"Love to fly?" Even when amenities were great, and service exemplary, the horribly expensive 15 hours or so from IDL to London, was dull, loud, uncomfortable, and not near as good as a dozen ocean liners offered in 5 day transits. The only folks who flew were those who could afford it, and time and convenience dictated their choice. The "extras" were there only to make the flights bearable - and because the folks who flew or their employers were willing to pay for them. Pretty soon, nobody boarded the ocean liners.

For most of us, either military service or the day Icelandic changed the world by offering a fares that literally revolutionized scheduled air travel to Europe are moments we remember.

Rita, the number of regular airline pax todays is many thousands of times higher than had ever been aboard an a/c 60 years ago. An airplane is a method, today the most effective method, of traveling several hundred miles or more. The airlines, after many feints and fumbles, determined that price and convenience are the factors which best move prospective passengers thru a/c doors. There's "premium service for those willing to pay (or exchange ff miles or loyalty) for it, but for the average traveler, the back of the bus, an accasional soda pop, and 6-9 hours of boredom are exchangeable for affordable fares.

If it's the illusion of crystal wine glasses and white gloves you're after, I know this old PanAm stewardess who will (for a price) come to your house and make you feel washed in luxury once more, but it never really was as good as the legends make it out to be, especially in the back rows of a DC-6 in Wnter storm with one third of the folks puking and another third having nothing left to puke. Being in the non-puking third was only marginally preferable, and no matter how much you liked the Bordeaux for dinner, even the best of vintages tastes a bit sour when it returns to the back of your throat.