Two months after the most recent Boeing 737 Max 8 crash, and more than 6 months after the first, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg finally made a comprehensive statement. Perhaps the biggest misstep was in waiting so long in the first place. Perhaps it was stating that he somehow understood the pain and loss because it “affects him directly” as the leader of the company. “It feels personal,” he continued, after noting how sorry he felt for the families. 346 people died because of preventable oversights, and actively postponing plane software maintenance. It should feel personal.

Let’s get this out of the way up front: there is nothing wrong with budget travel. At this point in my blogging career, I fund all my own trips and homegirl doesn’t have unlimited resources. We’ve all seen ultra-luxury hotels and Instagram travel photos, and for those of us who can’t afford an all-out 5 star experience, budget travel is often what’s on the menu. I’m a huge proponent of it. But we need to clear the air with a few problems going on in the budget travel industry.