AIBU to think I haven’t flown much

[Florraine]

I had a rather odd discussion yesterday about travel with a friend and have been left feeling a little glum. They travel everywhere and seem to think that I travel less than the average Brit, which I always thought wasn’t true.

they are a bit up themselves I must admit!

I’ve just turned 29 and having given it some thought, I have been on 91 flights in my life time (counting one trip as two flights - outward and return). Mostly in Europe but several in Africa and the USA.

I can’t seem to work out we’re they joking or being serious when they said I need to get out more.

were they right? Is it unusual not to have flown much by my age (29)?

How very very VERY odd! The whole thing!

91 flights is loads! Offset your carbon.

Well, she’s won the competition for the highest carbon footprint and strange boast, well done 😅
saying that though, being well-travelled isn’t only measured by number of flights.
Some people fly to eg South East Asia and then cover many countries by bus, or do inter rail in Europe.

I couldn’t for the life of me count how many flights I’ve done, as I lived in the UK for 15 years while traveling to my home country in Europe several times a year. I now live in my home country and we visit DH’s family in two other countries regularly, sometimes by flight and sometimes by car, we also regularly go back to the UK, so we tend to go to a lot of the same countries, so I have loads of air miles but not very widely travelled in the last 15 years or so!
I did a lot of traveling in my twenties, and most of it was by bus and train, so I covered more countries by land transport than by air.

Er it's really not that hard to understand.
If people were travelling by plane so much there would be fewer planes

Did you really not understand this?

They aren't putting on flights 'anyway' and you bring on the plane makes no difference. If there was a 50% drop in passengers do you really think airlines would have the same number of flights?

It's like saying you don't understand how you throwing shit out of your car window causes a problem as the road sweepers are coming anyway as do many other people throw their shit out of their windows.

This made me laugh, sorry OP.

Extremely well travelled at a young age and a teeny tiny! Top stealth bragging. 😅

I reckon the OP is getting an unnecessarily hard time here.

Supply and demand answers to some extent the question about the number of flights available.

The OP being on board a flight that is being operated does make a marginal difference to fuel used/emission produced by that flight

I've never been on a plane or been on holiday and I'm 55 so you're doing better than me, OP!

You need data, not MN anecdotes.

According to this study https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tbs.2021.05.008, the average flight per person in 2017 in 1.26 (just outbound flights). If we count only your adult life (11 years) and halved your flights to exclude the inbound ones (45) then you fly way more that average: 4.09 flights per adult year on average, 3.2 more frequently flying than is average.

Of course averages don't really tell you anything about how most people actually fly. The main finding of that study was the huge flying inequality: only 20% of households are responsible for 76% of all flights, 10% of households for 51%, and 1% for 10% of flights.

Predictably this is tied to income. So whether you fly "a lot" or not depends on your demographic (e.g. your income).

In truth though this post just sounds like a brag. It sounds to me like you felt bad your friend flies more than you so you came here banking on users to be impressed by your travels.

Sounds like you’ve flown loads!

I mean it’s all relative. You have flown a lot compared to a billionaire with a private jet who treats it almost like a car. But it’s an awful lot compared to the majority of the world - huge nos of people have never flown!

People being very light is neither here nor there, and the flight isn’t going “anyway” without customers.

By that logic, sounds like a cheek they even charge you, as they’re going anyway, and your teeny tiny weight won’t make a difference…

Perhaps it's time to go flight free OP. https://flightfree.co.uk/ I'm 42 and have taken 51 flights in my lifetime I think including a 6 month trip across 3 continents. Due to the climate emergency I'm now trying to reduce my family's flying and now choose holidays where you can get there in other ways. I've taken one return flight in the last five years and that was for work. This has meant a lot of UK holidays (including northern Ireland by ferry) but also trips to France, Switzerland, Italy. We're also planning a trip to Scandinavia on the ferry. I am planning a long haul trip in three years and feel that we'll appreciate it more by waiting to go.

I've flown twice. Can't imagine that number increasing. Don't own a passport either

What a weird post. Your friend is odd. 91 is quite obviously loads and loads and is so much more than the average Brit. I think you know that though don't you!?

...But, having said that, I have just spent a good amount of time counting all flights I've been on and I think it's 72. May have missed a few, it's really hard to remember. I'm 39 and went on my first flight when I was 7.

LOL. Good one.

Strange thread, with obvious boasts about flying, a stealth boast about being slim and then outing herself as not very bright.

Mid 40s and just tried to tot them up. I reckon I’ve been on about 80 flights (including return legs but not including journeys with plane changes).

The majority of those were in childhood so blame my parents for the carbon emissions.

I’ve never been out of the country.

Have been to various parts of mainland UK but have never been in a position to holiday abroad.

I have an inheritance due soon from a distant aunt. I’m going to spend it on a dream holiday however I can’t decide where to go so I’m considering going on a cruise to see as many places I can in one go!

Good for you. Hope you have a wonderful time.

This is lovely! I wasn’t in a position to go abroad until I was 24. It was so exciting. I hope you have a fantastic time.

My DH flies for a hobby and I haven't flown 91 times in 29 years! 😂

You’re sounding very well-travelled to me. Like my DD, you’ve grown up in an era of budget flights so people do tend to fly a lot more than when I was growing up (mid-50s now). I first flew when I was 18. I’ve flown a lot in recent decades but not sure it’s as much as 90+ flights. Really not something to get worked in up about particularly now we’re all more aware of our carbon footprint and the need to look at different forms of travel - or at least how to offset our carbon footprint.

What a strange post... A humble brag?
I consider myself pretty well travelled, but I'm fairly certain I haven't taken anywhere near that number of flights! If I had to ball-park, I'd estimate maybe 30?
I haven't flown since pre-covid. I've had 3 UK holidays, and been on two cruises out of Southampton. I hit 5 countries between those 2 trips. I also went to France, Germany and Switzerland via train. Just because you don't fly much, doesn't mean you don't travel...

who fucking cares? what a ridiculous topic

What a ridiculous conversation. As someone who tries to consider the future of the planet we live on, I'd be ashamed of 91 flights before the age of 30 unless they're 100% necessary (and I'm not sure why they would be). We need to realise the damage that air travel is doing to the environment.

Most of the people your age I know would be urging you to take fewer flights.

It's just a mode of transport. Why do you care how many times you've done it? Or compare yourself to others?
Might be more interesting to discuss which different countries you've visited, if anything?