Air travel is about to become a lot less comfortable
7.5 million people visited South Africa in 2005. South Africa has seen tourism growth of almost 10% in the last year (behind Turkey at 20% and China at 12%). France saw by far the most tourists of any country, almost 80 million, flooding through, with Spain coming in second at over 55 million tourists.*
Many people who travel to South Africa will fly long haul, since we’re at the ass end of Africa, and about as far from anywhere as a country can be. We’re all treated like possible terrorists come check in time, and cowering over meals with tacky plastic cutlery, so the new restrictions on hand luggage will make air travel to this country (and other far flung destinations) even less appealing.
Both times when I returned to South Africa (after year plus stints abroad), I had to board my prodigal flights with a sound excess baggage strategy. In both cases I packed a bicycle, knowing that you can throw in a sleeping bag, an extra pair of running shoes, that big anorak, and a few precious paper packs and a kickboard at no extra charge. Well, it worked on flights that had a special provision for ‘sports equipment’.
But it didn’t work on my last SAA flight which I thought would be according to Cathay Pacific’s (possibly different) provisions, since SAA don’t do the Hong Kong to Seoul section. This meant dumping my heavy desktop tower at the terminal and a bulging backpack (despite being given an additional 20kg grace by a contact I had at the airport).
In both cases I remember dressing in my heaviest clothes – coats, with heavy boots, and cargo pants, pockets bulging with a lonely planet or a few CD’s. Yes, I went to the trouble to strip my baggage down to the bare minimum – tossing away plastic CD cases, getting rid of piles of coat hangers, bedding, furniture and accumulated kitchen equipment. I was allowed – just – to bring a huge flastscreen on board (I’m looking at this text on it now), which magically fitted into the overhead compartments. This is flying backpacker style.
I wonder what people like me did at Heathrow airport (and other airports worldwide), when everything from tubes of toothpaste, to cell phones, iPods and laptops had to be dumped if they couldn’t be squashed into baggage-to-be-stowed. Hand luggage – for globe trotting backpackers, who carry their homes on their backs – is often quite heavy.
When you’ve already had a cellphone stolen out of hand luggage that you decided to stow at the last moment (at Johannesburg airport), it’s tough to have to pack valuable gadgets away. Imagine not being able to travel with a cellphone and an iPod? Imagine the torture, waiting for your bags at the carrousel, unable to tell family or friends your ETM, estimated time of manifestation, and unable to listen to Green Day singing:
‘This is the dawning of the rest of our lives…”**
Meanwhile, airlines from far flung destinations (SAA, Qantas and Emirates) are feeling the pinch of high fuel prices. It’s likely that even long haul flights will become less and less luxurious, and budget airlines (like Kulula) will take over the role that was so long the domain of national carriers. Singapore Airlines, which my girlfriend flew (and loved) to Asia, and which I flew (and loved) a few times to Singapore, is probably the world’s best airline, but I’m concerned. They’ve ordered a fleet of some of the world’s biggest airplanes. It’s these giant jumbos that will be the first to fall out of the sky when oil prices jump even higher. Qantas has already seen its profits crash 30%.
David Bullard discusses this subject with much wisdom and tongue in cheek (in his Out to lunch column). He points out that being unable to carry liquids on board presents a few problems. Ever notice how thirsty it gets on those long haul flights? Now, instead of being able to carry on a bottle of water or booze, we have to rely on stewardesses to bring us that glass of water at 2 or 3am when everyone is asleep.
The good news is traveling light is the best way to travel. Now the art of traveling light is no longer an optional field of expertise. The emphasis in the future will be to travel and absorb, not invade and consume.
*World Tourism Organisation
**From Green Day’s Holiday, American Idiot album.
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