This is why I don’t fly any more, unless there just is no other option. I’d rather take 2+ days to drive to California/Oregon/Washington, or 1 day to drive to Boston, NY, etc. than to fly. At current $4+USD / gallon gas prices, it will cost me about $600 round-trip for gas alone (1 night motel is extra) to the west coast, and 1/2 that to the east coast (I live near Chicago). For east coast trips, this is a no-brainer. Between flight costs and time to deal with airport cruft (security), flight time, rent-a-car time, drive-to-location time then the total time is a wash (15-16 hours) – plus I don’t have the expense of renting a car at the other end. Food? That’s a wash, and possibly cheaper when on the road given that airlines don’t feed you any longer (unless you fly first class) and airport food, while generally palatable is waaaay overpriced.

So, if I have a business trip to the east coast, I pack up a cooler with food and drinks, leave at 8am, and arrive in Boston or NYC at a decent time to check into my hotel for a night’s sleep before I visit clients in the morning. No muss, no fuss, and I can use my laptop w/ wifi to keep in touch when I make a pit stop for gas and such. My Toyota Camry gets 30+ mpg on the highway, and is MUCH more comfortable than airline seats! Trips to the west coast depend upon how long I expect to be there. If I am going to be there for a week or more, then I’ll drive. If only for 1-2 days, then I’ll fly and bear the pain of the TSA digging through my rocks…