You raise an intriguing topic, matrixwalker2012. I suspect that most people nowadays will remember fondly their past good experiences and forget about the bad parts of travel back in the day.

In my opinion, with the exception of airport security, a necessary evil, most things are better today than they were when I started flying internationally in the 1970s.

The things that are better now are the things that matter most. Safety (commercial airliners used to crash frequently), seat comfort, and inflight entertainment to name a few.

The things I miss that are gone forever are largely due to the fact that flying today is very routine. Back in the day people applauded when the plane landed. Being a stewardess was an exotic job and it showed in the way that they treated their passengers.

Did I mention that nowadays you don't have to worry about sitting next to somebody chain smoking?