I’m writing this on an oversold Boeing 737 flight, sitting by an exit-row window with the middle-seat passenger’s elbow in my side. The extra legroom gives me space to actually use my computer; the 17-inch seat width just isn’t enough for three full-grown men, especially when the guy on the aisle needs a seat-belt extender.

The power ports don't work on this flight; ditto for the in-flight Internet service. There's a chicken sandwich for sale-wait, they just ran out. It's a typical trip these days in airline travel, and a good reminder of why private jet travel is the holy grail for road warriors.