salon's ask the pilot column has a great bit this week on the link between airlines' promotion of frequent flights to numerous destinations and the increase in the american air traffic control system's susceptibility to delays. the key link is this one, which points out a few obvious facts that nevertheless tend to escape our attention. namely, that more people than ever are flying, but they're all doing it in smaller planes, so there are a ton more takeoffs and landings, and a ton more planes in the air. more aircraft to carry the same number of people. it's like a big city where nobody carpooled. oh wait...
if you don't read 'ask the pilot', it's highly idiosyncratic, but at the same time, it's half aviation nerdery and half travel column, so i can't resist.