Scenario: Driving Better than Flying

Efficient Vehicle and Many Passengers

Driving will be better than flying if you use an efficient vehicle and have many people in the vehicle.  We’ve created a scenario in which 4 people are traveling in a hybrid car from San Francisco to Portland, a distance of 635 miles.

Even if we choose the best rated flying itinerary with a direct route, an efficient aircraft, and a packed budget airline driving still comes out ahead.

The gap between driving and flying grows if a less efficient aircraft is flown or flight occupancy drops.

Try changing the scenario below in the following ways

  • Change the type of aircraft.
  • Lower the number of people in the vehicle.
party=4&return=round&income=avg&orig2=SFO&dest2=PDX&mode2=aircraft_efficient&class2=budget&occ2=full&orig1=SFO&dest1=PDX&mode1=vehicle_efficient&class1=budget&occ1=full