Who knows if the Hyperloop will become a reality or not, but this is another example of Elon Musk pushing humanity to its limits and reminding us not to settle for unnecessary mediocrity. Let’s hope someone can make it work, because I’d love to live in a Hyperloop future where I can head to work in New York in the morning, zip out around noon to have a 12:45 lunch with my dad in Boston, finish up the work day in New York, catch an 8pm baseball game in DC, and be in my bed in New York by midnight.
In theory you can do all that today, by plane. I think the Hyperloop network (if it's ever built) will end up having many of the same issues as today's air traffic network. Hyperloop stations will be at the edge of the city, so it will take an hour to get there. You'll have to buy your ticket in advance (for probably at least as much as you'd pay for a flight), show up at the crowded station an hour before departure, go through a rigorous and humiliating security check, and risk overbookings and delays.
In theory you can do all that today, by plane. I think the Hyperloop network (if it's ever built) will end up having many of the same issues as today's air traffic network. Hyperloop stations will be at the edge of the city, so it will take an hour to get there. You'll have to buy your ticket in advance (for probably at least as much as you'd pay for a flight), show up at the crowded station an hour before departure, go through a rigorous and humiliating security check, and risk overbookings and delays.