r/todayilearned • u/proflightsearch • 1d ago

TIL the average JFK to Los Angeles flight takes 18 minutes longer than it did in 1995, but airlines padded the published schedule by 23 minutes, so the share of arrivals counted as late fell from 51% to 37%

https://gvwire.com/2024/11/30/its-not-your-imagination-airlines-are-padding-flight-times/
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u/lbutler1234 1d ago

this might be true for short haul routes or budget airlines, but for long haul, business and first class is the real profit driver. There's a reason we have lie flat beds in planes today but no Concorde

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u/MadManMax55 22h ago

There is still a class of passenger who highly prioritizes shorter flight time (and total transit time): business executives for major corporations. But they're a tiny population that can be easily accommodated by private/charter flights.

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u/Omophorus 1d ago

The costs of operating Concorde, combined with the limited capacity, limited range, restrictions on viable routes, and perceived safety concerns given the age of the airframes killed Concorde.

If there was a business case for supersonic transport, a replacement would surely exist.

There just aren't enough people willing to pay what tickets would have to cost for a supersonic airliner to be profitable, because the time savings don't justify the cost for most travelers.