Sporkman
November 9th, 2010, 06:22 PM
About 24 million people will head to an airport this year to catch a flight.... And as in every year, many of them will gripe. Whether it's fees, crowded planes, no food or surly service, people will complain about the current state of air travel.
They'll talk wistfully about the good old days of flying, of a bygone era when a glamorous stewardess delivered white-glove service with a smile, they had meals with real silverware and a courtesy cocktail was offered free on such carriers as Pan Am, TWA, Braniff or Eastern.
The so-called golden age of air travel in the 1950s, '60s and '70s has passed, they'll say, just as those airlines have.
But has it? No, say some veteran fliers and industry analysts. With historically affordable fares to nearly everywhere, greater options for service if you're willing to pay, and new information and entertainment technology, there's never been a better time to fly, they say...
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/travel/2010-11-09-goldenage09_CV_N.htm
They'll talk wistfully about the good old days of flying, of a bygone era when a glamorous stewardess delivered white-glove service with a smile, they had meals with real silverware and a courtesy cocktail was offered free on such carriers as Pan Am, TWA, Braniff or Eastern.
The so-called golden age of air travel in the 1950s, '60s and '70s has passed, they'll say, just as those airlines have.
But has it? No, say some veteran fliers and industry analysts. With historically affordable fares to nearly everywhere, greater options for service if you're willing to pay, and new information and entertainment technology, there's never been a better time to fly, they say...
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/travel/2010-11-09-goldenage09_CV_N.htm