How do you answer this question: "How long does it take to travel by air from A to B"? Most of us just pick the usual (or published) flying times from A to B, right? But I noted very lately, it's not that simple.
Example: Cebu to Tacloban (we say) is usually just 20 to 25 minutes. But is it? Really? Let's talk about my flight this afternoon, to analyze and clarify that. Just to validate "how long it takes to travel by air".
Scheduled Departure from Cebu: 1540H, Scheduled Arrival in Tacloban: 1625H
1200H - Checked-out from hotel, walked to MyBus
1220H - Arrived at MyBus SM City Cebu Terminal
1230H - MyBus departed for Mactan Cebu Airport
1330H - Arrived MCIA, checked-in (2hrs before ETD), waited at Mabuhay Lounge
1515H - Boarding started (via a bus gate - Gate 23)
1519H - All passengers aboard
1521H - Pushback (ahead of schedule by 4 minutes)!
1627H - Takeoff CEB (after an hour on the taxiway)
1654H - Landed TAC (delayed by 29 minutes compared to schedule)
1800H - Arrived at apartment
This was my ride today, RP-C5901, PAL Bombardier DHC-8-400, PR2238. Boarding was on time.
See the empty bus? At 3:19PM all passengers were on board, and plane door was readily closed!
Ironically, we took off only after more than an hour on the ground. Ma-trapik! See this video:
Now I'm thinking... if I went to Pier 1 from the hotel, took a fastcraft to Ormoc City and rode a van to Tacloban city, I would probably have also reached my apartment at about the same time - mga 6PM!
Tapos, pag me nagtatanong "how long it takes flying from Cebu to Tacloban" we say 20 minutes! Weh, eh six hours kaya yun! The actual flying was only about 20 minutes, yes. But my actual movements to be able to take that flight, until I arrived in my Tacloban apartment took six hours! Matagal din yun ha!
Where is that 'discourse' or argument useful? Well, generally for information purposes - education ba! But in my personal circumstance, as a consultant, I was able to use the chornology of activities, when it came to deciding how much $$$ would I charge my clients for this particular day. The "abala" factor!
Ah actually, even if travel is not work-related, even if it's just enjoying the views and experiences along the way, that 'accounting for actual use of time' should always be considered. It makes life wonderful!
For example, if you were deciding whether to fly or do the van-frascraft combination, after considering which option is cheaper, you'll have to know which one is faster, right? In the above case: pareho lang!
Now, if they take just about the same period of time, you will have to consider what is more physically taxing and/or what is "more stressful". In the above example, "by air" seemed to be the more stressful.
Stressful or stress-free is relative, I know. We all have our individual points-of-view. But thinking about it now, I think being 'idle and uncertain' for longer periods of time is more stressful to me. Sitting in an already closed plane that is not moving for an hour, is more stressful than sitting in a 'slower' fastcraft that is bobbing up and down big waves for an hour. Gumagalaw eh, so alam mo meron patutungohan!
Saan patungo? Aba eh kahit pa sa ilalim ng dagat, at least meron patutungohan nga! Kesa naman, the plane is just sitting in the tarmac, eh di naman nagsasalita si piloto, so hindi mo alam, me sira ba ang bwakang eroplano; me bagyo ba; nagkakagulo ba; babalik ba hindi; ba't ayaw sabihin. Nakaka-stress!
I am already the kind who has to fly every week. Eh, how much more those who seldom fly? Di ba?!
Anyway, the above breakdown can be helpful when weighing if we should travel by air, or other means. That is useful when going to places like Tagbilaran from Cebu, Dumaguete from Cebu, Naga / Legaspi from Manila, or CDO from Davao and so on. Traveling by air doesn't always mean it's significantly fast!
Some might say, baka naman nagkataon lang na delayed ang flight ko. Oh yes, but if you look at it, the delay was actually at the taxiway. Because our plane had to wait for other aircraft (mostly pa-landing). That is standard by the way - meaning: landing planes are given priority over those that are taking off.
Ang siste eh in these our times of modernity and affordability of plane tickets, lalo lang dumarami ang flights out of our airports. Thus we have to expect na, that planes taxiing out will always take too long.
Like that! Yes, ganun!
So, next time you fly.., consider if it is really cheaper, faster and/or stress-free!
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