[Don Plumley]

I did a little poking around the interwebs and found that in 1970 or the end of the regulated era total US revenue passenger miles (RPM) was about 130 billion. Over the past few years, this number is about 800 billion. That's a lot more butts in seats (and yes, some of those butts are a little wider). While we can lament the many changes in the mode of transportation, I suspect this same conversation was going on in the late 1930's as more cars started to appear on the highways.

As for my experience flying over the years, I did my peak international flying in 2001; yup, right up through 9/11 when I was in London on a business trip.

I did lots of domestic travel in the early 90's - we had security screening, but it was simple and I don't remember a delay. Your friends could come to the gate area to say goodbye or meet passengers right away. That was nice. Being able to drive up to the airport 30 minutes before departure meant we could stretch the business day to the extreme - I remember doing a day trip to DFW from SNA: first flight out, afternoon of meetings, then fly back and have dinner on the plane. Got upgraded a lot back then and the food in the front wasn't too bad.

Second half of the 90's I did a lot of international flying. Again, upgraded a bunch so those trips were pleasant. Began to notice the FA's on the domestic carriers started to, um, age a bit while the other nation flag carriers had more, uh, well, a different perspective. Cost controls were definitely impacting food and wine quality. In the early 90's in International First class, caviar was a common starter; I remember seeing many well known nice wines. By the end of the decade there was a reduction in quality and amount. But the best thing was how quick you could get from the curb to the gate - that made business travel more efficient.

My single biggest complaint about today's air travel: Not being able to take my kids to the gate to put them on a plane or meet them at the gate when they come back. Well, they are hardly kids now so it matters less. But a few years ago that was a real pain. My only other regret was never being able to fly on the Concorde. I'm still waiting for my trip on a private jet though...

Today, I take about ~6 international trips and ~4 domestic business trips a year; plus a few for leisure. So I don't feel like I fly hardly at all anymore. Fortunately I have lifetime status on AA, so I get the benefits of a shorter line (security and check in) which is handy. The biggest single difference is time - allowing enough time for unpredictable TSA delays in security. For an overseas flight, it's not too bad, as I like to run early anyway. But short domestic trips make me consider the driving tradeoff frequently.

I miss flying as much as I did. There's nothing like driving to the airport, then waking up in Paris. or Tokyo. Looking out the window and seeing glaciers in the North Atlantic. Flying in from Asia and getting back before you left. Meeting cool people in Rio. Seeing your daughter cradle a Wallaby in Tasmania...Backpacking through Europe with your son...Going through Burgundy with your wife. The best way to see the world is to get on an airplane. While those hours might be more cramped and more inconvenient now, the hassle is rounding error in comparison to the rewards on the other side of the arrival gate. That's my view from the aisle seat.