Times sure have changed, but once upon a time air travel was mainly accessible to upper middle class and above. The majority of the population had never been on a plane back in the 70’s, and it was a big deal. You’d dress in your good clothes and come presentable. Today, almost anyone can afford to fly, and people come like they are going to 7-11 for coffee in their pajamas.
I remember paying upwards of $700 for a round trip flight to Germany in 1982. I booked a flight to Germany for my mother 2 1/2 yrs ago….the price? $775 w/ one layover in Iceland.
I fly periodically, and will continue to do so. When you only get limited paid vacation time, I’m not spending the bulk of it in a car driving 1/2 way across the country. I’d much rather sit in a seat for an hour or two, watch a movie w/ headphones on my iPad, and have the bulk of my vacation time spent at my destination of choice. Some domestic flights are so cheap nowadays, that it’s actually doable to fly somewhere just to go to a concert and return the next day. The thought of that would have been insane 30 yrs ago! Who are you? Rockefeller??
Yes, it can be a pain, but the convenience of being 1/2 way across the country in no time far outweighs any thing I can think to nitpick over.
The one thing I miss the most, 10 or so years ago I used to fly AirTran almost once a month for seeing friends. During online check in the night before, you were given the option to upgrade to business class for a measly $35. The difference between coach and business at booking was over $200! I’d take it every time. It was sweet! First to board. Nice big wide comfy chair, a bourbon and coke before takeoff. Then southwest bought AirTran and that ended my fun.