These days, when you take a domestic flight, you can definitely feel that there are no empty seats compared to before the pandemic.

In the past, there was at least the hope that "my seat next to me might be empty," but nowadays, it's almost always full.

When I fly about five or six times a year, aside from first class, the usual setup is three seats on the left and three on the right.

However, these days, even on weekends, domestic flights are typically fully booked from front to back.

It seems like everyone is so busy that they have to travel by plane.

When domestic flights are fully booked in the U.S., the first inconvenience is the loss of space.

The competition for overhead bin space becomes intense, and if you board late, you often have to store your luggage far away.

It's now hard to even see people shaking hands or chatting about names, and most importantly, boarding and deplaning times have increased.

The chances of upgrades that used to happen once or twice are gone, and even small delays can significantly impact the entire schedule.

When I think about why this has happened, it used to take quite a bit of thought to buy a plane ticket, and you had to go through the process of calling a travel agency to book it.

But now, with just a smartphone, it's all done.

You can open Google Flights, compare prices a few times, and if you find a good deal, you can pay right away.

So naturally, everyone seems to be buying tickets easily and moving around effortlessly.

The boarding process has also changed; there was a time when people carried paper tickets, but now it's hard to find that scene.

Everyone is standing in line with just their phones. Everything from check-in to seat selection to boarding is done through an app.

It's convenient. However, it seems that we've become so comfortable that now anyone can board a plane without much thought.

The style of luggage has also changed interestingly. Nowadays, backpacks are standard, and carry-on luggage is almost essential. Even kids are pulling one along.

In the past, checking in bags was the norm, but now, due to baggage fees, everyone seems to want to bring their bags into the cabin.

As a result, the competition for overhead bin space starts the moment you board the plane.

You can't ignore the atmosphere after the pandemic.

Perhaps because of the long time we couldn't move, it seems that now, whenever there's a chance, everyone wants to go out.

There seems to be a thought that "if not now, it might get blocked again."

So, it seems that demand continues to build for short trips every weekend.

Airlines are also adjusting routes and flight frequencies for efficiency, which has ultimately created a structure that fills up faster.

Living in Dallas, I find myself going to the airport quite often, and these days, there are just too many people.

The area in front of the gate is always bustling, and when boarding starts, the line seems endless.

In the midst of all this, everyone is carrying a lot of luggage, making the space feel even tighter.

In conclusion, travel has become easier, people are moving more frequently, and the way airlines operate has changed.

It could be seen as a positive direction, but if the result is always fully booked flights, it raises the question of whether that is truly more convenient.

I think this trend will continue. Technology will become more convenient, and people will want to travel more.