The travails of travel

Steve Chapman looks at the joys of air travel (or he would if there were any left):

In a season of crowded planes, long security lines and numerous delays, there are only two kinds of travelers: those who dislike the airlines, and those who loathe and abominate the entire industry with every fiber of their being. So the Department of Transportation is not risking a mass revolt when it entertains the idea of making carriers pay large sums to passengers who, after buying a ticket, find it doesn't come with a seat.

Airlines overbook to assure full flights, but when everyone shows up, not everyone gets to go. Involuntary "bumping" of passengers is an old custom that has gotten more onerous, since it's not as easy to get on the next flight as it used to be. So groups claiming to represent consumers have been demanding that the government force airlines to boost their compensation.

Once upon a time, in the far distant past, air travel was a fairly rare thing for most people, and the experience was often seen as a bit of an adventure (in the positive sense). Nowadays, air travel has become something to avoid if at all possible: I've lost count of the number of people who say they would rather drive eight hours rather than fly for two — of course, a "two-hour flight" is anything but. What used to be something you could do almost as easily as taking a city bus now is likely to consume your whole day . . . or more. And the travel experience often falls somewhere on the spectrum between grinding tedium and the Bataan Death March.

Travel for pleasure? Not frickin' likely.