Most of you are too young to remember when flying was so much fun and pleasant that, those of us who could afford it, sometimes went down to the airport to buy a ticket on the spur of the moment to anywhere that suited our fancy, just for the pleasure of flying somewhere. Flight attendants were attendant. Politeness ruled. There was reasonably good hot food, and drinks for a buck or two. All the free soft drinks, coffee, tea or water you wanted, just for the asking - and which was often offered as the stewardesses passed by. And there was legroom, oh joy, the legroom. The seats were soft and articles were written about the fashion designers being recruited to design custom fabrics and create fleet makeovers. So many people enjoyed flying that many airlines offered a program called the unlimited mileage pass - similar to a Eurail Pass. Pay one price for a ticket with a time limit and fly anywhere you want as often as you want for that time limit. I paid $800 for one once on Eastern Airlines. For three weeks I flew anywhere I wanted. I went to visit college friends in Atlanta and Aspen. I went to New Orleans and spent a day listening to Jazz in the French Quarter. I went to Cancun and Chichen Itza and the Mayan ruins near Merida. I visited my parents in Florida and I finished up with a few days in the Bahamas. Fourteen flights in three weeks for $800. Is Air New Zealand attempting to return to the good old days? Do they have some new information that the other airlines don't have? Who knows? All I know is that, aside from the high-tech advancements in seating design and functionality, this story is not new, it's good old news.

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