Fear of flying?

My daughter is studying in Canada, and just as I am thinking about heading there for a visit soon, I want to back away from that commitment. I just read that Air Canada's regional carrier, Jazz, has decided to save fuel and money by removing life vests and offering that passengers use the seat cushion as a flotation device (see report)! After American Airlines and other US carriers started to charge for checked bags, I thought the writing was on the wall. I know that soon I may find that there will be a request for passengers to volunteer to jump out with a parachute (one between all of them?) to save on landing fees.

The video is a spoof, but it rings true enough:



I fly a lot and increasingly see how people are stressed out from the moment they make a booking to the time that they get their bags at their destination--if they arrive the same day. Even the shortest of flights seem to mean a whole day of travel. Some regional carriers, such as Air Jamaica and LIAT, make great sport out of passenger inconvenience, delays, cancellations, losing baggage, etc--though Air Jamaica still offers champagne to ease the other pain. I wish I could do away with flying to do what I need to, but it seems impossible. But to what extent am I and others prepared to be pushed down for the dubious privilege of travelling by air? Answers can be sent on a postcard, and sent in a bottle, not by air mail.