Forget the drinks, snacks and WiFi. I'd be happy if they just eliminated all the annoyances. I haven't flown in 12 years despite having to make occasional trips to both coasts. I'd rather drive for four days than be abused by the airlines for four hours.

I fly once or twice a month on average and that's when I'm trying to avoid it as much as possible. We need to face the fact that stuffing people into aluminum tubes just so that we can claim civilization's X-prize ain't working in the 21st century.

Although it was fun (kinda) while it lasted, the fact is that air travel has been a disappointing, not to mention outrageously expensive, diversion. We don't have the technology nor the energy to make it a going concern (witness the serial bankruptcies of virtually every carrier throughout the history of commercial aviation -- and that's with the massive government subsidies).

It's time to put the vampire's stake in commercial aviation and kill the beast before we throw any more good money after bad.

greg

I fly once a month on average and I never really have any issues with it. You just get on, get off, and go about your business. E tickets and automated check in make it so that it's easier and easier, and I always seem to meet interesting people on the planes. I love it.

The reason air travel bites is that customers have made it clear that they prefer low prices to good service. Given a opportunity to fly a slightly-more-expensive airline with better food, more legroom, etc., and Americans will always choose the cheaper one. Except for those who can afford to spring for first class.

I'll agree with Lone Ranger about eliminating annoyances. Why is there an announcement over the loudspeaker every two minutes telling you that unattended baggage will be blown up? or that illegally parked cars will be towed?

Thanks for the mention, Paul.

I think part of the problem is that the airlines see the seats strictly as commodities, and certainly there are people who will make a ticket decision for +/- $5. Assuming that all flyers view flying this way is a mistake I think, especially if the airlines view their best customers through the same lens.

American recently announced they were taking out the extra leg room they had added in coach to get more seats and hopefully more revenue per mile. Maybe it's not too astonishing that the management who have brought them to the brink of bankruptcy would come up with such a decision.

I'm convinced the major problems with the major airlines existed and were fermenting well before 9/11. It's also going to take a huge cultural shift in the companies to make the changes needed to survive and eventually thrive. Do they have the requisite leadership? I doubt it.

I'm an American living in London, and whenever I have to get to the Continent I fly on Ryanair or EasyJet, the ultra-low-fare carriers. I don't need Wi-Fi and chatty gate agents, because if they were present, my ticket would surely cost more. It's less than an hour at the gate and only a few hours in the air; strip away all but the essentials, give me a low fare, I'll read my book and get to my destination satisfied.