On January 1 1913 Tony Jannus piloted the first commercial flight in the history of aviation, the aircraft was a Benoist flying boat and it had room for only one passenger, Abraham C Pheil. The former mayor of St. Petersburg purchased the first airline ticket for $400 at auction. One century later an average of 8 million people travel by commercial airline every day, with 2013 sending a record 3.1 billion passengers into the air. Today, to celebrate 100 years of commercial air travel, we have collected our 5 favorite things about traveling by plane. Let us know what your favorites are in the comments!
1 – That moment when you break the cloud cover and a dreary day turns into a beautiful sunny one.
It was raining or even snowing on the ground, maybe take-off was delayed because of the bad weather and you were just starting to feel a bit restless, but then the plane flew right through the grey clouds and you get hit by nothing but sunshine and blue skies for as far as the eye can see. The perspective you get, looking down from the clouds, is simply amazing. You have to admit, we are lucky to live in a time where traveling in this miraculous way is veritably common place.
2 – Catching up on movies you haven’t had time to see
Every air carrier is a bit different in this respect. Within Canada we know that Air Canada offers you as many movies as your brain can handle, while Westjet lets you pass the time with cable television, with the option to purchase movies. However you fly, you’ve got a few uninterrupted hours in front of you. It’s a great time to catch up on the movies that you wanted to see lately, or read that new thriller you’ve been meaning to get to.
3 – A chance to finally unplug
Even though Internet in the air might be just around the corner, most flights still make you turn off your phone and disconnect from the Internet during the flight. For many of us this chance to actually unplug from the constant social media, texting, and Internet use is a welcome break.
4 – The excellent service of flight attendants
I don’t know about you, but I love getting served drinks and snacks right at my seat. You don’t get that when you travel by bus or car! It’s just nice that with so many changes and advances over the years, cheerful and friendly flight attendants are still part of the deal.
5 – Getting where you’re going
Whether its sunny beaches, somewhere you have to be for work, or home sweet home, getting where you’re going is the whole point, and there is no faster, more efficient, or pleasant way to get there than by air!
Those are our favorite aspects of travel by air. It’s wonderful to think that we’ve been flying commercially for a hundred years already, and we’re still getting where we’re going just fine. In fact, did you know that 2013 was the safest year in aviation history? Remember, when you do get where you’re going, think about renting a luxury furnished apartment, to make sure that your stay is as enjoyable as your trip!