Flying is safer than ever statistically, but I keep wondering if the industry's obsession with cost-cutting has quietly eroded the margins that make those numbers hold. I've flown over 200 times for work, and the difference in maintenance culture between legacy carriers and budget ones is stark—yet the incident rate stays low. Is the pressure to keep fares down eventually going to compromise safety, or am I just buying into scare stories that ignore the rigorous checks still in place?