First, the good:
Airlines, Customer Service, and the failures of technology, Stephanie Vaughn Hapke, Huffington Post.
Technology could make the flying experience much better. I've often wondered why the airlines don't leverage it (especially with the popularity of seat-back IFE).
Second, the bad:
Don't fall for airlines "unbundling" ploy. Christopher Elliot, USA Today
Christopher Elliot is one of the leading purveyors of the "good old days" lie that the media is backing regarding air travel. The affordability of air travel for the masses is a recent trend and is underreported by Elliot and his crew. Yes, the "loss leader/volume seller" business model was flawed and what the airlines are doing now is making themselves a profitable business but that's only a problem if you believe profit is a dirty word. The real problem, for Elliot and his ilk, is that now almost anyone can afford to fly (at least on occasion). It strips away the elitist sheen that air travel used to have and makes people like Elliot feel just a little bit less superior.
