Off to the airport! Got my e-ticket, which is like a Popular Science prediction from 1967. In the future you’ll slide your Ident-O-Card into the slot, select your seat with the touch of a screen, and receive a freshly printed, personalized travel ticket. Then you’ll be wanded by scowling Somalis! They didn’t get that last part, but who could.Unfortunately, I am of an age that remembers "dressing up" for airplane flights and the modern version of air travel makes me feel like my memories must be of the Pan Am Clipper or a Zeppelin flight. On the other hand, air time to our destinations was no different than today and total time probably rather less since there were more direct flights and no security and less traffic outside the airport too. I also think there was more room in the seats, but it could just be that my seat takes up more room.
It seems to me that air travel is stuck in a high (pretense of) security cattle car phase that won't change anytime soon, unless ubiquitous bandwidth peels off enough business travellers with "teleconferencing". Of course, without the business travellers air travel may come to more closely resemble a 3rd world bus trip than it already does.
