Doppy, you always make a lot of sense! Yes, a nitch airline is a huge risk. Now that my chances of catching a ride on an executive jet are slim to none, I've learned to fly the so-called friendly skies.

What we lack now is 'civility', a word my mother loved to use.

Flying is now a chore!

That is so darn sad. WN does make it better if you can deal with their system, but WN can't take me to Europe.

Not long ago I was on an AA flight where a mother was flying home in a rush because her son had been killed. From time to time she was sobbing. A kind FA offered to help and got the whole story. (The woman was seated behind me, I couldn't miss the story). By the time we landed in ORD, the FA had arranged that the woman be escorted from the plane through customs etc. The FA offered to drive the woman herself if other arrangments didn't turn up!

I waited with the woman at baggage claim (there's no getting around that) and watched AA people take her in hand and make the situation as smooth as possible.

It is entirely possible to fly in a civil atmosphere where we are if not nice, polite to each other!

I am tired of flying in situations where people argue over who gets overhead storage space and the ARM REST of all things!