The airlines have got to change that line to "Lean back a tiny bit, cramming the seat tray of the person behind you into their face, and try to survive the ride." 

Sometimes I think I travel as much as most pilots, and as the quality of the experience has steadily deteriorated, I have often wondered where this was heading. In the past two weeks we have seen the demise of four carriers, the proposed merger of two more here, and the revival of merger talks between Alitalia and Air France in Europe. 

The rise of better video-conferencing, coupled with the ever-worsening flight experience may lead to less business travel, which will further imperil the airlines, who rely on us for their profits – such as they are. 

As a consulting firm with a national practice, we are responding by adding more dispersed staffing capability. We now have staff in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and Boston, and are contemplating other geographically dispersed hires. This strategy allows us to hire the best talent regardless of location, and is leading to less cross-country travel for everyone. 

Are others doing this as well?