Originally Posted by JohnWM
Yes, air travel has certainly deteriorated.
My first flights were in the late '60's and I think that what we have now is even worse than backwards. I can't even remember such poor quality air service, aloft or on the ground, in my early years. Actually, the late '60's through the late '70's was the golden age of civilian air transport.
Didn't the stews wear hot pants back then on some airlines? Seems like the same ones must still be working some 30 years later.
The industry did resist the emphasis on price for a long time. Imagine if people still had to call in (and NOT get quoted the lowest fare) or see the ticket-mill travel agent who'd look only at the first screen or two (I know they're not all like that...).
LCCs could build their initial fleets on old hand-me-down planes, like ValuJet did with the ones from Turkey...
And the Internet was supposed to wipe out travel agents and distribution costs without affecting ticket revenues. Instead, it turned everyone into a tinkerer and cross-checker.