Just arrived in Sydney, Australia after - and I can’t believe I’m going to say this – an enjoyable 14.5-hour plane ride from Los Angeles. 

 

Here’s my conclusion, flying internationally is what flying used to be, while flying domestically has become the bus trip of years gone by. 

 

My first plane trip took place in 1966. I was 7 and I flew with my grandma to St. Louis to visit my aunt and uncle. We dressed up, we flew with other dressed up people, and we ate a very civilized meal of silver dollars pancakes and sausage, which was served by a very attentive and nice stewardess. We left on schedule from National Airport in Washington, DC and we landed on schedule. The size of the plane fit the duration of the journey and I recall being quite comfortable. The experience was exciting and grown up. I loved it.