The answer to the first question is easy. If you’re a “leisure traveler,” or what we seasoned road warriors call “civilians” or collectively “amateur hour”, you go for the cheapest fare.

You’re probably buying weeks or months in advance. You don’t fly enough to have any expectations of service, and even if you do, the fact that you won’t get any is a passing annoyance vs. a perpetual irritation. Depending on the airline you pick, there may or may not be legroom back there in row 33 where you’re sitting, but you only do this once a year, so you grin and bear it.

You may be surprised at the new fees that airlines are sneaking in to increase revenue—fees to change tickets, fly standby (explain that to me), check bags, or the myriad of other charges now being levied for “services” that used to be included but are now ala carte—but with the exception of the charge for bags, you probably won’t notice. Besides, you’re an infrequent traveler, so that means you’re paying less than a day at the ballpark to take you and your family halfway across the country.

If you’re a frequent flyer, this was a silly question. If you went on the