Slate Money Money Travels: How Much Would You Pay to Not Wait in Line?
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Aug 18, 2025 Dive into the intriguing world of travel spending! Discover why some are eager to pay extra for perks like legroom and quicker boarding. Explore the psychological factors behind impatience in air travel, revealing class divides and the pressures of status. Plus, learn about dynamic pricing in the restaurant industry and how it mirrors consumer behavior in airports. The discussion critiques irrational spending in upscale environments and probes the complex relationship between time and money while traveling.
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Front Seats Sell Because They Mean Moving
- Passengers pay more for seats near the front mainly to deplane earlier and avoid the feeling of being stuck.
- Felix argues this is about movement and perceived agency rather than actual time saved on arrival.
Weigh Clear And Fast-Pass Against Your Patience
- Consider whether paying for line-skipping services like Clear is worth the marginal time and fairness trade-offs.
- Evaluate your own tolerance for waiting before buying airport fast-pass services.
Not All Minutes Are Equal
- Waiting time feels qualitatively different depending on context; on-board delays feel worst.
- Felix calls delays after arrival the "longest minute" because they feel especially painful.