It’s hard to make a diagnosis for air travel these days, what with historic numbers of delays and a multitude of circulating horror stories. Curiously, airlines’ traditional one-upmanship continues in the face of myriad concerns. The much-anticipated American offshoot of Virgin Atlantic, Virgin America, launched its inaugural flights last week. Its M.O. is simple: offer more amenities for a slightly higher price to convert would-be customers of JetBlue and other low-cost, cross-country carriers. Whether travelers will pony up is anyone’s guess. Even the big guys are joining the amenities contest; the latest case is American Airlines’ plan to introduce onboard Internet in 2008. The irony of such competition when even the most basic in-air amenities have been scaled back or cut entirely isn’t lost on us, so we choose to look beyond it and focus on the real positive strides in air travel. Finally, passengers are gaining altitude.
For what onboard amenity would you shell out extra cash? Take the IgoUgo Snap Poll.
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