2020 Flying Summary

Miscellaneous

Happy New Year everyone. Last year, shall we say, did not go as planned. But hey, at least I wasn’t shut out, and I squeaked past 10,000 miles on the year. We’ll call it a victory, and I’ll just have to hope I can do better in the back half of this year.

Maps generated by the Great Circle Mapper – copyright © Karl L. Swartz.

Miles: 10,041 (33,378 last year) – fewest since I started tracking in 1994
Segments: 4 (36 last year) – fewest since I started tracking in 1994
New Aircraft: 787-10
New Airlines: None
New Airports: None
Most Common Aircraft: A330-200 (2 flights)
Most Common Airline: Hawaiian (2 segments)
Most Common Airport: Los Angeles (2 departures/2 arrivals)
Most Common Non-Directional Route: Los Angeles – Honolulu (2 segments)

I’ll leave you with this fun fact. I flew on nothing but widebodies this year. I’m pretty sure that’s never happened before.

Get Cranky in Your Inbox!

The airline industry moves fast. Sign up and get every Cranky post in your inbox for free.

54 comments on “2020 Flying Summary

  1. Miles: 3090
    Segments: 6
    New Aircraft: Cessna 412, Tecnam P2012 Traveller
    New Airlines: Cape Air
    New Airports: MWA (Marion, Illinois)
    Most Common Aircraft: 737-700
    Most Common Airport: STL/DEN (2 Departures/2 Arrivals)

    Other firsts: First time flying with one pilot (STL-MWA). First time I was the only passenger on a flight (STL-MWA).

  2. Miles: 4444
    Segments: 6
    No new aircraft or airlines
    New Airports: HKD, SDJ, KOJ
    Airlines: Cathay Pacific, JAL, ANA with 2/2/2
    Aircraft: E170 (3)
    Most common airport: ITM (4)
    5/6 flights were in January 2020, and this year I think I have traveled more miles by train than by flying…

    1. http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=AUS-JFK-BRU-ATL-AUS-MIA,MCO-AUS-YYZ-YUL-ORD-AUS

      Yes, I managed to have unique routes on every single flight.

      Miles: 15,924 (52,401 last year)
      Segments: 10 (29 last year)
      New aircraft: 767-400ER, A330-300
      New airline: Air Canada
      New airports: YYZ, YUL
      Aircraft: 321, 764, 738 (2 segments), 319, E90, 333, CR7 (1 segment)
      Airlines: DL (4 segments), AA (3 segments), AC (2 segments), WN (1 segment)

      This was the first year since I started hopping on planes in 2007 that I haven’t touched DEN, and if I had to guess the lowest segment count since 2008, and the lowest mile count since 2010.. though 2012 might have been close.

      Hope the coming year is better, though I wouldn’t be surprised if I flew less in 2021 than in 2020.

  3. Miles: 31,049 (34,359 last year)
    Segments: 25 (34 last year)
    New Aircraft: Cessna C208B, A321, 767-300, ATR 72-500, A350-900
    New Airlines: ASTA Linhas Aéreas, Boliviana de Aviación, MAP Linhas Aéreas, Lufthansa CityLine
    New Airports: CGB, SDNM, VVI, MAD, LPB, CBB, MAO, TFF, ERN, FRA, FLR
    Most Common Aircraft: A320neo (5 flights)
    Most Common Airline: Azul (8 flights)
    Most Common Airport: GRU (5 departures/5 arrivals)
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: POA-GRU (5 segments)

    A pretty eventful year, despite all the restrictions. Having moved to Europe, hope I can fly some different airlines in 2021!

  4. Still chasing everything in Europe…

    Miles: 38,575 (110,277 last year)
    Segments: 69 (154 last year)
    New Aircraft: Agusta Westland 109, Embraer 190 E2
    New Airlines: Air Dolomiti, Alidaunia, Amapola Flyg, Directflight, Eurowings Europe, Jonair, Lipican Aer, Norwegian Air Sweden, Sevenair, Sloane Helicopters, SmartLynx Malta, XFly
    New Airports: Arvidsjaur, Bol, Braganca, Coll, Colonsay, Florence, Foggia, Fuerteventura, Gallivare, Lulea, Oban, Ostrava, Penzance, Perugia, Peschici, Sundsvall, Sveg, Tresco, Vieste, Visby, Viseu
    Most Common Aircraft: Airbus 320 (20 segments)
    Most Common Airline: Easyjet (16 segments)
    Most Common Airport: London Gatwick (7 departures/6 arrivals)
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: London Gatwick-Stockholm Arlanda – 3 segments

  5. Miles: 39,273
    Segments: 35
    2 continents, 2 countries
    No new aircraft or airlines
    New airport: CID

  6. Miles: 0
    Segments: 0
    New Aircraft: none
    New Airlines: none
    New Airports: none
    Most Common Aircraft: n/a
    Most Common Airline: n/a
    Most Common Airport: London Gatwick: n/a
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: n/a

    It’s been an extremely boring year for me… let’s go for a better 2021!

  7. Didn’t get to do most of what I planned to this year, but I moved to HKG and started an interesting job in the airport so at least I’m not missing being in terminals and around planes. Since coming here in July I have had zero flights and looks like I won’t have any for some time considering I’d face a 21 day hotel quarantine upon returning while the policies continue to get stricter and stricter.

    Miles: 26,620 (120,352 last year) – fewest since 2012
    Segments: 27 (111 last year) – fewest since 2011
    New Aircraft: A350-1000 (Cathay Pacific)
    New Airlines: Hong Kong Express, Fuzhou Airlines, Jetstar Japan, Volaris, MAC Air Group
    New Airports: Ningbo, Fuzhou, Los Cabos, Page (AZ), Marble Canyon (AZ), Scottsdale, Williams (AZ)
    Most Common Aircraft: Aeroprakt A-22 Foxbat (11 flights)
    Most Common Airline: American (5 segments including 2 Eagle)
    Most Common Airport: Phoenix (3 departures/3 arrivals)
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: Flagstaff – Phoenix – San Diego (did this route twice)

  8. Miles: 78,344 (151,846 last year)
    Segments: 66 (108 last year)
    New Aircraft: A350-900 (Finnair)
    New Airlines: Air North
    New Airports: Dawson City (CYDA), Berlin Brandenburg (BER) I will miss TXL :-(
    Most Common Aircraft: Airbus 320 Series (42 flights)
    Most Common Airline: Delta / Finnair
    Most Common Airport: Phoenix (3 departures/3 arrivals)
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: AUS-ORD-HEL-STR

  9. Miles: 8562
    Segments: 4
    New aircraft or airlines: 0
    New Airports: 0
    Airlines: UAL (4)
    Aircraft: 787, 767 (1)
    Most common airport: BNA/LHR (2)

    Trips cancelled: 3
    New jobs in USA still not started: 1
    Estimated wait time for US Embassy appointment: another 9 months

  10. Miles: 21,172
    Segments: 11
    New Aircraft: 777-200LR (ironically, on Delta’s 777 retirement flight)
    New Airlines: None
    New Airports: None
    Most Common Aircraft: Tied between B737-900, A321, and E175 (2 each)
    Most Common Airline: UA (8 segments)
    Most Common Airport: LAX (3 departure/3 arrival)

  11. Miles: 1058 (down 93%)
    Segments: 2
    New aircraft or airlines: 0
    New Airports: 0
    Airlines: American (2)
    Aircraft: A321 (2)
    Most common airport: CLT/EWR (2)

    A single EWR-CLT-EWR roundtrip in January.
    Had plans for new airports (at least TTN, ELP, PIT, LNS) and airlines (Frontier, Southern Airways Express) cancelled.

  12. Miles: 163,234
    Segments: 170
    New airlines: Anguilla Air Services
    New airplanes: BN2

    New airports: St Maarten, Anguilla, Charlottesville, Show Low, Flagstaff (total 356)

  13. Thanks Brett for your excellent blog! Thanks to you and your team! Happy New Year to all!
    Miles: 8,430 (31,951 last year)
    Segments: 9 (29 last year)
    New Aircraft: None
    New Airlines: None
    New Airports: None
    Most Common Aircraft: A-319 (2 flights)
    Most Common Airline: AA (7 segments)
    Most Common Airport: DFW 6 (3 departures/3 arrivals)
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: Leon (BJX) – DFW (2 segments)

  14. Miles: 14,818
    Segments: 26
    New Aircraft: none
    New Airlines: none
    New Airports: none
    Most Common Aircraft: Bombardier CRJ200
    Most Common Airline: Delta
    Most Common Airport: DTW, MSP (Tie with 12 each)
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: GRB-DTW, GRB-MSP

  15. 6 flights, 7842 miles. 2 normal pre-covid trips, 1 bizarre trip to Houston for a family emergency.

  16. Miles: 7,481 (49,869 last year)
    Segments: 9 (38 last year)
    New Aircraft: None
    New Airlines: None
    New Airports: GDL, SJC
    Most Common Aircraft: B738 (5 flights)
    Most Common Airline: WN, UA, AS (3 each)
    Most Common Airport: SFO (2 departures/2 arrivals)
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: n/a, all one segment.

    Hoping for a better 2021, not just for flying and air travel but in general.

  17. I almost don’t want to bother. My travel was going to be cut down last year regardless (being unemployed does that to you) but a couple of trips that were planned got COVID killed. But I wasn’t shut out before the lockdowns hit…

    Miles: 4,797
    Segments: 2
    New Aircraft: none
    New Airlines: none
    New Airports: none
    Most Common Aircraft: 777-200
    Most Common Airline: United
    Most Common Airport: SFO, HNL (tie)

  18. Miles: 4,666 (64,480 last year)
    Segments: 4 (62 last year)
    New Aircraft: None
    New Airlines: None
    New Airports: None
    Most Common Aircraft: 737-800 (2 flights)
    Most Common Airline: Delta/United (2 segments each)
    Most Common Airport: LAX
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: LAX to SEA/IAH

    Have about a gagillion dollars lined up with Delta. Not only do I have 2 or 3 work trips canceled, I felt like splurging on a vacation in 2020 and bought (Miles and Cash), the new Delta One Suites on the 777 to CDG. Yeah, that didn’t happen and won’t on the 777.

  19. Miles: 23,881 (107,144 last year)
    Segments: 22 (114 last year)
    New Aircraft: None
    New Airlines: None
    New Airports: None
    Most Common Aircraft: B738 & E75L (4 each)
    Most Common Airline: United (14 segments)
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: RDU – EWR (3 segments)

  20. Happy New Year!

    2020 Miles: 0!

    But, 2020 wasn’t a complete zero. I see DOT has gotten around to issuing its final rule “codifying its longstanding definitions for the terms “unfair” and “deceptive.”” And, the rule actually says: “Proof of intent is not necessary to establish unfairness or deception.”

    Unfortunately, all of this seems to relate only to DOT carrying out rulemakings. Not sure how any consumer, airline customer, or traveler can use the “unfair” definition to convince DOT that a particular airline practice, however idiotic, lacking in common sense, etc. you may find it is, is “unfair.” There still appears to be multiple hoops to jump through. to get DOT to act on anything.

    Sorry! One day into the year and I’m off into another rant!

  21. Miles: 7,480
    Segments: 8
    New Aircraft: None
    New Airlines: None
    New Airports: None
    Most Common Aircraft: A220-100 and E175 (3 flights each)
    Most Common Airline: Delta (all segments)
    Most Common Airport: SJC (2 departures/1 arrival)
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: SJC – SEA and SEA – BZN (2 segments)

    My lowest year since 1997. I don’t think I’ll be flying again until I get the vaccine. It’s also the first year that I never flew a segment in Y.

  22. Miles: 7,262 (61,612 last year)
    Segments: 7
    New Aircraft: None
    New Airlines: None
    New Airports: None
    Most Common Aircraft: E170/175
    Most Common Airline: United (all segments)
    Most Common Airport: IAH
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: N/A (three trips to three different locations)

    Happy New Year!

    1. It’s a route from one point to/from another point but in either direction so, it’s A –> B and B –> A combined. Or A B.

  23. Miles: 1358 (13,850 last year)

    Segments: 2 (thanks COVID)

    New Airlines/Airports: None

    New Aircraft: A220-100

    Most Common Aircraft: A320/A220-100 (tie)

    Most Common Airport: SFO/SEA (tie; 1 departure and 1 arrival at each)

    Most Common Airline: Alaska/Delta (1 segment each)

    Most Common Non-directional route: SEA-SFO (only one)

    New surreal experiences: fleeing a college campus at the start of a global pandemic on an A220 with 15 pax

    Hoping for a happier, healthier 2021 for everyone!

  24. Miles: 47,837 (usually ~150k / yr)
    Segments: 23
    New Aircraft: None
    New Airlines: None
    New Airports: None (PVG was new on 12/31/2019)
    Most Common Aircraft: A321 beat out B757
    Most Common Airline: American narrowly beat out United
    Most Common Airport: LAX (Every flight touched LAX)
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: LAX – ORD (18 segments)

    Fun Facts:
    – Flew DL 777 retirement flight (only trip since 3/12)
    – First flight of the year was PVG-LAX (while “something weird” was happening in Wuhan)

  25. 19 total itineraries, 25 scheduled flight segments plus one unscheduled segment.
    15,726 total miles according to flightmemory.com
    One airline: Southwest
    Equipment: Boeing 737-700/800
    I got window seats each time.
    No new airports.
    I used 22 total airports: PIT, RDU, ATL, CLE, IND, STL, MCI, TUL, DAL, HOU, CRP, DEN, PHX, ABQ, LAS, LAX, LGB, BUR, ONT, SMF and SEA
    Longest flight (distance) 1,811 miles 3:01 PHX-PIT got a good strong tailwind on that one!
    Longest flight (duration) 1,199 miles 3:25 DAL-ONT Was scheduled DAL-LAX, diverted to ONT for fuel after holding and more hold expected for LAX
    Shortest flight (distance/duration) 47 miles 0:24 unscheduled segment ONT-LAX (see above)
    Shortest scheduled flight (distance/duration) 187 miles 0:35 CRP-HOU This was the shortest originally scheduled flight.

  26. Miles: 4,302
    Segments: 4
    New Aircraft: None
    New Airlines: None
    New Airports: None
    Most Common Aircraft: A321-200 (4 segments)
    Most Common Airline: Volaris (4 segments)
    Most Common Airport: Mexico City (2 departures/2 arrivals)

  27. Miles: 2,633
    Segments: 5
    New Aircraft: None
    New Airlines: None
    New Airports: CLT
    Most Common Aircraft: CRJ-200 (2 segments)
    Most Common Airline: Skywest, as Delte Connection, American Airlines (2 segments)
    Most Common Airport: South Bend (1 departure/1 Departure Involuntarily Denied Boarding/2 arrivals)*
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: SBN-MSP (2 segments)*

    *This should have been a clean 3 identical non-directional routes, two round-trips pre-COVID lockdown s SBN-MSP (flights were both early) and SBN-CLT-LGA, at SBN to start this trip our flight was oversold and the American Airlines contract staff basically didn’t attempt to solicit volunteers resulting us in Involuntarily Denied Boarding. After having to request cash compensation -we weren’t offered our legal rights- instead of a Voucher, we got rebookend on an ORD-LGA flight late that evening (there were no remaining flights with seats) taking the train into Chicago to the ‘L’ into a snowstorm, with our flight after 90 minutes of snow removal and deicing miraculously chosen as one to make it out that night.

  28. Miles: 3491
    Segments: 3
    New Aircraft: N/A
    New Airlines: None
    New Airports: None
    Most Common Aircraft: 737-900
    Most Common Airline: Delta
    Most Common Airport: Milwaukee
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: MKE-CUN

    1 trip in 2020, and that was in January. Definitely ready to get back in the air!

  29. Happy New Year, Cranky!

    I was able to get a few trips in early in 2020 plus a work trip to London!

    Miles: 16,784 (55,282 last year)
    Segments: 8 (32 last year)
    New Aircraft: Sadly, none
    New Airlines: None
    New Airports: RNO (Reno-Tahoe, NV)
    Most Common Aircraft: None – 2 each on A321, 777, 737 and E175
    Most Common Airline: American (6 segments)
    Most Common Airport: LAX (3 departures/3 arrivals)
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: Flew 4 found trips to different places – LHR, RNO, LAS, MIA

    Let’s hope for a better 2021!

  30. Miles: 33,340 (v. 189,290 last year)
    Segments: 32 (v. 161 last year)
    New Aircraft: A220
    New Airlines: None
    New Airports: None
    Most Common Airline: American
    Most Common Aircraft: 737 (note: this was the first year since 2005 I did not fly a widebody)
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: ORD-MCO (7 segments)
    New Non-Directional Routes: DTW-SMF

  31. Miles: 2101
    Segments: 7
    No new aircraft or airlines
    New Airports: No new airports
    Airlines: KLM, SAS, Norwegian
    Aircraft: B737-700, B737-800, E190
    Most common airport: KRS

    Last flight February 28. 3 booked flights cancelled (KRS-TXL, KRS-SFO, KRS-LAX).

  32. ANC-CDB-ADK-CDB-ANC (Only time I ever flew with the TSA agents who screened me)
    ANC-AKN-DLG-ANC

    All 737-700

  33. Well, I have been “grounded” since March… but 2020 had a highlight: my first two helicopter flights! (to and from an offshore oil platform…)

    Miles: 3,148 (25,987 last year)
    Segments: 10 (29 last year)
    New Aircraft: Sikorsky S-92, AgustaWestland AW139
    New Airlines: Omni Taxi Aéreo (private helicopter charter)
    New Airports: Lençóis (LEC), Farol de São Tomé (SBFS)
    Most Common Aircraft: A320 (3 segments)
    Most Common Airline: Azul (5 segments)
    Most Common Airport: Belo Horizonte (CNF), Salvador (SSA) (2 departures / 2 arrivals each)
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: SSA-LEC (2) (not considering the helicopter flights)
    Longest Flight: SSA-CGH (919miles)
    Shortest Flight: SSA-LEC (201 miles) (not considering the helicopter flight)

    Happy new year!

  34. I had so many aspirations for amazing travel at the start of 2020 only to be disappointed with the least amount of flying of any year in my entire life (including when I was still a baby in diapers). Only recorded one trip in February before flying got challenging with all of the onerous restrictions.

    Miles: 1,798 (65,934 last yr)
    Segments: 2 (43 last yr)
    New Aircraft: A380 None
    New Airlines: None
    New Airports: None
    Most Common Aircraft: CR7 & E75
    Most Common Airline: United
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: DEN-YYC

  35. Miles: 62,844
    Segments: 81
    New Aircraft: None
    New Airlines: Iberia, Air Do, United Airlines
    New Airports: BCN, PBI
    Most Common Aircraft: Bombardier CRJ-200 (23 segments)
    Most Common Airline: Endeavor Air (38 segments)
    Most Common Airport: DTW (18 departures/18 arrivals)
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: DAY-DTW (19 Flights)

    Fun Fact: I had my first diversion in 5 years this year

    1. I should add more fun facts.

      First time ever I’ve gone a year without a new aircraft type
      First time my most common aircraft has not been a derivative of the DC-9
      First time my most common airline has not been Delta Air Lines
      First time my most common route has not been DAY-ATL

  36. Miles: 28,894 (104,455 last year)
    Segments: 47 (90 last year)
    New Aircraft: Beechcraft King Air, A321NEO
    New Airlines: Boutique Air
    New Airports: LYH, FLO, EWN, PSP, EGE, AGS, LCH, VCT
    Most Common Aircraft: 737-800 (10 flights)
    Most Common Airline: American (40 segments)
    Most Common Airport: DFW (30 segments)
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: CLT-DFW (3 segments)

  37. Miles: 8,280 (32,925 last year)
    Segments: 10 (33 last year)
    New Aircraft: None
    New Airlines: None
    New Airports: None
    Most Common Aircraft: Boeing 737-700 (5 flights)
    Most Common Airline: Southwest (5 segments)
    Most Common Airport: Nashville (4 departures/4 arrivals)
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: Nashville-Phoenix (2 segments)

  38. Miles: 13,441
    Segments: 22
    New Aircraft: 737MAX 8
    New Airlines: None
    New Airports: FLL, BTV, BZN
    Most Common Aircraft: CRJ-700 (8 Segments)
    Most Common Airline: Delta (11 Segments)
    Most Common Airport: MSN
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: MSN-MSP

    CANCELLED:
    Segments: 16
    New Airlines: Lufthansa, Air Malta, EasyJet
    New Airports: MLA, FRA, PRG
    New Aircraft: 747-8, 767

    1. Ope! I forgot I also got to try out the “new” CRJ-550 as it is used fairly often now for MSN-ORD flights.

  39. BETTER LATE THAN NEVER to commemorate the weird year.

    Miles: 9,933
    Segments: 10 + diversion to SPS
    New Aircraft: ERJ-140, my first ride on a small RJ since a Continental Express SAAB 340
    New Airlines: None
    New Airports: SJC, FLL, and a storm diversion in Wichita Falls
    Most Common Aircraft: 3x CRJ900
    Most Common Airline: American
    Most Common Airport: DFW
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: Dallas to Louisville

  40. Miles: 4,063 (30,221 in 2019)
    Segments: 4
    New Aircraft: 787-10
    New Airlines: None
    New Airports: IND
    Most Common Aircraft: Four tied at 1 (737-900, E170, CRJ550, 787-10)
    Most Common Airline: American (4 segments)
    Most Common Airport: Four tied at 2 (LAX, PHX, IND, DFW)
    Most Common Non-Directional Route: Four tied at 1
    Longest Segment: PHX-IND (1,551 miles)
    Shortest Segment: LAX-PHX (437 miles)

Leave a Reply to AKM Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Cranky Flier