the altitude and airspeed, and some of those variables are unknown. These calculations also do not factor in the warming effect of other greenhouse gas emissions or the flights’ condensation trails.

“Naturally, a lot of people when thinking about aviation and climate, they focus on the CO2 emitted,” Williams told CNN. “But, actually, it’s much worse than that. CO2 is actually just the tip of the iceberg. The extra flight time is causing a lot more warming than the mileages I gave you because they only take into account the CO2, not the other non-CO2 effects.”

Dan Rutherford, director of the International Council on Clean Transportation’s aviation and marine programs, told CNN that Williams’ calculations “look reasonable.”

“If anything, he is underestimating the likely impact because, at the margin, long-haul flights become even more fuel intensive with extra distance because they ‘burn fuel to carry fuel,’ in industry parlance,” Rutherford said.

In other words, it’s a vicious, fuel-guzzling loop: It takes more fuel to carry the weight of more fuel.

According to Flightradar24, the aircraft tracking service, there are a limited number of flights – mostly Finnair flights – taking the polar route around Russia. Others are taking a southern route.

Lufthansa Flight LH716 from Frankfurt to Tokyo, for example, has added nearly an hour to its flight time. The Airbus A340 aircraft typically burns around 2,000 gallons of fuel an hour, which could mean the extra flight time burned another 1,428 gallons of fuel.

That’s an additional 13,710 kilograms of planet-warming emissions – the same amount released by an average car driving 34,000 miles, or nearly twice around the world.

Rutherford estimated that if Russian airspace remains closed for much longer, the global aviation carbon inventory may increase by up to 1%.

That seems very low, but air travel is a significant contributor to the climate crisis, accounting for more than 2% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions as of 2018, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. The institute notes that if the aviation industry were its own country, it would rank No. 6 in carbon emissions.

“[However], I consider that a marginal impact that governments shouldn’t consider when setting policy regarding the Ukrainian invasion,” Rutherford told CNN. “It’s a small price to pay to defend global democracy and the international rule of law, in my personal opinion.”

Flying can make up a huge portion of a person’s carbon footprint. For instance, a one-way intercontinental flight between Hong Kong and San Francisco emits more carbon dioxide than the average British person’s activities – or that of 10 people living in Ghana – over the course of a year, according to a 2020 analysis published in the journal Nature. “Fly less” is often the first line of expert advice for people looking to reduce their climate impact.

But with the aviation industry struggling to decarbonize, Williams said he expects emissions from aviation to only increase over time.

“Aviation is finding it really difficult to decarbonize than the rest of the economy,” he said. “Because the plane needs so much energy to generate the thrust, it’s really problematic to move away from fossil fuels. So aviation is a small part of the jigsaw currently, but in the coming decades, it will grow as a fraction of global emissions.”

But right now, the extra emissions are unavoidable, Williams said. There are no other options than taking the long way around Russia.

Airlines can invest in new, more efficient aircrafts and shift to sustainable aviation fuels, Rutherford said, but those are long-term solutions. Short-term strategies are limited.

“The extra fuel use and emissions, and also extra fuel cost due to higher oil prices generally, are basically inescapable for airlines,” Rutherford said. “In addition to paying more, they can reduce payload – passengers or carriage – at the cost of some revenue, or they can cancel the flight.”

In February, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that the “current events” showed the world was too reliant on fossil fuels, calling them “a dead end.” A recent UN climate report shows that unless Earth’s warming is dramatically slowed, billions of people and other species may no longer be able to adapt to irreversible changes brought by fossil fuel emissions.

Rutherford said he expects “renewed interest in developing alternative fuels in shipping and aviation, to distance those industries from Russian energy exports.”

“This particular war is causing a wide rethink about getting off of fossil fuels,” he said.

What each U.S. airline charges for a bigger seat

Rick Seaney

Special for USA TODAY

Air travel today can be a cramped mess, but who wants to pay an arm and a leg for a spacious spot in business class? On the bright side, a few extra bucks can often get you a few extra inches of legroom and even a single inch of seat pitch (the distance between the seat in front of you and your own) can make a difference.

If you’re on an airline that allows you to choose an economy seat for free and that’s all you care about, SeatGuru has seating maps for every carrier’s aircraft. The only problem is airlines can sometime switch planes at the last minute, so your aisle up front could disappear.

Sometimes, a few extra bucks can be worth it. Here's what some airlines charge for a better seat in economy.

Think airline seats have gotten smaller? They have

American: Starting at $4 (and up), you can get a more advantageous seat such as an aisle or window. But an extra $20 or more nets the real payoff of up to six more inches of legroom. Warning: Prices can rise to close to $200 per seat, depending on the route.

Delta: Extra comfort in the form of up to four more inches of legroom over regular economy need not cost a fortune. Example: On a Los Angeles to San Francisco flight in April, extra legroom was priced at $19 each way, but again, prices vary.

JetBlue: This airline already offers a comparatively good deal, space-wise, with 32 to 33 inches of legroom (compared to 28 on many Spirit flights), plus an 18-inch-wide seat. But you can get even more starting at $10 one-way by purchasing the Even More Space seat.

Southwest: You get a lot of freebies when you travel on Business Select (including totally refundable tickets, free drinks and free TV) but these tickets can cost 10 times as much as the cheap Wanna Get Away fares and all seats are the same size. If you want the comfort of an aisle or window, or a seat close to the front, EarlyBird boarding is your best bet. The ticket add-on is $15 per flight (just raised from $12.50) no matter where you fly and because of Southwest's open seating policy you can be among the first to choose where you'll sit.

Spirit: The ultra discounter gives you no choice of seats if you do not pay; you’ll simply be assigned one randomly. Basic seat selection costs from $1-$50 or get a Big Front Seat (additional legroom, no middle seat) for $12-$199, depending on the flight.

United: Book an Economy Plus seat for a single flight from $9 to $299 or if you fly a lot and fly far, book a subscription form $499 to $1,099. You can also book Economy Plus packages that provide other goodies.

The worst places to sit on a plane

FareCompare CEO Rick Seaney is an airline industry insider and top media air travel resource. Follow Rick (@rickseaney) and never overpay for airfare again.

Flying with a service dog? Here's a guide to all the rules

Updated federal rules for flying with service animals took effect in January 2021 and the changes have caused confusion for travelers and airlines. In some cases, people's service dogs were denied boarding.

Two women told The Arizona Republic that Allegiant Air wrongfully denied their service dogs. One of them had been unaware prior to her flight that the rules had changed.

In December 2020, the U.S. Department of Transportation revised the Air Carrier Access Act. The DOT issued a final ruling that outlines how airlines must accommodate passengers traveling with service animals. The changes included:

No longer allowing emotional support animals as service animals.

Narrowing the definition of a service animal to only include dogs.

Requiring airlines to treat psychiatric service animals the same as other service animals without additional documentation.

Allowing airlines to require passengers to submit paperwork before boarding with their service dog.

The full 122-page document can be found at https://www.transportation.gov.

If you travel with a service dog, here's what you should know before booking a flight.

Exclusive:NewThese women's service dogs were denied boarding under the new rules

What are the new rules for flying with service dogs?

Among the changes that took effect on Jan. 11, 2021, are:

Airlines can require a traveler with a service dog to complete a DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form and a Service Animal Relief Attestation Form at least 48 hours prior to departure.

Airlines are no longer required to recognize non-task-trained animals such as emotional support animals, comfort animals and service animals in training as service animals.

Airlines can limit passengers to two task-trained service animals per person.

Miniature horses, cats, rabbits and other animals are no longer considered service animals.

Airlines cannot require passengers with psychiatric service animals to provide a letter from a licensed mental health professional.

Passengers traveling with service animals cannot be required to physically check in at the airport.

Service animals can be required to fit within the handler’s foot space on the plane.

What is a service animal?

According to the DOT, “A service animal is a dog, regardless of breed or type, that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or other mental disability.”

Airlines “are prohibited from refusing to transport a service animal based solely on breed or generalized physical type, as distinct from an individualized assessment of the animal’s behavior and health,” the final rule states.

Service dogs, according to the DOT, do not run around freely, bark or growl repeatedly, injure people or urinate or defecate outside of allowed areas.

A trained service animal will remain under the control of its handler,” the final rule reads. “An animal that engages in such disruptive behavior demonstrates that it has not been successfully trained to behave properly in a public setting and carriers are not required to treat it as a service animal without a carrier in the cabin, even if the animal performs an assistive function for a passenger with a disability.”

Can you fly with emotional support dogs?

The DOT’s final rule “excludes all non-task-trained animals, such as emotional support animals, comfort animals and service animals in training.”

However, airlines are allowed, at their discretion, to transport emotional support animals without extra charge. Many airlines, such as United Airlines and American Airlines, treat emotional support animals the same as other pets, which are usually required to be confined to their carriers and incur extra fees.

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What do I need for my service dog to fly?

There are two forms that airlines can require of passengers with service animals. These are the DOT's Service Animal Air Transportation Form and Service Animal Relief Attestation Form.

Carriers can choose to not require any forms from these travelers.

The Service Animal Air Transportation Form is intended to "allow airlines to receive direct assurances from service animal users of their animal’s good behavior and training," according to the DOT's final rule. It educates passengers on how their service dog is expected to behave and potentially deters "individuals who might otherwise seek to claim falsely that their pets are service animals."

Flights that are eight hours or longer can require a Relief Attestation Form, which confirms that the service dog “can relieve itself on the aircraft without creating a health/sanitation issue.”

Airlines can require that these forms be submitted at least 48 hours in advance of departure, and most have adopted this rule. If a last-minute flight is booked, the traveler can submit the forms at the airport. One form covers all segments of a round-trip flight.

The DOT’s final rule reads: “If a passenger’s reservation was made less than 48 hours in advance of the first originally scheduled departure time on the passenger’s itinerary, you may not require that passenger provide advance notice of his or her intent to travel with a service animal. You may require that the passenger complete the forms … and submit a copy of the form to you at the passenger’s departure gate on the date of travel.”

It is a federal crime to give false information on the forms. If an airline suspects fraud, it can notify the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection, which may refer reports to the Office of the Inspector General for investigation and prosecution.

The forms can be found at https://www.transportation.gov.

Can you list yourself as your service animal’s trainer on the DOT form?

Yes. On the Service Animal Air Transportation Form, service dog users are asked to fill in the name of the animal trainer or training organization and the trainer's phone number. If you task-trained your dog yourself, you are permitted to write your own name.

According to the final rule, “service animal users are free to train their own dogs to perform a task or function for them.”

“While DOT provides space on its form for a service animal handler to state the organization or individual that trained the service animal to do work or perform tasks to assist the handler, DOT does not require that individuals with disabilities have their animal trained or evaluated by an accredited organization as a condition of transport,” the final rule reads.

Extra resources:Need a little extra help navigating the airport? Here's how to let staff, TSA know

Does your service dog need certification to fly?

No. Your service dog does not need to be task-trained by an accredited dog-training organization.

However, a service dog must be “both trained to perform a task or function for the passenger with a disability” and “trained to behave in public.”

Does a service dog need to wear a vest or other identifier?

Service dogs are not required to wear anything that identifies them as a working dog. However, service dogs must be harnessed, leashed or otherwise tethered at all times, whether in the airport or on an aircraft.

Airline employees are allowed to ask “whether the animal is required to accompany the passenger because of a disability and what work or task the animal has been trained to perform,” observe its behavior and look for physical indicators such as harnesses and vests in order to verify a dog is a service animal.

According to the final rule, air carriers “are free to view such paraphernalia as evidence that an animal is a service animal; conversely, they are also free to give the presence or lack of presence of such paraphernalia little weight.”

How many service dogs can you bring on a flight?

Airlines are not required to accept more than two service animals per passenger.

Tips for flying with your service dog

Arrive as early as possible. For example, Allegiant Air recommends arriving at least two hours before your departure time.

Submit your DOT form as early as possible. A representative for the airline may ask you for more information about your service dog, such as the tasks it performs. It’s not uncommon for passengers to receive denial letters, and you will need time to resolve the issue before your departure.

Alert the airline that you have a service dog. While booking a flight, look for a way to indicate that you have a service dog. For example, on Allegiant’s website, this can be done by clicking on “special assistance.”

Make sure your dog is up to date on vaccinations. The Service Animal Air Transportation Form has a section attesting to the dog's health, including the date of your dog's last rabies vaccination and the expiration date.

Your dog doesn't have to be small to fly. If your service dog does not fit in the space under the seat in front of you, don't fret.

According to the final rule, "The Department further emphasizes that larger service animals are not automatically prohibited from an aircraft if they do not fit in their handler’s foot space. The final rule continues to require carriers to accommodate such animals by moving them to another seat location within the same class of service where the animal can be accommodated, if available, such as a seat next to an empty seat on the aircraft, if available."

You can purchase a seat for your dog to ensure that it has sufficient space.

Why did the DOT change its service animal rules?

The changes were prompted in part by inconsistent definitions among federal agencies on what constitutes a service animal and an increase of travelers fraudulently claiming their pets were service animals.

“It is reasonable to predict that the Department’s definition will result in an overall reduction in the number of uncrated animals onboard aircraft, thereby reducing the overall number of animal misbehavior incidents (and the overall number of potential allergic reactions) onboard aircraft,” the final rule reads.

The final rule more closely aligns the DOT’s definition of a service animal with the Department of Justice’s definition under the Americans With Disabilities Act.

According to the final rule, the Service Animal Air Transportation Form “would have the potential to serve as a deterrent for individuals who might otherwise seek to claim falsely that their pets are service animals, as those individuals may be less likely to falsify a federal form and thus risk the potential for criminal prosecution.”

The two DOT forms are also intended to help service animal handlers as they “will no longer have to navigate different forms propounded by different airlines.”

How to find an airline’s pet and service animal policies

Here are the links for some of the air carriers that fly out of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport:

Alaska Airlines: https://www.alaskaair.com.

https://www.alaskaair.com. Allegiant Air: https://www.allegiantair.com.

https://www.allegiantair.com. American Airlines: https://www.aa.com.

https://www.aa.com. Delta Air Lines: https://www.delta.com.

https://www.delta.com. Southwest Airlines: https://www.southwest.com.

https://www.southwest.com. United Airlines: https://www.united.com.

Can an airline deny boarding to your service dog?

Yes. The DOT allows airlines to refuse service dogs under certain circumstances. These include if the traveler does not provide any required DOT service animal forms.

However, if you book your flight less than 48 hours before departure, the airline “must still provide the accommodation if you can do so by making reasonable efforts, without delaying the flight.”

Airline personnel can “make an individualized assessment based on reasonable judgement and objective evidence” and deny a service dog if it causes a “significant disruption in the aircraft or at the airport” or poses a direct threat to people’s health or safety.

Airlines “must not deny transportation to the service animal if there are means available short of refusal that would mitigate the problem (e.g., muzzling a barking service dog or taking other steps to comply with animal health regulations needed to permit entry of the service animal into a domestic territory or a foreign country),” according to the final rule.

Also, “The final rule allows airlines to preclude transport of a service animal if doing so would violate applicable safety, health or other regulations of a U.S. federal agency, a U.S. territory or a foreign government.”

What can you do if an airline denies your service dog?

Travelers who experience disability-related problems can call the DOT's toll-free hotline at 800-778-4838 or 800-455-9880 (TTY). The hotline can provide general information about your rights and assist with time-sensitive, disability-related issues from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time on weekdays, with the exception of federal holidays.

“If you encounter a disability-related issue about an airline accommodation or service, ask to speak to the airline’s Complaint Resolution Official. A CRO is the airline’s expert in disability related issues in air travel and has the authority to resolve complaints on behalf of the airline,” the DOT’s page for air travel complaints reads.

A spokesperson for the DOT told The Republic, “If a consumer believes that an airline has discriminated against him or her on the basis of his or her disability, which includes not providing required accommodations, the consumer can quickly and easily file a complaint with the Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection through its online complaint form.”

The complaint will be forwarded to the airline for response, at which point an analyst at the DOT will review both statements and determine whether the airline violated the traveler's rights. A DOT attorney will then review the case, and an analysis of their findings will be mailed to the complainant.

For more information, go to https://www.transportation.gov.

If an airline denies transportation to a service animal, it is required to provide a written statement of the reason for refusal.

According to the final rule, “This statement must include the specific basis for the carrier’s opinion that the refusal meets the (DOT’s) standards.” The airline should provide this written explanation either at the airport or within 10 days of refusal.

According to the DOT's website, "You may be able to seek recourse through small claims court." A separate page explains that "You may file a complaint in small claims court when you can show that a person or a business owes you money or has harmed you financially and will not pay."

Corey Lovato, a staff attorney at the Arizona Center for Disability Law, told The Arizona Republic that options for recovery are limited because the ACAA “does not allow for, essentially, a person to file a lawsuit against the airline.”

“All they can do is file a complaint with the Department Transportation that they may or may not investigate, and if they don't (investigate), (the person’s) only remedy is to file a lawsuit against the Department of Transportation,” he said.

Reach the reporter at kimi.robinson@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @kimirobin and Instagram @ReporterKiMi.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This is what it was like to fly in the 1930s

queviv

special for USA TODAY

While mankind's foray into flying began in the early 20th century, the modern air travel industry as we know it didn't truly grow its roots until the 1930s. As metal planes returned home from post-war posturing, a boom in passenger interest and sufficient technology to reach a slew of international destinations made the 1930s the start of something big. But like any major technology, commercial flight didn't come without growing pains. If you think you have a lot to complain about now when it comes to air travel, take a look at what it was like to fly in the 30s.

The birth of a global sensation. Just 6,000 Americans traveled commercially by airplane in all of 1930, according to Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum . Only four years later, that number would multiply by 75 times — 450,000 passengers flew in 1934, a number that would be dwarfed once more in another four years, when 1.2 Million Americans traveled by air. The 1930s were truly the decade that commercial air travel became a worldwide sensation.

The transition from wood to metal planes changes the world. In the aftermath of World War I, the victorious nations found themselves with quite a significant number of planes — both fighter and support vehicles — on hand. And just like that, the commercial air travel industry, ahem, took off. New, metallic planes weren't just more durable during wartime; they also withstood the dramatic changes in climate that a vehicle might experience when traveling between, say, Boston and the Caribbean. Metal-bodied planes didn't just enable longer routes, they enabled air travel along longitudinal lines, where climates change from arctic to temperate to tropical to arid, and then back again.

Higher! Faster! A decade of full throttle flying. The transition to metal planes enabled aircraft to push past the limitations that had remained mostly set in stone since the advent of flight. The first commercial flight in 1914 hovered at a cruising altitude of just 5 feet in the air. In the 1930s, planes began to hit the 200 mph mark, and settled into a cruising altitude of about 13,000 feet.

Not for the faint of heart. British Airways Empire Class planes in the 1930s were equipped with three state-of-the art flying lavatories, but it was widely understood that their actual usage was to be avoided at nearly all costs. Just because we as humans suddenly could fly at 13,000 feet didn't mean that we had necessarily worked out all of the kinks just yet. According to Gizmodo, planes would regularly drop hundreds of feet mid air with no warning. Today's gentle alerts from the cabin to return to your seat and buckle up as the plane may experience some coming turbulence were born out of the horror of this era's actually turbulent flights.

Not if, but when you get sick. While experiments with oxygen enrichment of cabin air date back to the early 1920s, widespread adoption of standardized cabin pressurization didn't hit the airline industry until the 1940s, according to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. This meant that oxygen tank-assisted breathing was a regular occurrence on flights in the 30s, and air sickness bowls could be found under each seat.

Extreme temperature fluctuations were also an unfortunate fact of flying at the time. Air conditioning and heating wouldn't alleviate these discomforts until the end of the decade. We have blankets on flights today because of the absolutely necessity for them in the 1930s.

It cost an arm and a leg (or half a car). A roundtrip ticket from coast to coast cost about $260 in the 1930's. Some context: the average automobile at the time cost just double that. Flying was an exciting new thrill, but only for the few who could afford it.

Pack a book to read (Or maybe just write one of your own). Our great-grandparents would be embarrassed at our tendency to bemoan the hardships of a 15 hour, non-stop flight. Today's 12-hour flight from London to Singapore would have taken 8 days in 1934, with 22 separate layovers to refuel in exotic locales like Athens, Gaza, Baghdad, Sharja, Calcutta and Bangkok. While we may cringe at that sort of time-intensive itinerary today, it sure beat the then month-long trek by boat that was really the only alternative.

All roads lead to Cairo. While London Heathrow, Dubai and Atlanta hog the limelight when it comes to major hubs here in the present, in the 1930s it was all about Cairo. Uniquely positioned as a nexus between Europe, Africa and Asia, you would have been hard-pressed to travel anywhere between the three without touching down in Cairo along the way.

JetBlue basic economy: No carry-on bags for lowest-fare flights

JetBlue Airways is shaking up its ticket perks and restrictions, with some changes that will thrill travelers and a major one that will infuriate plenty of passengers.

The biggest news for travelers who book the cheapest fare they find: JetBlue says it is lowering prices on many basic economy tickets to better compete with no-frills discounters like Spirit, Frontier and Allegiant.

The lower fares will come with a major catch, however. Travelers buying JetBlue's "Blue Basic'' tickets beginning next week will not be allowed to bring a traditional carry-on bag as of July 20. They will only be allowed to bring a small bag that fits underneath the seat. Other bags have to be checked for a fee.

United Airlines has a similar restriction on its basic economy tickets. American and Delta do not. (Southwest Airlines doesn't have basic economy tickets.) Spirit, Frontier and Allegiant passengers have to pay a fee to bring a full-size carry-on bag on board.

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JetBlue executives said they are adding the carry-on bag ban for basic economy passengers for two reasons. The airline wants to align its restrictions with those of the no-frills carriers and it wants to free up overhead bin space as part of a bold new promise guaranteeing other passengers spots for their carry-on bags.

Beginning July 20, JetBlue will guarantee passengers buying any ticket but a basic economy ticket for flights within the U.S. room for one carry-on in the overhead bins. If the airline runs out of space and a passenger's bag has to be checked at the gate, the airline said it will issue a $25 travel credit good for one year.

Worries about having enough room for carry-on bags is a top stressor for travelers, with most of JetBlue's planes only able to accommodate about 60% of passengers' carry-on bags if everyone brings on a roller bag.

"We're really excited to be offering this … first-of-its-kind in the United States carry-on bag guarantee,'' said Dave Clark, JetBlue's vice president of sales and revenue management. "We think that makes our (standard economy) Blue Fare really strong.''

In a memo to employees about the changes, JetBlue said travelers have enjoyed not having to jockey for overhead bin space during the coronavirus pandemic given less-full planes. U.S. airlines carried 60% fewer passengers in 2020, the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported Tuesday.

"As customers return, we want to hold on to a little of this zen during the boarding process and make overhead bin space an expectation, not a gamble,'' the memo says.

No more ticket-change fees on JetBlue – unless you buy a basic economy ticket

JetBlue is also joining its rivals in eliminating change fees for all tickets but basic economy tickets.

One positive change on this front for those buying JetBlue's Blue Basic tickets: The airline will allow ticket changes for a fee of $100 or $200 per person depending on the route. The fee for flights within the United States is $100.

American, United and Delta do not allow ticket changes for basic economy passengers, even for a fee, except for same-day standby travel in some cases.

JetBlue and other airlines have been waiving change fees for all ticket holders during the pandemic, even those with basic economy tickets. But those policies are expiring at many airlines. JetBlue's current policy covers tickets purchased through March 31.

Why is JetBlue messing with its basic economy fares?

JetBlue announced basic economy tickets in 2018 and launched them in November 2019, much later than competitors.

The goal: to better compete with rapidly growing discounters, which offer bargain ticket prices and charge extra for carry-on bags, advance seat selection, even soft drinks and soda.

The pandemic has heightened competition in the industry, especially to and from vacation destinations, a major specialty of JetBlue.

JetBlue President Joanna Geraghty said JetBlue overlaps with budget carrier routes in half of its markets, with the figure topping 80% in South Florida.

The discounters have lower fares than JetBlue on some routes, sometimes just slightly lower, and travelers who do a quick online search gobble them up instead of comparing the airlines' in-flight amenities, she said. JetBlue offers free in-flight TV, WiFi and snacks. Allegiant, Spirit and Frontier do not.

"If you're someone who purchases entirely on price – and a lot of my friends fall into this category – they will pick the airline with the lowest fare and not look behind that,'' Geraghty said. "We need to make sure that we are in the decision set for the customers who purchase solely on fare.''

The airline isn't taking away any of the amenities for basic economy passengers except the carry-on bag, she said, and is confident budget-conscious passengers who try the airline for the first time will pick JetBlue the next time they have a choice.

"I think this ultra-price-sensitive customer has been so underserved for so long,'' Geraghty said.

As with all airlines offering basic economy fares, JetBlue is also banking that less-price-sensitive travelers will see the restrictions and trade up to regular economy.

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Biden administration proposes rule seeking airline fee transparancy

Hidden airline fees may be a thing of the past.

The Biden administration is proposing a new rule that would require airlines and third-party booking sites to "disclose upfront – the first time an airfare is displayed – any fees charged to sit with your child, for changing or cancelling your flight, and for checked or carry-on baggage," the Department of Transportation announced Monday.

"You should know the full cost of your ticket right when you're comparison-shopping to begin with what airline you're going to fly with, so you can pick the ticket that actually is the best deal for you," President Joe Biden said at a White House Competition Council meeting Monday.

Some travelers are surprised when they have to pay extra for things like carry-on bags or seat selection, but an industry group representing the nation's largest airlines says they "already offer transparency to consumers from first search to touchdown."

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Not-so-hidden fees

"A4A passenger carriers provide details regarding the breakdown of airfares on their websites, providing consumers clarity regarding the total cost of a ticket," Airlines for America said in a statement to USA TODAY.

"In addition to the total cost, the terms of ticket selection for these options are stated at the time of purchase," added the group, whose members include American, United, Delta, Southwest, JetBlue, Hawaiian and Alaska airlines.

When booking a basic economy flight on Delta Air Lines, for example, customers are prompted to accept clearly stated restrictions before booking the lower-priced fare. Spirit Airlines, which is not part of Airlines for America, also lists what kinds of fees passengers can expect and walks customers through various add-ons in the booking process.

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Why make a rule?

The Department of Transportation acknowledges fees are listed on airline websites.

"But it's difficult to determine the cost of travel because airlines generally provide a range of fees for ancillary services except for baggage," a Department of Transportation spokesperson told USA TODAY, noting that fees can vary based on a number of factors including the type of aircraft used and when passengers pay for the related service. "For baggage, although carriers and ticket agents are required today to inform consumers during the booking process that airline fees for baggage may apply and where consumers can see baggage fees, consumers are often diverted to complex charts that are confusing."

The newly proposed rule would require fees to be listed up front, not in links or anything customers would have to navigate to separately. Additionally, any airlines that charge fees for adjacent seating would be required to allow passengers traveling with young children to be able to purchase adjacent seating "at all points of sale."

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When would the rule take effect?

Before a rule can be made, a 60-day public comment period is required following the proposal's publication in the Federal Register. A final rule can only be made after public comments are considered.

This proposed rule stems from an executive order Biden issued in July aimed at increasing economic competition within the federal government.

Airlines for America said its members are already "very competitive."

'Not much hope for economy class passengers': Airline passengers ...

Christopher Elliott

Special to USA TODAY

The start of the summer travel season is only a few weeks away, but people in the know have already identified the most pressing problem: dangerously cramped airline seats.

Danielle Belyeu got a preview of the coming chaos on a recent flight from Paris to Atlanta.

"The passenger in front of me reclined," Belyeu said. "He was literally in my lap."

Belyeu's only choice was to recline her seat to create a little more space, which triggered a domino effect in economy class.

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Belyeu knows a thing or two about personal space on flights. As a travel adviser, she has watched coach-class seats go from reasonably comfortable to the point where you can hardly fit in them. And she believes the worst is yet to come.

Cramped cabins are breeding grounds for midair conflicts. In just the past week, a passenger on a United Airlines flight attacked a flight attendant and tried to open a door, and two passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight got into an ugly brawl that turned into a viral video. So now what?

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Here comes the summer squeeze

How much worse can the seats get? A lot worse.

"It's price increases accompanied by a declining customer experience," said Mario Matulich, president of Customer Management Practice.

Passengers got a small reprieve during the pandemic. Airlines, which had quietly eliminated legroom and personal space in economy class by the year, stopped moving their seats closer together because of the pandemic and social distancing concerns.

But now, with a serious threat of government regulation looming, domestic airlines are under pressure to shrink their seats as much as possible.

Late last year, six U.S. senators urged the Federal Aviation Administration to stop airlines from shrinking their seats. There's a reasonably good chance the FAA will act, according to experts like Matulich, although it's unclear when or even what it will do.

But airlines aren't taking any chances. They're squishing more passengers on their planes before the imposition of any new rules.

What the summer squeeze will feel like

So what will the summer seat squeeze feel like? Just ask Marian Styles, who flew from San Francisco to Sydney last month. On her aircraft, a Boeing 777-300ER, the seats in economy class had been reconfigured from the original nine-seat-across layout to 10 seats across.

Her 17-inch-wide seat made her feel as if she were in a straightjacket, says Styles, a retired technical editor from Charlottesville, Virginia.

"The entire flight was miserable, and I was awake for all 15 hours of it."

Mike Heck, vice president of supplier solutions for Fox World Travel, predicts passengers who haven't flown in a while will be shocked to see the reduction in seat pitch and width.

"With flights being fuller, there is a very good possibility that we will see an increase in tensions over decreased personal seat space," he said.

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That's the polite way of describing the coming airline seat wars. The flashpoints include:

Reclining-seat skirmishes. With only 28 to 31 inches of space between seats in economy class, passengers are doing whatever they can to create more space, including pushing, prodding, leaning and bullying.

With only 28 to 31 inches of space between seats in economy class, passengers are doing whatever they can to create more space, including pushing, prodding, leaning and bullying. Armrest territorial conflicts. Some airlines have narrowed their seats to fit more passengers. That means many travelers won't be able to fit in their seats and will spill over to the armrest. Conflicts are impossible to avoid.

Some airlines have narrowed their seats to fit more passengers. That means many travelers won't be able to fit in their seats and will spill over to the armrest. Conflicts are impossible to avoid. Overhead bin blowups. With space at a premium, there isn't enough space for a carry-on bag. Passengers will go to war over their right to the overhead bin space.

A rare combination of record demand, full flights, smaller seats and the first summer without the ever-present threat of pandemic shutdown is fueling this conflict.

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What to do about the summer airline seat squeeze

So what to do about this coming crisis? I mean, besides not flying?

To survive the summer squeeze, experts say, you'll have to adopt an unusual attitude. Because these could be the most cramped flying conditions in modern history – and that is not hyperbole – you'll have to assume the worst will happen.

Etiquette expert Adeodata Czink, who usually is all about fairness and respect, said passengers should not even put their arms on the armrests.

"It's tough, but you don't want to have a really bad neighbor for eight hours," she said.

Ditto for luggage.

"On an airplane, everything is shared space and nobody owns anything, including the overhead bin above your seat," said Nick Leighton, host of the weekly etiquette podcast Were You Raised By Wolves?

This advice is a departure from what etiquette experts were preaching before the pandemic. Back then, they advocated for common courtesy and fairness. Now, to keep the cabin from erupting in conflict, they're advising their clients to back down and not to stake a claim on anything – not the armrest, the personal space, the overhead luggage storage.

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Is that a solution to the summer squeeze?

That's a short-term fix for the summer squeeze. Sure, backing down and letting someone else claim the armrest, lean into your space and use the overhead bin space is one way to remove all conflict.

But it solves nothing over the long term.

We are still stuck in a pressurized aluminum tube, hurtling through the air at 500 mpiles per hour. And the airline industry has the audacity to say that passengers asked for these claustrophobia-inducing seats because we wanted low fares. What nonsense. No one asked for this.

Speaking of cheap fares, I asked Jeff Klee, CEO of CheapAir.com, what he thought would fix the summer squeeze.

"There is not much hope for economy class passengers without more government regulation," he told me.

Maybe it's that simple. The free market was supposed to lower fares and give us more choices. But the free market didn't deliver. We have higher fares and fewer choices – and dangerous flying conditions. Maybe the only long-term fix to the summer squeeze is careful government regulation to ensure no one else gets hurt.

Christopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes Elliott Confidential, a travel newsletter, and the Elliott Report, a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can reach him here or email him at chris@elliott.org.

United adds roomier plane to an Indianapolis-Chicago flight

While many airlines are reducing legroom and overhead bin space, a new flight on United Airlines is doing the opposite.

On Sunday, United launched flights between Chicago O'Hare International Airport and 15 cities on a new aircraft, the Bombardier CRJ-550, which is the world's only two-cabin, 50-seat aircraft, reported The Indianapolis Star, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.

Jonathan Guerin, United Airlines spokesman, said the original 70-seat planes were stripped of 20 seats and reconfigured.

"Whether you are in economy or economy plus or even in this front cabin on this aircraft, the amount of room and space is much greater than any other 50-seat aircraft," he said.

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Ten of the seats are reserved for first class, 20 are economy plus and 20 are economy. First class has the widest seats, the most seat incline and ample legroom and perks such as a closet to hang clothes. Economy plus seats are narrower and have less incline and legroom. Economy has the least.

Motivating factors

Brett Snyder, who operates airline industry blog Cranky Flier, got to see one of the planes during a recent media day and called it a "beautiful plane." But passenger amenities are not the only reason for introducing this type of plane, Snyder said.

United, American and Delta all have agreements with pilots for how much flying the airline can outsource to regional partners. United has a restriction on the number of 70- to 76-seat airplanes it can operate but no restrictions on 50-seat planes, Snyder said.

"United is trying to catch up to the competition by doing this," Snyder said. "They have rolled out what is by nature an incredibly generous product: a big airplane with a lot of extra room. It benefits every flyer that goes on this airplane, no question."

First-class experience

First-class seating generally isn't an option on other 50-seat planes, Guerin said, and the goal of the CRJ-550 is to create a seamless, top-notch experience. Travelers connecting to a first-class or business class flight in Chicago also will get to enjoy first class or economy plus on the CRJ-550.

All passengers will have beverage and snack service, and first-class passengers also will have access to a self-serve area with drinks and quick bites.

On these small regional flights, passengers are often forced to check their bags at the gate because of limited storage space or small overhead bins. The extra space in overhead bins and additional storage in the front and back of the CRJ-550 has allowed passengers to bring carry-on-sized roller bags on board.

"It relieves some of the stress of travel," Guerin said. "It frees up a lot of extra time for customers and employees."

Snyder said another perk is fewer people on board, which provides a better experience for travelers.

"It's an easy on and off, even if you're in the back on coach," he said. "Generally it's a nicer experience."

There's no extra cost to choose a particular seat in your section, and a new 3D seat map is available during booking so passengers can get a virtual tour of the aircraft and its features.

Booking a flight

Initially, the CRJ-550 will fly between Chicago O'Hare and:

Allentown, Pennsylvania (ABE)

Bentonville, Arkansas (XNA)

Cedar Rapids, Iowa (CID)

Cincinnati (CVG)

Columbus, Ohio (CMH)

Des Moines, Iowa (DSM)

Grand Rapids, Michigan (GRR)

Greensboro, North Carolina (GSO)

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (MDT)

Indianapolis, Indiana (IND)

Madison, Wisconsin (MSN)

Oklahoma City (OKC)

Richmond, Virginia (RIC)

St. Louis, Missouri (STL)

Tulsa, Oklahoma (TUL)

And United says additional cities will be added from United hubs in Chicago, New York/Newark and Washington Dulles.

But even if you book a flight that says it's on a CRJ-550, know that a specific aircraft is not guaranteed on a flight. Mechanical delays or other issues may result in a plane swap.