Remembrance of Things Past

I was appalled to learn that Emirates Airlines was now providing in-flight mobile phone service and that other airlines might follow suit. Since the public has already displayed epic rudeness on the ground, imagine the cell phone nightmare in an enclosed space at 30,000 feet! Along with sardine-like seating, charges for food and luggage, minimal in-flight service and delayed and cancelled flights, airlines seems hell-bent on creating new customer inconvenience. To realize how bad it’s become, consider what was available for air travelers seventy-five years ago. In 1939, Pan American World Airways introduced trans-Atlantic passenger service between New York and Southampton, England. Their plane was the Boeing 314, dubbed “Clipper” in homage to the graceful...

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