Fly American

American is just so the way to go.

Not talking ways of life here, though the USA has got it mostly right. We're talking air travel, which we've found least intolerable on American Airlines.

Start with the legroom. There really is "More Room in Coach." Crossing and uncrossing the legs without rattling the lady in front really staves off the DVTs for the 6-foot-2 set. Competing in a crowded marketplace is all about distinguishing yourself from the other guys, and American should give no ground -- or inches -- on this one.

Add gate announcements. Living in a podunk town smack in the middle of Flyover Country, to which the first flight of the day is oftwen also the last, we live in pathological fear of missed connections. We've nearly perfected a military-grade system for assessing unfamiliar airports at a glance and proceeding at breakneck speed from Terminal A to Terminal ZZ. But all that stress just fades away when the captain tells you well ahead of time where you'll be landing, where all the connecting gates are, and on which page of "our award-winning American Way magazine" can be found a map of the terminal.

Finish with some pretty snazzy adjustable headrests. Our Boeing MD-80's leather headrests raised and lowered to accomodate both Green Giant and Sprout and -- get this -- had folding sides to cradle your head while sleeping. Thus obviating the need to look like a hyper-atomic-ultra-dork using the SkyRest (TM) Travel Pillow to catch your Zs. (By the way, the guy in the promotional photo isn't sleeping -- he's passed out from lack of oxygen after blowing up that huge honkin' thing.)