Flight attendants

[Spongebob]

Mom made sure we were dressed in our Sunday best for a flight.  It was a special thing.  Since one set of grandparents, and other family, were a thousand miles away, we made trips by plane maybe every other year.  Sometimes we made the trip by car but we didn't have money for hotels so it was a straight through drive stopping only when the car needed gas or dad needed coffee.  

I haven't been on a plane in years and don't think I ever will again.  Your description of it being like riding the bus is apt.

Oh, you aren't missing a thing.  Unless you get 1st class or business class, you are jammed in like cattle.  Flights get delayed or cancelled with little or no information, and you sometimes get to sit on the tarmac for a couple hours just to be told you have to get on a new plane.  Food has been reduced to almost nothing.  Oh, and getting felt up by security, great fun!  I am not a fan.

On the good side, there are no more in flight movies because everyone has a device of some sort and most newer planes have a power jack to plug in to.  So entertainment is great these days, whatever you bring.  I mostly read but I do put on my headphones to drown out the chatter.

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And I did forget that most decent size airports are just glorified malls. You can buy or eat just about anything.