Flying in a sardine can and other travel misery

[hyphenate]

18. I've seen a lot of figures

And while things were cheaper at one point in the past, the truth is, you were able to check your bag without a big deal, and you got a meal during a 5 or 6 hour flight. You almost always got a direct flight (LAX to BOS, or LAS to BOS, and vice versa) with no extra hassles.

Now, it's the illusion of a certain price. Okay, so your ticket is $350, but hey, you have to endure a stop with the extra time attached, the extra anxiety of that stop, oh, and if you have luggage, it's $25 for the first bag, and if you want a meal, that's okay, but it's $10, and even if you choose to buy it before you board, it's still about $10. And there are, of course, all the extra administrative fees, the fuel surcharge, the smaller planes with all the seats filled (the dreaded "middle" seat always beckoning you), and well, you have to arrive at the airport 2 hours ahead of time, etc.

I may be remembering travel with a pair of rosy tinted glasses, but I used to travel pretty extensively, including getting rewards of a trip for two to Europe and one to Hawaii. Now, the most I've flown in the past 9 years has been three times, and each time it seems to be worse and worse.