Air travel

On Being Missed

On Being Missed

I am leaving on a red-eye tonight and my husband and son have mentioned numerous times that they're going to miss me. As I get out of the car and hoist my bag onto the curb, I look back to see my son's sad eyes through the back window, and then he forms a heart with...

The Lie-Flat Seat That Doesn’t Work

The Lie-Flat Seat That Doesn’t Work

It was a fantasy, for sure: A fully horizontal night of sleep during the long flight from San Francisco to Auckland—at not much more than an economy fare. Last month, my husband and I flew that route on Air New Zealand, and I was admittedly smug about what I thought...

Running an Airline or Building Cars: The Perils of Legacy

Running an Airline or Building Cars: The Perils of Legacy

This weekend my family and I toured the factory in Fremont, Calif., where Tesla Motors produces its electric cars. I was enthralled. Through it all, I couldn’t help but make the airline comparison. Tesla certainly blows away the automotive competition, but they...