Finding the positive in a bad situation

If every cloud has a silver lining, then I found the one for the current economic crisis. After months of trying to look on the bright side the answer hit me on my way home for Thanksgiving.

I left the UNLV campus 40 minutes before my plane left, 10 minutes before boarding began. To top it off, my plane was parked in the D terminal, which meant I had to board a tram after getting poked and prodded through security, to reach my plane.

I arrived at the terminal mere seconds after boarding had begun. What had usually been one of the most painful ordeals, painful enough to keep me from flying for almost a year, was non-existent.

The economic crisis had cured my traveling woes.

With numerous layoffs still to come, companies cutting spending and overall leisure income dropping, families have less to spend on the holidays and less time for vacation.

This may be very sad for the families that will not get to see their beloved relatives, but for the thousands of us who traveled and will continue to travel for the holidays, it has made the experience much more pleasant.

Though it’s incredibly sadistic and elitist to say this is a welcome set of circumstances, anyone who travels is sure to agree that the less pain you experience leading up to your trip, the more enjoyable your trip will be.

Though analysts will always find a direct correlation between recessions and a decrease in holiday travel, traveling is becoming cheaper every day as the economy worsens. The drop in the price of oil hasn’t just helped those in cars; it has helped the airlines cut costs as well.

Before the economy took a nosedive, I paid $75 for a one-way ticket to San Francisco. To travel home for Thanksgiving, a fare that’s usually more expensive than usual, I paid $45.

Across the board, fares are falling. A trip to Honolulu that cost me $500 over the summer costs $385 this winter. The only fare I’ve found that’s gotten more expensive is a trip to New Orleans due to the decrease in traffic allowed to fly in and out of Louis Armstrong International.

Though there are many factors that come into play for this stark change of events, it’s definitely appreciated and may open up some room for an economic turnaround.

Despite substantial price cuts, there are many travelers who wouldn’t dare fly on the holidays because of the hassle that they are subject to. If those people realize that traveling is better than years past then it makes sense that they’ll be flying this holiday season.

It’s the best economic stimulus package I’ve seen.

So as you prepare to travel this holiday season, enjoy the greatest gift of all – a painless trip.