The Pain of Travel in 2024
Half of 2024 is almost in the rearview mirror, with my travel woes multiplying faster than ever.
Travelling in 2024 is more painful than ever before. I’ve been an avid traveller for over a decade, and the sporadic headaches of yesteryears have become a daily migraine this year.
So far in 2024, I’ve managed one international trip and two domestic jaunts.
Each trip has been a masterclass in frustration: delays, cancelled flights, last-minute rebookings that stole hours from my life, and in-flight service that could make anyone lose their cool. On a red-eye Air India flight to Japan, there was no entertainment system for the entire eight hours. Just me and my wife, our thoughts, and the hope that maybe the screens will work soon (they never did). On the way back to India via Malaysia, the food was so awful it gave us both stomach aches.
And our recent trip to Goa? Canned, because Air India Express delayed our flight indefinitely and then, with a good script, suggested we cancel for a full refund.
The earlier domestic trip featured a rebooking due to “technical issues,” which is airline-speak for “we have no idea what we’re doing.” We ended up waiting to return for five hours, in Kolkata airport (our home city), with no scope to take a quick trip home because hey, it’s just painful by now right? Fu*** fun times!
Customer service has taken a nosedive too. Remember when flight attendants would smile and offer you a blanket? Now, you’re lucky if they throw a packet of pretzels in your general direction. The wine they serve sucks because they don’t close the bottle caps so it gets worse and worse with every trip and every serving.
I have no grand conclusion here, no life-altering epiphany. But if there’s any lesson to be learned, as my wise (and long-suffering) wife says, it’s that we need to rethink our travel strategies. Maybe it’s time to ditch the flights and embrace the road trips. Find those hidden gems a few hours’ drive away that aren’t overrun with tourists. After all, everyone and their grandkids go to Goa these days. Maybe it’s just not our scene anymore.
So here’s to 2024: the year we say goodbye to airports and hello to the open road. Who’s with me? Let’s trade the chaos of air travel for the tranquillity of a scenic drive.
Because sometimes, the best adventures are the ones that don’t require a boarding pass.
