Fuel costs, airline industry troubles, and a solution

My dad e-mailed around an article about how high fuel costs are killing off the airline industry -- and with the loss of inexpensive airfares, international travel will once again become only for the well-off. He then asked for our responses to the article.

My response was that I predict there will be a downturn in the air travel industry, and that airlines will indeed scale back the frequency of their routes.

But then, over the years: people will save up their vacation weeks and go via cruise liners rather than jets.

After a brief Google search I found this relevant article -- http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2008/06/ocean-liners.html -- which made some interesting points.


First, cruise ships are waaaay more fuel-efficient (per passenger) than jet airplanes. According to that article, the Queen Mary 2, at service speed, uses 34kilowatts per passenger, for its 2,620 passengers.

In contrast, a Boeing 747 can transport about 500 passengers, and uses 130 kilowatts per passenger.

(Comparison: cars can have a maximum engine output from 50 to 300
kilowatts, or more.)


So, the cruise ship is 3.8 times more fuel-efficient -- and as the article elaborates, it's easier to stuff even more people into the QE2 than into a 747.


As far as the fallout for the airplane manufacturing folks: Boeing just starts building cruise ships. Piece of cake.


The article also says that back before jet airplanes killed off the passenger shipping industry, there was a race for speed -- which topped out at about 4 days to cross the Atlantic (the Pacific is wider, right?). Including layovers, it takes us about 24 hours to get from Brisbane to Seattle. So, a bit longer -- but very little jetlag -- so the moment you landed, you be able to immediately take advantage of your new environment -- rather than feeling like carp for the first two days...

So -- as the article points out -- no more weekend NY to Paris trips. But if you're going to Europe (from the U.S.) for a month -- okay, you burn up a week of your vacation time just in traveling. But at least -- unlike in an airplane -- you'll enjoy the trip (rather than just tolerate it).


--GG