ARE WE LOSING THE SKIES?

Have you thought about how much travel is changing? Could travel by plane be a secondary option instead of primary?

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Well, good morning. It's March the 23rd, 2026, and straight from the Holly Cafe studio. This is According to Willie B, and I am your host, yours truly. Now, today I want to tell you about something very exciting that's coming up. I think it's exciting. I hope you do too. We've actually had our podcasts simultaneously being uploaded to YouTube since we've started a little over a year ago. And it's gotten some traction, and I've gotten a lot of requests that I do video. So starting April the 1st, no, it's not April Fool's. I wouldn't do that to you. But I am going to start doing video podcasts so that you can actually see yours truly as well as hear me when you're driving down the road or sitting in your office or whatever the case may be, or sitting on a beach somewhere that I wish that I was. So there is that. So April 1st, we will be on all the podcast channels that you know and love, and we will be on YouTube not only as audio but as video. I am super excited about it. So I am still having a little bit of voice issues, so I hope you will bear with me. I seem to be able to get through it pretty pretty well, but it could get a little scratchy. So it's not the microphone, it's me. So there's that. Let's get into it. The future of travel. Are we losing the skies? Now you're like, what are you talking about, Will? Well, here's the thing: you ever get on a plane, sit down, look around, and think, when did this stop feeling special? Because I had that moment recently. And here's what happened. I've been watching the news and watching social media on what's going on with Southwest Airlines. Now, Southwest Airlines has always been my favorite. And the number one reason being I'm an early bird. I will be at the airport at my gate two hours early. Not at the airport, but at my gate two hours early. That's just me. That's a quirk. I'm ready to get going. I don't know where I'm going. Don't care where I'm going. I just want to go. And I've always loved the open seating policy. Now I realize that some people have a love-hate relationship with that. And I understand that. But Southwest was the one airline in all of the madness that says, hey, you know what? We're going to do things our way. And we're not going to be like the other guys. Well, I don't know what happened to that. But now for years, Southwest was like I say, it was different. No assigned seats, two free check bags, a little chaos, but it felt human. It felt like you were traveling. And now, assigned seating, bag fees, premium seat tiers. That's not a tweak. That's a transformation. After more than 50 years, we officially moved away from open seating. That was under from Yahoo Finance, where Southwest made that statement. And those bags and those bags fly free. Yeah, that's gone for most passengers, too. So I started thinking, if Southwest is changing, who's left that isn't? Let's talk truth for a second. Airlines are under pressure, fuel costs are up, labor costs are up, competition is fierce. There's all these I see several little airlines popping up that I'm like, what is this? Who is this? And here's the number that really caught my attention. Airline companies in the US made over seven billion, that's right, with a B. Seven billion dollars just from baggage fees. Let that sink in for a second. But this this whole change that uh Southwest is doing, it didn't go over like a fart in a diving helmet with me. No, it went over like a hair in my biscuit kind of thing, because you can't never get that out. And I'm telling you, I'm I'm struggling with this. I hope some of y'all can help me with this. But so when Southwest looks at that $7 billion figure and says, Hey, we're only making a fraction of that, uh, you could almost hear the boardroom conversation, can you not? But then there's also pressure from investors pushing the airlines to squeeze more revenue out of every seat. What does that mean? Well, it for us, it means more fees and more tears and more segregation. And when I say tears, I mean tier level, but I think it could also mean those little salty tears as well. But not necessarily more experience. The experience is changing. Flying used to feel like it was the beginning of something. You know, you get to the airport, you get on that plane, and man, you're headed off into the wild blue yonder, and you're headed off to get started on your trip. And that was part of the journey. Now, let's let's be honest. It feels like a system that you have to navigate. Uh, I'm not a fan. All right, so let's let's look at another little thing here. Basic economy, premium economy. This is the tiers I was talking about. Basic economy, premium economy, premium plus priority extra leg room. Yeah, whatever. I'm telling you, we are one step away, and this may be a joke, but it really could come true. We're one step away from standing room only, $49 special. So let's let's hope that doesn't happen. But here's what's happening behind the scenes Airlines are monetizing the cabin, charging for more money for better seats, charging more money for in earlier boarding, charging for more space. Even Southwest is now offering extra legroom seats at a premium. So the question becomes are we really paying for travel? Or are we paying to feel comfortable while we're traveling? This is the part that really got me. Southwest wasn't just another airline, it was a philosophy, a philosophy that they stood behind it, they were proud of that they preached to us every single time we got on a plane. You didn't pick your seat, you picked your moment. You lined up, you smiled, and you found your spot and settled in and got ready for your journey. But now you pick your seat, you pay for your bag, you choose your tier just like everybody else. I mean, even the analysts are saying these changes will boost profits. Well, okay, but they may blur what made Southwest different in the first place, and that right there is the trade-off. Now, here's where my mind started going. If flying keeps heading in this direction, do we start looking somewhere else? And you're like, what do you mean, Will? Well, you remember before there were airplanes, what did we have? We had trains, choo-choos. So there is rail travel. Now I realize it doesn't go to every destination that we'd like to go to, especially if it goes across the pond. But in some instances, could it be something to start considering? I mean, think about it. No TSA line wrapped around the building like we've seen recently, no overhead bin battles that have gotten to be smaller and the suitcases keep getting bigger, kind of like the seats, they're getting smaller and I'm getting bigger. Well, we're not gonna go there. No, group number nine, please step aside. No, none of that. You walk on, you sit down, and you breathe. Now, I'm not saying trains are perfect by no means. They're slower, they're limited, they don't always go where we need, they may even have limited baggage and baggage. There's there's it has its quirks. I'm not I'm not saying that at all. But they do offer something. The air travel is slowly losing. And what is that? Say it with me. Are you ready? Because I know you know what it is. The journey. Hello, they're losing the journey because it's I don't know. The last time I flew was just a few weeks ago to Texas, and it felt more like I was part of a cattle herd being issued run through a cattle lot. That's kind of what it felt like. It wasn't a journey, it was what I had to endure to get where I wanted to go. So let's let's look at this. Let's look at speed versus experience. Air travel became about speed. Get there faster, turn the planes quicker, move more people. Well, even that is getting to be not quite true, is it? Get there faster, okay. If your plane's on time or just doesn't get, you know, diverted, turn planes quicker. How many times have you gotten to the gate and you're there two hours early and you're still waiting two hours later for your plane to show up? So, move more people? Yeah, they are doing that because they're squeezing more people in there than a can of sardines. But rail, rail is about experience, space, comfort, time. You're not in a hurry, you're enjoying the journey. The journey becomes part of the memory, like I've been talking about. And maybe that's where we're headed. Maybe we're headed to like a split. So depends on what we're looking for. Air travel becomes efficient, transactional, and optimized, but rail travel becomes experiential, intentional, and enjoyable. So now we zoom out. What do we actually want from travel? Have you ever thought about that question? What do we actually want from travel? Is it speed or is it experience? Is it efficiency or is it enjoyment? Because for a long time we didn't have to choose, but now we might. Here's my final thought. And I could be wrong, but I don't think we fully understand where this is going yet. Airlines are changing fast, policies are shifting, traditions are disappearing. Even something as simple as how you board a plane is being rewritten in real time. And when that much change happens, it usually means one thing something new is coming. We just don't know what it is. So maybe this isn't just about Southwest. Maybe this isn't just about bag fees or assigned seats or premium upgrades. Maybe this is about a turning point. Because if flying stops feeling like part of the journey and starts feeling like something we just endure, then don't be surprised if people start looking for a new way to travel. Because at the end of the day, it's not just about where you're going, it's about how you get there. This is according to Willie B, where the journey still matters. Don't forget to caffeinate and conquer, and I'll see you again right here behind this big old mic next week. Have a great day. Bye bye.