What travel experts love most about flying (and what airlines get wrong)

• Travel writers find joy in the emotional aspects of flying, like people-watching and the thrill of aviation.
• The actual experience of flying, from the airport to the flight itself, is a favorite part of the journey for many.
• Airlines could improve the passenger experience by addressing the chaotic and often rule-breaking boarding process.

Cruising Altitude is a weekly column about air travel. Have a suggestion for a future topic? Fill out the form or email me at the address at the bottom of this page.

As we head into the summer travel peak, a lot of people are about to get to go to one of my favorite places: inside an airplane on their way to somewhere cool.

In a lot of ways, planes are my happy place. Despite all the stress that can come with flying: delays, annoying seat neighbors and more, I still think of flying as a time to unplug and unwind.

I know it sounds weird, but my fellow travel writer friends assure me I’m not alone.

For many of us, there’s an intangible magic to aviation that keeps us coming back even as ticket costs rise and airport crowds swell.

I talked to a few of those friends about their favorite parts of flying and what they think airlines can do better for passengers. The best parts for everyone seem to be more emotional and thrilling, but the areas for improvement revolve around customer service. Here’s what some fellow experts had to say:

The good

People watching

My friend Chris Dong, a freelance travel journalist, told me that every time he takes off, he still gets butterflies of excitement, and he likes to imagine his fellow passengers feeling the same way, too.

"The idea of seeing all of these other people, either in the airport or on their flight and kind of seeing their excitement," he said. "Whether that's someone going for business or someone's seeing family, you're just kind of seeing these people around you that are flying with you."

Dong said that seeing fellow travelers’ excitement reminds him why he loves writing about travel so much and keeps every trip feeling interesting and fresh.

Flying

Surprisingly (or maybe not, given my circle of friends), two of the people I interviewed told me their favorite part of flying was the actual flying.

For Victoria M. Walker, a travel journalist and writer of the Carrying On newsletter, the experience of flying is a great and important part of travel. Even the hustle and bustle of the airport is a signal to your body that a great trip is ahead.

"I’ve always really enjoyed the journey. I do enjoy being in flight. I even enjoy getting to the airport, not so much checking my luggage, but getting to the airport, going to the lounge, getting a snack before. Even sitting by the gate. I’ve always just been someone who enjoys the process of traveling," Walker said. "It’s as much fun as actually being on the trip, getting to where I’m going."

She added that she even enjoys flying economy, and I can relate. It’s never the most luxurious seat on the plane, but it’s still a way to experience the miracle of flight and get to an amazing destination.

Rich Henderson, a flight attendant and coauthor of the "Two Guys on a Plane" blog, also agreed that getting there is (sometimes more than) half the fun.

"For me, it’s the actual aviation part of it. I’ve always been fascinated with airplanes and the magic behind the process. There’s nothing better than sitting in a window seat and watching the plane take off and land and thinking about how cool this is that we get to experience this as human beings," Henderson said.

For Henderson, the actual act of taking off and landing in an airplane feels like a special kind of alchemy.

"You get to sit and pause and look out the window and reflect on the good things in life," he said. "I feel like those moments reset you."

It’s why I wish U.S. airlines followed the lead of many of their global counterparts and compelled passengers to keep the windows open during takeoff and landing.

Where airlines can improve

Boarding

I swear Henderson and Walker were interviewed separately.

"My least favorite thing is boarding. I think boarding is a nightmare for everyone involved. I don’t think they make it easy on anyone," Henderson said. "I think they could find a way to make the process a little easier. I honestly think it would mean longer boarding times just to give everyone more space to get settled and get situated."

But he acknowledged that it means more idle time for planes, which costs airlines money and makes such a change unlikely. Henderson similarly said it would be great if airlines gave passengers back some leg or elbow room, but that's unlikely as well.

"Obviously, more space would be nice, but they’re not going to do that," he said.

Walker agreed that the boarding process leaves much to be desired for passengers.

"Boarding is still a mess, in large part because no one seems to follow the rules. People board not in their group, people who are not first class, Concierge Key, or Delta One will board first. I think there should be a bit more oversight in terms of overhead luggage, bags being placed in the wrong cabin," Walker said. "People abandon all sorts of common sense at the airport while flying, that they probably would not abandon anywhere else."

Partly, she said, that can be improved by better airline enforcement of the rules, but also, passengers should behave better.

Hogging overhead bin space or cutting the boarding line slows down the process for everyone.

"Anything that can go under your seat can go under your seat and should," Walker said. "More oversight in that regard, but also some self-policing from travelers themselves," would make a big difference.

Customer service

For Dong, the overall customer service atmosphere could be more friendly.

"A lot of complaints from the traveling public are that it feels like a dehumanizing experience, and oftentimes when you're in the back economy, there's small things that airlines can do to make it feel more accommodating and welcoming," he said. "Making sure a flight attendant greets you at the door, or little customer service gestures that can make a big difference in the overall experience. I think that's kind of a cultural thing that airlines overall, especially in the U.S., can do a better job of."

I agree with my friends, but ultimately, for me, I’m just happy to be on the plane, flying like everyone else.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at [email protected].