Airplanes

(Not really in response to any particular prompt, just what was on my mind)

Airplanes
    It used to be so simple:
    Book a flight.
    Pack a bag.
    Ask a friend for a ride to the airport,
    and arrange for a pick-up at another.
    The flight would be cramped,
    but the trip would be an adventure.
    The friends who took an hour out of their day would become willing accomplishes.
    The system worked wonders from hub to hub.
    But what happens when you reside in a spoke,
    and not even a spoke -- but on the edge of the wheel that is an hour from the nearest spoke.
    Booking a flight evolves into a series of questions:
    One stop or two?
    Is three quarters of an hour enough to get from an arriving terminal to a departing one?
    Will there be an alternate flight if yours is canceled? Or is this the spoke's only opportunity to connect with another particular spoke today?
    And what about the rides?
    It's no longer an hour out of a day, but three on both ends.
    And chances are good that the flight will depart at 6 a.m., forcing a departure from home at about 3:45 a.m.
    Is it still such a friendly sky -- when a flight takes almost as long as a 1,000 mile drive?