2019 in flight

GOALS FOR 2019

At the end of 2018, I set the following goals for myself with respect to air travel in 2019:

1. Track seat assignments and arrival/departure gates
2. Fly on a B777 and a Horizon Q400 aircraft
3. Fly out of my hometown's airport (CCR)
4. Avoid flying United
5. More in-flight alcohol!

Here is how I did.

1. Goal met. I tracked seat assignments and arrival/departure gates for every flight I took in 2019.
2. Goal met...sort of. I flew on a B777 for the first time on American Airlines on a MIA-DFW segment, and I flew on a Q400 for the first (and second time) on Porter Airlines on YUL-YTZ and YTZ-BOS segments. I did not fly a Horizon-operated Q400, so I technically did not meet my goal to the letter of the law. However, the spirit behind the rule was that I wanted to fly a Q400, independent of airline, and I knew that Horizon operated them. To that end, I would claim that the goal has been met to a satisfactory level. I recognize that I hindered myself by lumping three criteria into a single goal (B777, Q400, Horizon).
3. Goal not met. I haven't managed to do the CCR-BUR flight on JetSuiteX yet.
4. Goal met. I am exceptionally proud of this goal because of how much I hate United, and because they dominate the SFO market. Thanks, Alaska!
5. Goal met. This was a low bar, because I could have had one in-flight drink in 2019 and I would have met the goal. However, as a later graph will show, I went beyond simply meeting this goal.

 YEAR-OVER-YEAR TRENDS

44,958 miles flown in 2019, measured as great-circle distances in statute miles. 25% decrease from 2018; 73% increase over 2017.

38 segments flown in 2019, with a "segment" defined as beginning with an aircraft departure and ending with its subsequent arrival at another airport. For example, A SFO to ORD itinerary with a connection in MSP would be two segments. 17% decrease from 2018; 90% increase over 2017.

$5,561.02 in airfare paid in 2019, which considers the actual amounts that were charged to the card, inclusive of airline credits, miles used, taxes, and fees. 42% decrease from 2018; 63% increase over 2017.




MORE ON MILES

"Others" includes Air Canada, Copa, Delta, jetBlue, United, and none.

"Others" includes B757 (2018), B777 (2019), CRJ (2018 and 2019), GLAS (2018), and Q400 (2019).




MORE ON MONEY

Southwest's "Wanna Get Away" fare class and the Porter flights are included in the "Other" category.

When compared with 2018, the average cost per mile flown for business remained constant at $0.18/mile; for leisure, it decreased from $0.12/mile in 2018 to $0.09/mile in 2019.

The leisure distribution is skewed due to tickets purchased with airline miles. Combining this graph with the next graph, a negative correlation between per-mile cost and ticket purchase lead time (i.e., how far in advance the ticket was purchased) becomes apparent.

"Lead time" is defined as how far in advance of departure the ticket was purchased.

Interestingly, the leisure ticket with the largest purchase lead time also had the highest cost per mile. Generally, this relationship tends to be inverted.

When compared with 2018, the average lead time for business increased from 9.6 days in 2018 to 10.2 days in 2019; for leisure, it increased from 68.8 days in 2018 to 88.8 days in 2019.

MORE ON WHERE

A "visit" is defined as a segment either originating or terminating at a specific airport. So, connections grant two visits to the airport at which a connection occurs.

The size of the font is directly proportional to the number of visits.

All routes flown in 2019.




WHILE IN FLIGHT

A "pushback pause" is defined as the time when the aircraft is stationary after being pushed back from the gate. Specifically, it begins when the aircraft stops moving backward and the tug begins detaching, and it ends when the aircraft begins moving forward on its own power.

"Bags checked" includes bags that must be gate-checked due to lack of overhead bin space due to passenger demand or aircraft type (e.g., regional jets usually cannot accommodate roller-board bags).

Behold, the goal of consuming more in-flight alcohol was met.




HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2019

• First time flying...
• ...on these aircraft types: B777, Q400
• ...with these airlines: Porter
• ...to/from these U.S. states: Massachusetts
• ...to/from these airports: AUS, BOS, YTZ, YUL
• First time redeeming miles to pay for a flight
• First time flying first class
• First time consuming alcohol while in flight
• First time renewing status on an airline

GOALS FOR 2020

The following are my goals for my air travel in 2020:

1. Hit my fifth continent: Australia (I have ~$100 credit available on Qantas which expires in October 2020, and I have an active Australia travel visa which expires in November 2020.)
2. Achieve airline status again (although it does not need to be with Alaska)
3. Fly out of my hometown's airport (CCR)
4. Fly in every month of the calendar year