What do you miss most about old school traveling?

[sam_gordon]

Back when my parents were alive any time we traveled away from home we would hire a driver to take us. I miss sitting in the van with my mom and dad enjoying the ride. Now that I'm older and drive myself I realize how nice it was to have someone else doing it.

You can still hire drivers.

 

[TippyThomas]

You can still hire drivers.

I know that. I was just reminiscing about the past and how I look at it so differently now.

 

[tony67]

People still print things?

You can take a screenshot of your boarding pass and not have to rely on a cell/WiFi signal.

Yeah - I always print a hard copy - usually two off all the key documents - one for carry on and one for the checked bag.
Room reservations, Airline Reservation etc...

If you loose (or someone steals) your phone. Its my biggest nightmare when traveling - I even bring a cloned second phone with me as a back up.

 

[mjkacmom]

Couldn’t you just do the same on your phone. Buy a ticket, check in and get your boarding pass in less than 5 minutes. I dont know about the 20 minutes before flight that seems like a bit of hyperbole. Airlines have always shut the doors at least 10 minutes before departure.

And then stand in a security line for an hour… Our airport, or at least the United terminal, doesn’t have skycaps, we usually book basic economy so can’t even check in u til we get to the airport.

Wasn’t cruising super expensive back in the day (seems like a few people seem to miss old school cruising, although it still exists, but at high prices like back in the day). I had zero interest in cruises until I learned you don’t need to dress up or dine with strangers, for less money than a land vacation (we can drive to 3 cruise ports in 20 minutes - an hour, no flights needed).

 

[mjkacmom]

Yeah no doubt Ryan Air changed travel in Europe for the better. Everyone complains about them and then books with them. Honesty they are no better or worse than what Aer Lingus has become.

I remember paying 300 pounds each to go to London from Dublin - they best you could hope for was 70 some odd pounds each way on a student fare. So yes that has improved a lot.

Aer Lingus had (and sort of still does with the US for the most part) a monopoly so they could charge anything they wanted and you paid it. The staff is not anything like their commercials they are running on you tube currently - they gave us an attitude for asking for a glass of water one time because they were on break. Never seen them offer anyone Ice Cream or offer to help with your bags - more often I get on the plane and their luggage is filling my overhead bin space. They basically go on break for most of the flight after "meal" service. At least the Ryan Air folks are constantly trying to sell you something...

All that said in the US it was far better in the "old" days - none of this showing up 3 hours before your flight and dealing with security who does not even know seem to know what an camera is. Those lenses always mess them up for some reason and its at the point I don't want to carry it unless I have precheck. TSA Precheck is great - but Aer Lingus does not participate - one the the few. I tend to fly elsewhere in Europe and then go to Dublin (on Ryan Air) and fly home from Dublin with Aer Lingus since they have customs there - another great improvement.

Clear is also very good if you fly from a terminal that has it - and yes you can use it with Pre Check - you go to the front of pre-check after going through clear. So another Technology improvement.

I do miss being able to go to the airport bar with people that were going home - you could stay till the flight left - now they have to go through security and just go and hang out alone for a few hours in the airport. That is especially bad when they are upset because they have to go and it may be a year or two before they get back.

I miss the skycaps - lots of places no longer have them.

Being able to wait to pick people up at the airport - cant do that anymore. Technology wise the new Cell Phone lots are great but not as convenient as just being there when folks come out.

Not being able to bring water or liquids on the plane over 3oz - I miss that.

The assigned seating is not an issue for me as I refuse to fly any airline that you cant pay for an assigned seat.
I've done the Ryan Air one or twice back before they let you buy seats in advance and even with priority it was always a mob scene. Never again.

Anyway as with many things there are pluses and minuses - but much of TSA and security is theater IMO. Makes you feel good but the miss a lot. They seem to constantly change things - one day they want to scan your laptop and kindle - the next day they yell at you for having it out.

Anyway In testing they miss stuff all the time - its pretty well documented - it just makes some folks feel good.
Just as an example I had a small knife in my bag (a wine opener) - not even noticed in Austria. Got to London and had to change places and go through security and security was sure there was something in my bag - I thought there was not. Finally after 10 minutes of searching he found the wine opener and confiscated it. I honesty did not even think of it with that tiny blade. So in that case a 50% success rate.

BTW - one time the confiscated my kids Bob the builder butter knife - he was in tears - but they let him keep the spoon and fork. I could do far more with those than the dull butter knife so really what is the point other than no knives. I had a women on my flight last week with knitting needles - those are a dangerous weapon IMO.

Lol my airport is Newark liberty, you could never linger in your car for more than seconds. I used to pickup my dad, he traveled a lot for work, I’d pull up to the very front of the departures lane and wait until I was forced to move, and make another loop around. I do miss being able to go to the gate without a ticket. My daughter had 2 layovers in Newark last weekend, 4 hours, I would‘ve loved to pop by, because bringing her home and back would’ve taken 2 hours, and she’d have to get back to the airport 2 hours before her flight to go through security.

 

[DCLMP]

And then stand in a security line for an hour… Our airport, or at least the United terminal, doesn’t have skycaps, we usually book basic economy so can’t even check in u til we get to the airport.

Wasn’t cruising super expensive back in the day (seems like a few people seem to miss old school cruising, although it still exists, but at high prices like back in the day). I had zero interest in cruises until I learned you don’t need to dress up or dine with strangers, for less money than a land vacation (we can drive to 3 cruise ports in 20 minutes - an hour, no flights needed).

I didn’t start cruising until 2011 so I’m not sure.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I miss being forced to get a map of the area you are visiting to learn about the layout of your destination so that you can navigate around. GPS makes me too lazy as I just tend to rely on the app for everything without ever getting the big picture. (I don’t miss my wife’s attempts at refolding the maps, though).

I LOVE maps!

I still pull up a digital map and get super annoyed at GPS often since it does not take me on the quickest path and seems far more preoccupied with keeping me out of local streets, like maybe I wanna sight see and check out decorations or landmarks:/ I hate words only and always drag the image to see out further. I WISH an app existed where I could pick one or two preferred roadways. Right now it is either all local or all highway and I need to pick a phantom spot in between to force a transition to cobble a mix. Maps let me be me sigh

 

[tony67]

Wasn’t cruising super expensive back in the day

Not sure how far back you are going... i can say that it was very cheap back and the 90s and 2000s

We did the big Red Boat and then the first few Disney Ships and it was a bargain compared to today - of course we had a really good travel agent and she took great care of us.

 

[DCLMP]

Yeah - I always print a hard copy - usually two off all the key documents - one for carry on and one for the checked bag.
Room reservations, Airline Reservation etc...

If you loose (or someone steals) your phone. Its my biggest nightmare when traveling - I even bring a cloned second phone with me as a back up.

My phone and I pad are linked. I have to be a complete moron to lose both. But reservations can be accessed through the company’s website or app so anyone’s device would suffice.

 

[LuvOrlando]

And then stand in a security line for an hour… Our airport, or at least the United terminal, doesn’t have skycaps, we usually book basic economy so can’t even check in u til we get to the airport.

Wasn’t cruising super expensive back in the day (seems like a few people seem to miss old school cruising, although it still exists, but at high prices like back in the day). I had zero interest in cruises until I learned you don’t need to dress up or dine with strangers, for less money than a land vacation (we can drive to 3 cruise ports in 20 minutes - an hour, no flights needed).

Close as I ever got was watching The Love Boat, waaaayyyy out of most people's price ranges particularly before credit cards were a thing, at least in my world. First time on a plane was to Disney in my 20s and it might as well have been a trip around the world from my point of view.

 

[tony67]

My phone and I pad are linked. I have to be a complete moron to lose both. But reservations can be accessed through the company’s website or app so anyone’s device would suffice.

Yeah - agreed but when you are in the middle of nowhere in Europe and trying to check into a hotel may not be so easy.
You may also need the authenticator app on your phone just to log in - and the workaround is to have it emailed or sent to your phone which you dont have.

Luckily I've never had to deal with it.. but I like to be prepared. Of course if they steal my bags and my phone I am really up the creek...

 

[mjkacmom]

I didn’t start cruising until 2011 so I’m not sure.

My first cruise was 2005, I think there were pillow chocolates and a glass of sparkling wine, a chocolate buffet which was a sight to behold (and not in a good way). But it was relatively inexpensive and casual.

 

[mjkacmom]

Not sure how far back you are going... i can say that it was very cheap back and the 90s and 2000s

We did the big Red Boat and then the first few Disney Ships and it was a bargain compared to today - of course we had a really good travel agent and she took great care of us.

I was thinking around the 80’s, I don’t think I knew of anyone who cruised, unlike now.

 

[darnheather]

Postcards. I loved buying them as souvenirs for myself. Now it is pretty impossible to find them.

 

[tony67]

I was thinking around the 80’s, I don’t think I knew of anyone who cruised, unlike now.

So cruises started at about 990 per person in 1988 - that's about 2500 per person today - the example i saw was a 7 day Alaska cruise on the Princess line. A similar cruise today is 999 a person - so I guess its much cheaper today.

I guess it makes sense as there are more ships and they hold far more people.

 

[Sweettears]

50 years ago there was plenty of drinking on the planes and harassment of the flight attendants. They were trained to not speak up which encouraged bad behavior

And also a smoking section.

 

[Sweettears]

I LOVE maps!

I still pull up a digital map and get super annoyed at GPS often since it does not take me on the quickest path and seems far more preoccupied with keeping me out of local streets, like maybe I wanna sight see and check out decorations or landmarks:/ I hate words only and always drag the image to see out further. I WISH an app existed where I could pick one or two preferred roadways. Right now it is either all local or all highway and I need to pick a phantom spot in between to force a transition to cobble a mix. Maps let me be me sigh

My wife and I still like to take road trips for vacation. Many trips from Chicago to the Cape, Maine etc… We even drove to PEI a few years back. We will take the old highways instead of the interstate if time allows. But we always remember to bring the latest updated atlas.

 

[ttintagel]

I know this is a tiny thing, but it was nice when I was growing up and you didn't even have to show ID to cross the US/Canada border.

 

[Micca]

Count me in with folks who said showing up at the airport a half hour before the flight and boarding with no problem. Oh, and most flights were on time!

Also the mood was much lighter. Both the travelers and airport/airline employees were much more at ease. I understand the reason for the change, but if we're talking about what we miss?

 

[DCLMP]

I was thinking around the 80’s, I don’t think I knew of anyone who cruised, unlike now.

I did take a 4-night spring break cruise in the 90s. I was in my early 20s. It was a Carnival cruise, an old-ship party cruise. I think it was 125.00 dollars a person or something crazy like that. I remember the midnight buffet. and the chocolate buffets. I also remember on a formal night everyone dressed up. I don't think there was one guest on the ship over the age of 25. It was kind of crazy.

I did not cruise again, until 2011 with my own young kids and that was on Disney. I've since cruised on Carnival and Royal and I've found all of them to be pretty family friendly.

In some respect, I think Disney really revolutionized cruising because before they launched in 1998 cruising was for young partiers or old people.