Originally Posted by Athena53
I do think that a large segment of the population has quit flying... Dad flew a lot in the 1950s and 1960s- he was in sales for a steel company. A couple of years ago he and my brother took a golfing trip to Scotland... Dad was just horrified at what an ordeal travel had become. He hasn't flown since.
I guess it's like the frog in the pot of water whose heat is slowly turned up -- he doesn't notice he's being cooked. Those of us who've been at it constantly for years have learned to absorb and manage the misery as we go. But I think it's true that last-generation flyers who've been away for awhile find current flying culture extremely stressful. My elderly mom last flew about eight years ago. She found the crowds, delays, rudeness, (pre-9/11) security, and general sourness of the experience so stressful, she swore she'd never board an aircraft again -- and hasn't.
I do find myself thinking more about non-flying domestic vacations though. Flying is work. I'm trying to relax. Why put my family through it?