The 26 October Crossing

I RETURN TO EUROPE with a seat pocket crammed as full as my cameraphone's memory. But more than that, I carry thoughts of an ex-pat able to see the American appeal.

I got to see how air travel has changed because it has been four years since I last hopped the pond. Today, people know how to toggle to airplane mode. In that regard, Moleskines excel. I can spot a seasoned business traveler because she knows where to find the quietest nooks with free mains power.

I now realise how wifi in the air has become an essential perk, perhaps as important as bags flying for free. I wish seat width was as accommodating. My bottom has grown broader as the airline seats have shrunk an inch. There is a seating protocol I have adopted. When I must sit in a middle seat, I look for ladies who are already in place with their legs crossed. In my experience, they don't encroach onto the middle seats.

I want to reverse direction next October, taking the whole family back for Halloween in Pennsylvania. The savings plan starts now.

[Bernie Goldbach snapped his center seat pocket on Southwest Airlines.]