On Flight Delays

At the risk of turning this medium into a soapbox for our internal travel woes, I submit for you a collection of links to ponder while dealing with the worst travel delays of 2008. Hopefully you’re in an airport with free WiFi, or at least one that has comfortable places to sleep:

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (who knew?!) informs us that, while airplane ticket prices may be higher than ever, they were almost as high in 2000. In related news: oil is at $40 a gallon. What gives?

The five stages of flight delays.

The best and worst Airlines, as ranked by Zagat readers, Travel and Leisure editors, and Joe Brancatelli.

Airplane food!: the blog, and the flickr group.

A passenger on the Continental flight in Denver that veered off the runway and injured 34 passengers on takeoff twittered a logical response to the situation.

Did air travel actually improve in 2008? According to the Department of Transportation’s Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings, the answer is a resounding “maybe, if you look really closely at these detailed PDFs.” Data is compiled month by month, and a quick survey reveals that, compared to last year, delays, mishandled baggage, and consumer complaints all decreased.