Summer break is rapidly approaching, and millions of people are starting to plan their dream vacation getaways. For those in the United States, this usually means flying to tropical, sunny resorts in and out of the country. However, with upcoming air travel rates predicted to be 25% higher than last year, skeptics raise a worrying question– Are airlines trustworthy? Based on recent stories and news, I believe you don’t have to cancel any flights, but you should still stay wary of the unexpected due to unpredictability.
If you’ve been online during any time this year, you’ve probably heard countless stories of in-air flights going wrong. In January, a terrifying incident occurred on an Alaskan Airlines plane where the door flew off mid-flight due to a mechanism malfunction. There were multiple points of view from passengers on board, with some exclaiming that they had lost personal possessions, like cell phones. Just this April, a plane crashed at Spicewood Airport in Spicewood, Texas. Even earlier that month, two planes almost faced a head-on collision on the Reagan National Airport runway, nearly causing a disaster.
These experiences are a cause for concern. I don’t blame those who believe boarding airlines and their aircraft is too risky of a chance to take. But, despite these possible horrors, many studies show that the chances of a potentially life-threatening plane malfunction are almost less than zero. Statistics say a general plane crash happens once every 1.2 million flights, while a fatal crash occurs once in 11 million. Calculating this percentagewise, being in a general crash is 0.000083% likely, and being in a deadly crash is 0.00000909%. Facing this kind of scenario, for better or worse, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It’s almost impossible to happen to one person and even less probable to happen again.
I’ve been on multiple flights in my lifetime, with every single one going smoothly and without a cinch. I was able to enjoy the journey and my destination without many worries. As a fellow skeptic and traveler, I strongly believe in not worrying about unreasonable and unlikely problems out of your control. It’s not worth the mental strain, stress, and anxiety. So, while the airline cynics dwell, I’ll happily fly to my next adventure without a care in the world.
