to choose them over jacking passengers around.

They have complicated schedules that involve not only passenger connections but crew availability and mandatory duty hour limitations, required aircraft maintenance and inspections, refueling, and manning ground crews and gates. A rerouting that seems strange may actually be the most efficient because of these factors. Also FAA rules govern whether airplanes can fly at all during certain "weather events," and believe me, you do not want to fly at all during some of them, especially thunderstorms. I worked for a major airline for 12 years. Most people never see all the moving parts, but there are a whole lot of them.

I said nothing about changing their planned routes other than they seem illogical and wasteful. I did not suggest they reroute her flights "to any airport whenever."

seating like that on a metro bus.

The only reason I do it is because it's the fastest way to get to where I want to go. I don't like any part of it - the airport; being there two hours early; waiting in line to check my luggage; having to pay a fee for my checked suitcase (can't they just add that to the price of the ticket?); having to go through security (I know, it's a necessary evil); waiting around; getting in line to get on the plane; being on the plane; trying to find a comfortable position in the tiny seat; waiting to take off; being in the air. The only part I like is getting off the plane.

Between lunatic passengers and getting through TSA security I'd rather take Amtrack.

I just love the sensation on takeoff, then looking out the window at the clouds and the ground below. The fact that flying is even possible is amazing. Yes, I know how the physics works, Bernouilli's principle, lift, thrust, drag and all that stuff, I know how jet engines work, but it still seems kind of magical. The food usually sucks (though I had the best chocolate cake ever on a flight from AMS-MSP some years ago) and people are crabby and airports are a zoo but I love to fly. Used to do it myself, just can't afford it any more.

Somewhere along the line, I discovered that United's first flight from Denver would often catch the sunrise over the foothills... And on one trip in particular, we were flying past a series of mesas and the sun was just hitting them and the rims of each mesa were lit up for a few moments... it was just magical.

Folks have since passed and I don't really fly anymore, but I really loved those Denver/Tucson flights.