I bet any study would show the poor in the U.S. don't travel much, that it's really outside their realm. The exception would be seeing family I guess. And even then how do they travel? How does the cost of a plane ticket compare to greyhound bus? I can't say I've compared them, might not be much difference.

(i.e. I don't take the last flight that's going to get me there). I don't count on the airlines to get me to work on time.
but how is one to even know this if they don't fly a lot? Don't assume frequent flyer knowledge applies to non-frequent flyers. And if the plane service is more reliable elsewhere (I don't know if it is but train and bus service is) don't expect foreigners to know it either. I've taken Amtrak a bunch of times, I KNOW the trains almost never run on time, that the schedule published is an idealized schedule assuming the normal delays don't happen, but people who have never taken the train before don't know this.