Let’s think about it without judgment.
Traveler Kevin Droniak got into trouble last week when he posted a video about flying to London from New York for just 24 hours. The influencer, who has 121,000 followers on Instagram, is an avid traveler and often shares his travel stories with his audience.
Explaining that he found a cheap red-eye ticket, Droniak flew to London for just one night. “I’m going to sleep anyway tonight,” he said. “So, I might as well sleep on the plane and wake up in London.” In another video describing how he spent his 24 hours in London, he disclosed that he booked the ticket for $350, an amount he would ordinarily spend in New York City on a weekend.
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Some commenters urged Droniak to think about carbon pollution and the unsustainability of his travels, while others gave him a thumbs up on his spontaneity and argued that the plane was going to New York anyway.
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Droniak echoed the latter sentiment in a third video that addressed the backlash. In his “rebuttal,” he shifted focus to celebrities and corporations, saying that he’s just a consumer. He also reproached one of the commenters, talking about the non-environmental-friendly practices they indulge in. He dissected their outfit from Target and Shein, and argued that fast fashion is a bigger climate polluter, so the person commenting is also contributing to climate change.
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The influencer also made news last year when he took a helicopter from Manhattan to JFK because he was running late for his flight to London. Droniak determined this was cheaper than rescheduling or booking another flight.
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His one-day getaway was a fun trip for him, but for most of the world, it’s out of the question–the kind of travel he describes is a privilege, hence it also invites so much flak.
Travel Is Aspirational
Not everyone has the luxury to travel, neither in the U.S. or around the world. There are economic factors, but also post-colonial privileges that make it so inaccessible.
Let’s first take into account passport privilege. American passport holders can travel to 189 countries without running into visa hassles. It is the sixth strongest passport in 2024 according to Henley & Partners. On the other hand, Indian passports are ranked 81 in the world, and holders only receive visa-free entry to 61 countries. A U.K. visa costs an Indian upwards of £127 ($161)–and if the visa is rejected, it’s a sunk cost; the money is not refunded. Besides, it is a long and lengthy process of paperwork, including showing proof of finances. It’s certainly not as easy as buying a plane ticket and flying on the same day.
Less than 50% of Americans hold a passport. In India, that statistic is less than 10%. According to Pew Research, 76% of Americans have traveled to at least one other country.
Again to compare, Indians booked 1.7 billion leisure trips in 2022, but only 1% were international. With weaker currencies, international travel is a dream, and although more Indians than ever are crossing borders, the thought is still not even a blip on the radar for many urban Indians who earn an average of $260 per month.
Even for Americans with a passport, a quick trip to London isn’t attainable. The Federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour—that’s $58 for an eight-hour workday. On average, an American spends $35 on a given day. So, a ticket worth $350 might be out of reach for many.
Travel is not a level playing field, which ought to be acknowledged—not to shame or guilt anyone, but to understand that the discrepancies and power dynamics are at play anytime anyone uses their passport.
Related: This Is What Travel Privilege Really Looks Like
Slow Travel Is Needed
For years, travel experts (including us here at Fodor’s) have been urging travelers to think about their impact on destinations. That’s not to say that travel has no merit and destinations should be boycotted, but it’s important to remember that some places are suffering due to overconsumption and overexertion and may need a breather. As such, it’s often necessary for more conscientious travel.
Slow and responsible travel is one way of doing this. Rather than hop, skip, and jump from place to place, slow travel encourages tourists to stay longer in one spot, take alternate modes of transportation, and invest in local, homegrown brands and activities.
In his video, Droniak said he wanted to break the stigma of booking a week off to travel somewhere. For some, this is a thrilling way to travel. But slow travel also reminds us that we don’t need to go far to find excitement—as we did during the pandemic, we can do this in our own backyard.
Excess and overconsumption are systematic and ideological issues, and carbon emissions should be evaluated through the lens of class privilege. Disadvantaged people are hurt the most due to the effects of climate change and climate policies, but their share of carbon emissions is typically miniscule.
For context: A return flight from New York to London produces 2 tons of carbon emissions. An average American is responsible for 16 tons of carbon emission per year; globally, this number is 4 tons. The ideal needs to be 2 tons to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees. You can check your emissions here.
The richest 1% produce more carbon emissions than the poorest 66%. But the effects are felt the most by those who don’t have money, resources, or means to migrate, build new homes after climate disasters, or buy food due to draughts. And it’s not just the U.S.—the Pacific Islands are drowning without being massive polluters, while many African countries are facing famine.
There are no easy answers or silver bullets. No two travelers will have the same experience or dreams or opinions, so some may enjoy flight-less travels, others may not. But it needs to be remembered (and pointed out) that travel is a privilege and it should be treated as such.
$350 on a night out in NYC?!
The mind boggles as to what that would have bought.