Wrong thread, guys. Try looking at the question, before you post.

In re: Aer Lingus, if the Irish Government could find another Flag carrier with whom to join forces, that would be good. Ryan-Air isn't so much 'Irish', as 'happens to be based in Ireland'. Aer Lingus is Irish.

It guts me to see the venerable flag carriers of the European Countries falling, like dominoes. I know I am old-fashioned, but I come from a generation for whom flying was better than being crammed aboard what amounts to an airborne bus.

The luxury amenities for people who pay heaps of money have got out of control. The complete absence of amenities, for reasonable-cost air-travel has also got out of control.

I have nothing against 'no-frills' airlines, if that is how people choose to fly. I wish there were a medium-range, in which 'economy-class' was not 'no-frills', but rather, just not 'first-class', where the seats were a reasonable width, and spaced far enough apart for tall people, and meals, drinks, and so forth, were the way they were, 30 years ago. I believe there are many people who would gladly pay extra, to fly with the comfort of 'economy-class' as it was in the 1970s, rather than be air-freight. I also expect a huge number of 'business-class' flyers would drop to that style of 'economy', where amenities are not ludicrous, but are also not absent.

The airlines are making a mistake, by polarising the 'cheap-seats' and the 'stupidly expensive class' so much. For short-haul flights, it isn't too bad. Long-haul, in what now passes for 'economy', even on Lufthansa, is a fairly miserable experience.

I remember when flying was gracious. You don't have to be Qatar Air to make passengers comfortable.

I think Aer Lingus should try to remain Ireland's flag carrier, by making a deal with someone. I hope in better times, that all these mergers can un-merge, so each national airline can return to reflecting the nation for whom it flies. There will always be customers for the Ryan-Airs of the world. I shall not be one of them. I am too old to spend long stretches of time in a cattle-car.

"Gm opened in 1902 , Ford in 1903 , and Chrysler in 1925"

And this relates to airlines how? Try and keep up......

Sam in Spain – clearly you were lucky enough to do your flying in a different time.

Whether you sit in first class or steerage, airline travel today is a miserable experience, from check in and security, until you play "did they lose my bags" in baggage claim.

I think that you might have another avenue to consider about the future of air travel. I think that those who can afford to fly in First Class will start to move to the many business jet operations that are springing up around the world, and leave scheduled airline travel to the great unwashed.

Netjets is flourishing worldwide and their prices are becoming very competitive to the scheduled airlines; a situation that will only improve as more people take advantage of the service.