I am always shocked to see what is on planes today...and it can be shocking...sometimes people are barely dressed, unkempt, smelly, etc. It is a different crowd and a different experience.
It was once a classy, enjoyable luxury....no more.
Someone told me in the late 70s that in the near future, air travel would be as attractive as going by bus. Sadly, they turned out to be correct.
It’s astonishing how bad it is nowadays. Last time I took a flight, my fellow passengers mostly looked like they’d all crawled out from under some rocks. Sloppy, smelly, unkempt. Coupled with the insanity of all the long lines, metal detectors, taking my shoes off, etc., I vowed never to fly again.
It was just too unpleasant an experience. It reminded me of some kind of old, third-world bus-trip. I was surprised there wasn’t some old peddler with a live chicken next to me. Come to think of it, that might have constituted an improvement over what I saw.
I really miss when America used to be so much more civilized, and people used to comport themselves with pride and dignity.
In my corporate life we had company planes for business travel; a jet and two turbo props. Once in 2001 I had to make a rush trip to our Chicago and Atlanta offices from California. I flew commercial.
I've not been in a commercial plane since and don't plan to ever again.