Editor’s note

Good morning. Beep beep, vroom vroom, and, of course, choo choo. Welcome to Transportation Brew, a special edition all about the business of getting from point A to B. We’ll discuss the airline perk revolution, highlight the latest in taxis (both the robo and air varieties), get very jealous of Japan’s high-speed rail network, and much more. Buckle up, and don’t forget to tip your driver.

PRETTY FLY FOR A WI-FI

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Worn down by decades of stand-up comedians making them the butt of jokes, airlines are implementing changes, one perk at a time. From free wi-fi to upgraded seating, air carriers are increasingly coming up with ways to woo passengers and build loyalty. But be warned: The treats aren’t always complimentary.

Happy wi-fi, happy life: Thanks to the magic of onboard internet, you no longer have to wait until the plane lands to post that picture of the wing. Wi-fi—once a pricey add-on for passengers—is now mostly free and widely available. JetBlue was the first US airline to offer free wi-fi in 2017, and now the five other largest US airlines either already have it or are rolling it out.

Welcome to the club: To take advantage of free wi-fi, most airlines require passengers to sign up for their loyalty programs, which have become major moneymakers. According to a Business Insider analysis of SEC filings, in 2024, airline loyalty programs netted:

• More than $6 billion each for American and Delta.
• More than $2 billion each for United and Southwest.

The space race

Airplane seating is also getting a makeover. Earlier this month, United Airlines announced it would roll out a new class of seat rows that guarantee nobody will be in the middle seat. United also plans to offer seats next year that transform economy rows into couches, a feature already offered by Air New Zealand. And Emirates said last week that it was fitting its planes with new headrests that can fold out to resemble cushy neck pillows.

Less is more: At the same time, Delta and United have been experimenting with taking free perks away, so that they can charge less for premium tickets and attract a broader swath of passengers to splurge on business class. In the new tier, passengers might not get a refundable ticket or as many complimentary checked bags, but they’ll still have the ability to smugly stare at everyone trudging to the back of the plane.

Those perks aren’t gone, though. They just cost extra money, allowing passengers to upgrade and customize their trips. But that strategy involves courting wealthier travelers who are actually able to splurge on added comfort and convenience.—BC

      

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WAIT, WHAT?

Your robotaxi might narc on you

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Waymo? More like lame-o. America’s leading cabbie-less cab company recently called the police on a pair of teen riders who were suspected of criminal activity, raising questions about its surveillance capabilities.

They were allegedly shooting toy guns and boozing. Cops reportedly treated the incident as a “high-risk traffic stop” after receiving a call from a Waymo employee who was monitoring the ride’s live camera feeds. According to NBC:

• The caller thought the teens were using a real firearm, but they were actually shooting Orbeez (squishy gel pellets).
• After alerting police, Waymo turned off the vehicle remotely and blamed the stoppage on mechanical issues to keep the passengers unsuspecting and seated until cops arrived.
• The teens were detained, but ultimately released to their parents without arrest.

Big Rover is watching. Waymo employees can check in over the robotaxi’s speakers if riders fall asleep. If they don’t wake up, the police are often notified. Remote support agents have also called some baby-faced passengers to ask if they’re old enough to ride solo in a Waymo.—ML

GET TO THE CHOPPER

Joby Aviation

Don’t want to sit in traffic and make small talk with your rideshare driver? Is the thought of sitting on a train with your luggage giving you anxiety? The future of transportation to the airport could be air taxis.

Known as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, these 100% electric vehicles look like drones but take off and land like helicopters. The Department of Transportation approved eight pilot programs across 26 states in March. Typically, eVTOL taxis carry up to four people plus a pilot (some are autonomous). Joby Aviation flew demonstration flights between Manhattan and JFK Airport in April and aims to get travelers to the airport in 10 minutes instead of an hour-plus by car.

When? In the US, air taxis could be a reality as soon as this year in some locations, while Los Angeles is on track to have an air taxi program in time for the 2028 Olympics. Deputy FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau told Reuters last week that the agency wants to get the air taxi industry off the ground (so to speak) as quickly as possible. Air taxis are already operating in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, China.

How much? Price estimates compare the initial cost of a trip to that of an Uber Black ride (as much as $150 for that ride to JFK). However, the trip could be as little as $25 if the business scales by 2030.—DL

      

place to be

Car-free on Mackinac Island

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If you’re looking for a locale with a little more horsepower, Michigan’s Mackinac Island has been car-free since internal combustion engines were banned in its village in 1898. The only way to get around the small island in Lake Huron is by walking, biking, or horse-drawn carriage.

Only about 600 people live there year-round, but ~1.2 million tourists descend on the 4.35-square-mile island each year (mostly by ferry), and roughly 300 workhorses are brought in during the summer to accommodate the influx. Not only are the horses part of a 24-hour summer taxi service, but they also pull garbage buggies and help deliver mail.

The small island gets its name from the indigenous people who used the island’s ideal location for fishing—long before it became a hub for rich Midwesterners in the 19th century. There are burial grounds on the island dating back some 3,000 years. The Anishinaabek people called the island Michilimackinac, or “place of the great turtle,” because its lush forests reminded them of a giant turtle popping out of the lake. —MM

on rails

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The worst thing trainspotters can do in Japan is blink. But even if they miss the bullet train, the next one is probably just minutes away, looking like Amtrak at 3x speed.

The country’s famous Shinkansen high-speed rail network can replace a six-hour drive with a two-hour ride at a top speed of 200 mph. It also boasts frequent service and an average delay time of 1.6 minutes. Meanwhile, an early departure by 25 seconds once prompted an official apology from the train company.

While offering tourists an experience to obsess over alongside multistory manga stores, it’s also a common mode of transportation for local travelers. In Japan, 28% of the country’s passenger miles are traveled by train, compared with 10% in France and 0.25% in the US.

How do they do it?

Transportation experts say Japan’s railtopia stems from the privatization of the country’s railroads in the 1980s. Its notoriously inefficient national railroad was split into six companies, which axed unprofitable routes and became more nimble than the national conglomerate.

Plus, the railroad companies aren’t just running trains:

• They also own real estate and operate businesses near stations (from amusement parks to retirement homes), playing a key role in developing dense neighborhoods near stations to drive rail ridership.
• For instance, a third of East Japan Railway Company’s revenue last year came from its hotel, real estate, and retail businesses, giving it extra cash to fund trains.

There’s also the extensive staff training at weeks-long retreats, leading to low staff turnover and high professionalism.

In a virtuous cycle…the quality passenger experience keeps trains full, helping fund further service upgrades.—SK

      

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mailbag

Riding with a chatty cabbie can lead to eye-opening learning. We asked for your most memorable sound bytes from a taxi or ride-hailing driver, and you delivered. Here are a few of our favorites:

• “We were in Paris in 2015 and took an Uber to a cooking class outside the city. On the way, our driver passed a cemetery and told us Van Morrison was buried there. We were shocked—the four of us had seen Van a few years earlier and were sad to hear he had died! Turns out it was Jim Morrison’s grave.”—Jim from Tempe, AZ
• “Had a Lyft driver one time who was a ‘balloon artist,’ and we got a whole monologue about how a ‘balloon artist’ is different from a ‘balloon twister.’ Apparently, artists come up with their own balloon designs, a twister just recreates other people’s designs.”—Allison from Dallas
• “I had an Uber driver perform Mongolian throat singing for me on the highway en route to O’Hare Airport. Look it up if you haven’t before.”—Maddy from Chicago
• “I met a Lyft driver from Georgia, the country, and he told me the secret to getting rid of a hangover is to mix half a bottle of any red wine with an equal amount of Coca-Cola and drink the whole thing. I have yet to try it, but he swore by it.”—Tina from NYC
• “One time I got in an Uber after a night out and the driver said he had just dropped off someone very important at the airport, who said he was a basketball player on the way to Los Angeles. Next morning, Luka Dončić’s trade from the Dallas Mavericks to the LA Lakers gets announced.”—Henry from Dallas

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ICYMI, use your Sunday morning to get caught up on some of our most-clicked recent recs:

• Expert advice on whether you should use a plastic or wooden cutting board.
• Drift along the perfect river cruise for whatever type of traveler you are.
• Wake up your brain with this game that tests your ability to group countries into categories.
• Your kitchen design is smarter than you think. Here’s why your oven door has those tiny dots.
• This weird ball wears your dog out faster than other toys.**

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