On January 11, 2023, I awoke to the news that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded all domestic flights due to a system failure of their Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system. A NOTAM is a directive sent to employees involved with aviation operations—people like airport staff and pilots—forewarning them of an irregularity within the United States National Airspace System.
Consequently, thousands of flights were grounded, which means many travelers will spend days trying to get to their destinations because of the cascading effect. It’s been a nightmare for travelers over the last few weeks. During Christmas 2022, passengers (including those from my household) were similarly stranded.
Upon hearing this terrible news, my first reaction was gratefulness. Yesterday, I awoke at 2:30 am to catch a flight for 6:00 am. I had only gotten three hours of sleep, so I would have been mad if stranded in an airport. Unfortunately, airlines tend to prioritize those booked for the original flight. Those from delayed or canceled flights are third-ranked as the airlines continue to sell last-minute seats on the active flights.
We witnessed this recently on a flight from Dallas to Atlanta during Christmas. I had a similar experience on a flight from Miami to Atlanta in July 2022, of which I posted my experience. I was amazed when the airline requested that I pay for my transportation to and from the hotel. My traveling family member had to pay for her hotel since the airline had two staff to deal with over 300 passengers at 2:00 am. The lines lasted for 3 hours.
Since the US landmass remains one of the few without bullet trains competing with airlines, air travel remains the primary way to get to far-off states quickly. Remember to keep all your receipts if stuck in this travel quagmire. The airline may need to reimburse you for additional expenses, and you must have proof.
The week of January 30 saw similar cancellations. More than 942 flights within, into, or out of the United States have already been canceled for Tuesday, January 31, according to FlightAware, as winter weather moves across the central U.S. Southwest Airlines is again offering flight change waivers to stem the oncoming delays. Delays in the US are about 5,461 by Monday night, January 30. I flew Southwest three weeks ago without problems. I will fly them back to Atlanta when I get back to town.
Blog Changes
My recent travel allowed me to catch up with business and social contacts. During one such meeting, I had lunch with an old colleague who asked me about my blog. He had not seen a post for four weeks. That’s true. After my Vipassana meditation course ended mid-December, this is my first post for 2023. Other business obligations kept me busy.
I am moving the posts related to logistics, aviation, business, and economics to my consulting arm, Thera Solutions Group, since much of it relates to my work in aviation, trade policy, and economic development. These will likely relate to past projects I work on since many of my current projects remain confidential. These posts will stay free but less frequent as they will be about the industry and issues I have encountered in my work. I will also make them shorter since readers have indicated they prefer a quicker read of the ideas.
What Will Become Of Www.Elliottdpaige.Com?
This blog will become a media focused on food, travel, health, and family. As a traveling nomad, I will set up my favorite recipes and things to do for others who also have taken on a life traveling while working. While there will be teasers, this blog will require a small subscription from followers. I will work on this on my blogging days during the next few weeks, so stay tuned for the changes.