Airing Some Gripes

Recently, The Times, in an editorial, decried the increasing violence on commercial airplane flights. This had to do with passengers beating up on flight attendants and, occasionally, pilots. Frankly, I blame airline greed for many of these problems.

As a fairly frequent traveler, I am dismayed at crowded airports and jetliners that are full of tired, often nervous passengers.

Although I mostly travel coach class, I have also had considerable experience in first class and business class. The difference is absolutely awesome! Being nearly 6-foot-4-inches tall, I find sitting in a crowded section horrible. Most of the food served is capital yuk.

Why couldn’t airlines agree to remove one row of seats to allow more breathing space for both flight crew and passengers? Or they could install business-class seating throughout the aircraft. A major effort could be undertaken to provide nutritious, low-cost meals rather than the soupy chicken and frozen rolls served in steerage section today.

I have seen lots of 1940s movies depicting folks seated in comfortable lounge-like chairs and being served tall drinks as they soar (slowly, to be sure) across the ocean. In short, my plea is to humanize travel so that we will act more human.

EDMONDE A. HADDAD

Port Hueneme