> As someone who actually flies, the existing system works amazingly well, and delivers a service at a surprisingly low cost.

Are they really low cost? And having worked abroad recently, it's shocking how much cheaper European flights can be compared to U.S. flights. And maybe my memory's off, but it seems like domestic flight costs were much lower just 5-10 years ago. In college, I could get a round trip ticket to Las Vegas for under $100, and checking right now, the lowest price is $296.