I had to smile when I read this. The author, a well-seasoned flier, makes a case that rather than being worse than ever, air travel is in fact better than it used to be. A contrarian point indeed!

NY Times: The golden age of travel?

Now I know I’m an oddity, but I actually enjoy air travel:

• I don’t mind a 24-hour multi-leg trip to get somewhere. That makes it seem like I’ve really gone somewhere exotic and special.
• I don’t mind narrow body planes. They have a higher proportion of window seats, and I love to watch the world go by.
• I don’t mind a 12-hour layover at JFK. I get to explore every terminal, discovering which have the most comfortable benches and interesting food.

OK, I don’t mean that everything is rosy. Sitting in coach can be cramped for those of us with long legs, when trying to cross or uncross your legs requires a contortionist’s skill. And trying to sleep on an overnight flight when your seat reclines about 3″ does not leave you perky at the end of the trip!

But I see it all as part of the adventure. The travel time is like a decompression chamber between the world where you were, and the world you’re going to. And not least important, it’s quiet time when I’m free to read & listen to my iPod — a luxurious time I rarely allow myself in “normal life”.

As far as I’m concerned, if I could just click my heels and be there, I’d be missing part of the experience.