I wish we could! According to the Jetsons, we'd all be flying our own personal transportation devices.

My take on whether to fly or drive, is usually dependent upon how long it takes to drive. If I can do it in a day (typically 13 hrs or less driving) then I will drive. Otherwise, I take to the air and pray to the air transportation gods that the airline is going to get me where I'm going close to the time I'm supposed to arrive!

 

I am planning a road trip from NY to FL at the end of this month in my HAH which I am confident I will get at least 40mpg avg. I did the math and having extra comfort and legroom is worth it compared to my wife's HCHII. I will be traveling with the Mrs. and Jr. and our dog. 3 plane tickets, 8 hours of traveling and dealing with airports, car rental all add up to a headache and more than the drive would.

Here's a part of this comparison that has not been mentioned. From 30,000 feet, you see clouds. From 0-500 feet (depending on how far along on your drive) you still see the clouds, but also everything underneath it. You can actually stop and get out at interesting points along the way, and enjoy the sights of "the greatest country on the face of the earth" (thanks Hannity).

The counterpoint to driving, if you are hard pressed to get leave/vacation time, then time=money and it would probably cost more to drive. Me personally, I will have my laptop with me so while the Mrs is driving, I will be able to keep up with my work so it is all good.

 

Our family of four is road tripping later this summer. We considered flying and would have used frequent flyer miles, but that airline stopped service (direct flights too) to the two cities that would have worked for us. Now, the cheapest connecting flights are $414 per person. Just one of those tickets will cover our gas for the entire trip. Also, by driving, we are much more flexible.

I hear ya about the mileage hit. Our HiHy has about 5,000 of its 14,000 miles coming from road trips. I can break up our mileage into CO driving and our two road trips. For CO driving, we'ved logged 9,060 miles at 32.9 mpg. For road trips, we've logged 4,913 miles at 24.7 mpg. (The winter road trip really hurt.)

 

"time=money and it would probably cost more to drive."

Certainly in some situations, flying is the right choice. A trip from Seattle to Miami would be an example.

But when you're comparing the cost of driving vs. flying, don't forget to add in cost of parking at the airport, plus the new cost of checking any bags ($15 each), and the cost of food at the airport (since many airlines no longer feed you during the flight). A hot dog and a soda will cost about $10.

So a one-week vacation for you and the wife will cost $50 for parking, $60 for checked suitcases (going and coming back), and $30-$40 for pre-flight meals. You could eat before you go to the airport, but since you have to get there 2-3 hours before your flight, and since your flight will take about 4 hours, you'll be hungry long before you land.

Anyway, that's another $140 you can add to the cost of your round-trip via airplane. Basically, flying today is an exercise in getting nickel-and-dimed.

Also, when you're calculating the time it takes to drive vs. the time to fly, be sure to include ALL the time involved in flying. This includes driving to the airport, parking, taking the shuttle to the terminal, waiting at the ticket/baggage counter, waiting at the security check point, waiting in the terminal to board, waiting after you board to taxi and take off, waiting after you arrive to retrieve your luggage, and finally taking a taxi or rental car to your hotel or business meeting.

Oh, and any delays in the flight, of course.

When you compare the true door-to-door times, driving often proves to be the better choice.
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Sounds like our MMH. Of the 4,500 total miles, 2,500 was a winter road trip where we got 25mpg. We've had some good tanks since then, but at a rate of 2,000 miles every 6 months, it is going to take forever to dig out of that hole!

 

I did a road trip in February in my MMH that went from California to Yellowstone for winter camping (including taking a ski pulk and other gear), then to Colorado to visit relatives in Fort Collins and Pueblo, and relatives in Albuquerque, NM, then back home.

The cost to do that via plane was astronomical, both due to the routing and the add-on charges for the skis and pulk (plus restrictions on backpacking stove, fuel, etc.) I was also able to spontaneuously take a relative with me from Pueblo to Albuquerque.

Fuel economy was so-so (26 average) seeing as it was winter, but the 4WD came in handy quite a bit, as I drove through several snowstorms and on some poorly-plowed roads.

So thre's an example of a trip where even though the distance was significant, it made much more sense financially and in convenience to drive.

 

Fly. Driving is not even an option. Flying is so much faster, which translates into more leisure time at your final destination.

 

Facing a 6,000+ mile drive alone is daunting. I'd attempt it only if there were no real time constraints. I notice that several rental car agencies now offer hybrids. This may be a better way to go.