Why aren't blimps used for travel? Can't we get over the Hindenburg?

Question

Advantages= 1) Tremendous size- the Hindenburg was as big as the Titanic! No sitting in cramped seats for hours. Can include all sorts of amenities, just like a cruise ship!

2) Much less intricate mechanical parts then a plane (assumption, don't know if this is true).

Possible answers: 1) Fuel costs. What kind of fuel would be used, would it be to costly(?)

2) speed(?) http://www.ciderpresspottery.com/ZLA/greatzeps/german/Hindenburg.html

Answer 1

They wont fit in the car pool lane.....duh

Answer 2

They aren't used because there is no commercial demand for such a slow means of travel.

A 1,000 mile trip can be made on a commercial jet in about 2.5 hours. At 84mph, the speed that is cited in your link, it would require 12 hours. Few people will give up two entire days of their vacation to leisurely cruise roundtrip when they could do it a half day. It's the destination that makes a trip fun, not how you get there.

If there was demand for slow travel, Amtrak would be a runaway hit. It isn't. Outside of the northeast corridor, where major cities are relatively close together, travelers overwhelmingly prefer airplanes.

Cruise ships attract passengers because they are a destination in themselves with amenities such as pools, casinos, and theaters. Consumers don't look at them as a means of transport like an airplane. Zeppelins have to balance amenities against weight because they have to be able to get off the ground.

Answer 3

The Hindenburg wasn't a "blimp" It was a Zeppelin. A blimp doesn't have internal supports like the Hindenburg had.  While the Hindenburg's overall size was big. It passenger compartment wasn't. It only carried 36 passengers and had 61 crew. It's max speed was 85 mph.