Frequent-flyer blues

Suffice it to say, coming on the heels of the Christmas-day terrorist flub, now is about the worst time to be a frequent flyer. Well, second only to the period of time right after 9/11, and also the time after the shoe-bomber escapade. Regardless, now is a bad time to have to cruise the skies, that's for sure.

The United States' notoriously reactionary approach to airport security (contrary to Israel's no-fail, cut-to-the-chase, good old-fashioned racial profiling) is sure to make for some unhappy campers in the weeks, months, perhaps years to come. But I like this piece in today's New York Times that addresses the inconveniences this approach will cause for business travelers, and acknowledges that there are more proactive measures that can be taken. It even suggests that business travelers should create forums to assess how things work in airports and what can be done.

Such notions, while practical, are unlikely to make a big splash—at least in the near future. So in the meantime, be patient, grab a stool at your favorite airport bar and console yourself knowing that you're that much closer to achieving Ryan Bingham's (né, George Clooney) ultimate goal of racking up 10 million frequent flyer miles.