I realize I am going to be flamed for this, but as a person who flys about once a week for work, I wonder if the travelling public really understands what is going on right now?
The short answer is if you want a decent flight and can only fly coach (which I do most of the time) IMHO these are the required items:
big bottle of H2O
neck pillow
your own food
a good book
a portable dvd with charger
Two five dollar bills for screw top wine
Ambien/some knockout mechanism
a polite, non invasive manner
toiletry kit
Non checked, complying luggage

If you have all of these, regardless of the nasty 31inch pitch seat, your flight shouldn't be too bad. The reality is folks, it's a bus in the air and the days of the airlines providing anything but minimal service are over. I don't know about foreign carriers but domestic carriers staff their planes with the minimum amount of crew that the FAA allows. That crew doesn't have the time or staff to provide the service of the past. Thank Southwest. Their people are happy because at minimal staffing, they have never really provided anything besides peanuts. They don't have seat problems, food problems, luggage problems (point to point flying) how could they go wrong?
As far as guarding the bathroom goes, here's how my friend who is a flight attendant explained it: "the other day I had to chase an older lady out of the FC cabin, despite the fact that she obviously wasn't a security risk. Why? Because if I don't chase her out, and then a middle eastern looking guy whose been acting weird all flight tries to get up and go forward and I block him. Now I am profiling and can be accused of racism. Everybody pays for 9/11, it's the only fair way. I can't let the little old lady pass and then challenge somebody else."
So it isn't about ticket price folks!

Seems like manners go out the window when you get on a plane, like refusing to put your seat back up at meal time, spreading your stuff all over, taking too much on, then cramming it in the overhead and hogging space, your feet stuck in my space, kids that are out of control, people walking about during the 'seat belt sign on', bad personal hygiene, and people who read the paper with arms spread wide (invading my space), drinking too much, etc. All could be avoided if we had some decent manners. Kinda like being on the freeway, isn't it. People turn into animals.

As long as I know about all of the above BEFORE the flight, I make my own choice - to fly or not to fly.

I am one of those passengers who don't care for "freebies" if it helps to keep the ticket price down.

And yes, thank you, Southwest! And Alaskan! And some others.

And instead of $5 for wine, buy a $2 bottle and bring with you.

It is ugly...

I was travelling economy last week to ORD. I was in the emergency row exit and fortunately there was an empty middle seat separating me from my neighbor. He took his shoes and socks off and picked at his toes for a portion of the flight, next pulled out a hugh plastic bag of knock off Cheerios and inhaled them, then upon landing, he put his mobile on speaker phone and listened to his vmails - as did the rest economy.

I've had a seatmate pick at her toes before. Unfortunately, there was no seat separating us. What makes anyone think that's acceptable behavior?

have a look at the posting further down 'Wally is happy' about a flight up to vancouver on Qantas!

It of course depends where in the world you are flying, my recent flights around Asia have all been great, cannot compalin about anything at all, even with the new budget carriers where you pay for food etc they have been fine and good value.

It is an interesting point as others have mentioned, one thing is the flight, but when fellow passengers cause annoyance that is another matter !

Amtrak keeps looking better all the time. At least MOST of the passengers are more laid back and able to roll with the flow.

Patty- you think that's bad? Very recently, for 13 hours, in economy plus, I was subjected to my Asian seatmate reaching down into his pants in front of God and everybody, to scratch himself every 5 minutes-he must have had some bad jock itch. I kid you not-he was very polite, spoke English very well-he may have been a college student-the flight was full-but I can't think of it without cringing-needless to say-I was using my sterilizing wipes frequently!

The comment about Amtrak is probably well founded for those who have the time. When we travel by rail in Australia it really reminds you the differences with travel by air, ok, the time is a big difference but as far as stress-free rail travel is a dream. We could not believ just arriving at the rail station, vouchers in hand, showing the voucher and being directed to the comaprtment/cabin, that was it, great! Total relaxation, nice dinner, pleasant sleep, it also saved us the cost of a hotel for the night!, on board shower in the morning, breakfast, arrival. Straight off the train and into a cab, wow, what a difference!!

How about B.O.? Anitperspirant before a flight seems like a reasonable courtesy but apparently not. On an 11 hour flight to Frankfurt, there was a nice ripe smelling German fella in the seat in front of me that sent a paralyzing cloud of B.O. wofting our way everytime he moved even the slightest bit. I prayed for him not to move. I became so desperate that I took out my perfume and began to spray it endlessly on the back corner of his sleeve that was exposed on the side of the seat. He didn't seem to notice and if he did he didn't care. I hope he didn't have to explain that to a wife or significant other. Meanwhile, you know the little hole between the armrests? Some disgusting woman sitting behind me was dittling my elbow with her damp, smelly disgusting sock that was on her disgusting foot that she stuck between that hole to try to stretch out. Need I say more. We couldn't land soon enough.

Amtrak is not what I'd call stress-free travel, at least the two times I've taken it (vowed not to do it again). Maybe I just had really bad luck

Girlspy,
OK, you win

If I had to fly coach weekly for work, I think I'd be trying to get a different job. The airlines really are getting to be flying Greyhounds nowadays & that's why, for my hard-earned vacation I use miles for an upgrade.

It's terrible that passengers have to put up with things like the above experiences quoted.

ew ew ew ewwwwwwww!

Yep, it is a jungle in there. OTOH, prices are lower (in adjusted dollars) than they have ever been and schedules much more convenient than just a few decades ago. Part of the reason is volume - which of course adds to the discomfort when packed in those gawdawful coach seats. Add in the pressure to reduce expenses as an offset to rising fuel costs and the outlook is not rosy. I suspect the appearance of airlines offering upgraded acommodation and service (e.g., Max Jet or Jet Blue) is a response to an emerging market niche.

IMHO, all those who want cheap tickets must pay the price for riding in a flying bus. Unfortunately, those of us who are willing to pay more for more comfort have to suffer. I myself would pay a few hundred dollars extra for more personal space (but still cannot afford first class). Unfortunately, this would not work across the board as people do not want to pay higher prices. Also, competition between the airlines is too fearce for this work.

The prices of airline tickets are very low compared to what the dollar was worth 25 years ago when I first started flying.

This month will be the first time I will be flying first due to an upgrade. I can't wait for some breathing room!

The last flight I took I hardly had room to get my arms up high enough to cut my meat so how in the heck can anyone get their leg up high enough to pick their toes?!!!! As much as that is disgusting behavior, I would love to see how they do it!!! LOL

Yikes. I don't know if I really believed my airline friends when they insisted that customers were getting weirder and weirder. I try to sleep and lose myself in electronic/media devices. I know that my buddy who is a f/a told me that she is routinely repelled by people who shuck their shoes and go into the lavatory where the floor is subject to- well I'll leave it at that. She also wonders at the complete dearth of manners. How come people think it's okay to be rude to crew and then wonder when they get only icy politeness in return?

wills, your comment about the FA's are true. I have had some miserable flights but I have never had a rude FA. A greeting, a smile, a "thank you" certainly goes a long way with the FA's. And I always remember that as miserable as the flight may be for me the FA's put up with the flights and various passengers (some great and some horrible) their entire working hours..and for little pay. I don't even know why anyone would be a FA anymore.