Flying has never been worse — but hope is on the way

I do not know anyone who heads to the airport and thinks to themselves, "Oh man, I bet this is going to be an awesome experience." Just booking a flight means contemplating a sliding scale of unfortunate scenarios. What if my bag is lost? What if the flight is overbooked? What do I do if it's delayed or canceled? Once you get to the airport, things only get worse: the headache that is maneuvering through long security lines, swallowing eye-popping airport prices, or wondering just how scared you should be if you wind up on a Boeing. At this point, it's more of a pleasant surprise if a flight actually goes as planned.