Do planes fly slower today?

In a world where technology is continually advancing, one might expect airplanes to be faster than ever before. However, counterintuitively, modern passenger planes are actually flying at slower speeds compared to the aircraft of the past, even those from the 1960s and 1970s.



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If you watch a plane accelerating toward takeoff, it appears to be moving very quickly. It's not until the plane is in the air and has reached cruising altitude that it appears to be moving very slowly. That's because there is often no independent reference point when the plane is in the sky.

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So what's creating such horrid air travel vibes? One possibility is that there are more travelers now than in 2019, but fewer commercial aircraft are flying, meaning passengers have fewer chances to reroute or get on the next flight when delays happen, leaving them stuck in limbo longer.

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Beyond delays and cancelations, early morning flights have the added perk of being less prone to turbulence.

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The best time of day to fly is in the morning, before 8 a.m. Early morning flights are less likely to be delayed or go through turbulence, and they're often cheaper. There are advantages to flying at other times, too, so pick what works best with your travel plans.

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The short answer is that modern jet aircraft are generally just as fast now as they were near the beginning of the “jet age” (with exceptions like Concorde excluded). While it's true that fuel economy is more of a concern now than it used to be, cruising economically doesn't make airplanes that much slower.

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John Edward Long, Jr. (1915–July 18, 1999) was an American pilot who is in the Guinness Book of Records for the most flight time by a pilot: over 65,000 hours (more than seven years and four months) at the time of his death.

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If there's a fuel stop, this might take one hour. This leaves up to 10 hours to fly, which is the maximum permitted in 24 hours. This is sometimes referred to as the 24/10 rule. If a pilot goes over the max crew duty, they can get infractions on their record or even lose their license.

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It might be surprising to learn that turbulence is actually worse in the daytime. In the early morning and night time, wind speeds typically reduce, and thunderstorms clear up. Avoid turbulence and catch up on some sleep by choosing flights with an early morning or red-eye departure!

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Average domestic airfare price by day
  • Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the cheapest days to fly domestically.
  • Saturday and Monday flights can help you avoid the Sunday rush.
  • Wednesdays and Thursdays are the cheapest day to fly internationally.
  • Book one to three months in advance.
  • Set a price alert.


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Nighttime or morning flights are statistically better for turbulence, compared to those in the day.

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Just like us after a night of good sleep, airline circulation is freshest in the morning. If your flight departs in the morning, you are less likely to be affected by delays that stack up during the day and push back or cancel departure times.

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While it all comes down to your preferences, daytime flying has the upper hand when it comes to visibility. Because of the sunlight, any possible obstructions, such as rocks or mountains, are far easier to spot, making the likelihood of accidents much less and daytime flying the safer option by far.

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Are flights busy at 6AM? The probability for a delay is at its lowest (20% or below) from 6am – 11am. Early morning flights have less runway traffic, planes ready to take off from the night before, and fewer planes already in the air. Days of the week can impact the ticket price, along with delays.

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Here's how I am able to endure the joys of walking into the airport at opening time without it becoming a pain.
  1. Pack Strategically According to your Travel Day Itinerary. ...
  2. Prioritize Shower + Personal Care the Night Before. ...
  3. Pre-Set Your Travel Day Outfit. ...
  4. Go to Sleep Early. ...
  5. Check In the Day Before. ...
  6. Get TSA Pre-check Access.


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Are morning flights cheaper? Yes, morning flights can be cheaper. Because they are flown at off-peak times, airlines sell morning flights at a cheaper rate as an incentive for customers to choose morning flights over flights at other times of the day.

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According to Google, fares are less expensive if you fly in the middle of the week, rather than on the weekend. Over the past five years, flights that took off Monday to Wednesday were, on average, 12% to 20% cheaper than weekend flights.

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The quality of supplied air on board an aircraft is much better than most indoor environments. This along with other cabin features including the mandatory usage of masks on board and the requirements around tests and/or vaccination certificates, make the risk of contracting COVID-19 to be very low.

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DENVER (CBS4) – Colorado and the Rocky Mountains are among the worst areas for turbulence in the United States. It's a problem that injures dozens of passengers and crew members nationwide every year.

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