Trains are nice too. Cheaper, and you get to move around and mingle at lot easier. Maybe try one of those? Busses are cheap as well, but you can't walk around as much. But I know some people think trains and busses are gross and "lower class", which is why they have so much trouble getting funding. It's a catch-22: people won't use them, so lines don't get funded, so people don't use them.

I'm quite fond of Amtrak's Adirondack. It is a lovely way to visit relatives during Thanksgiving and see the foliage. Cheaper than planes and less stressful.

https://www.amtrak.com/routes/adirondack-train.html

No one wants to sit in a train for 10 hours on what would have been a two hour flight

What if they can't afford a flight?

Most amtrak fares are comparable to airfare these days honestly. If you can't afford airfare you end up on a greyhound, not the amtrak.