A friend I’ve known for years happened TSAacross Home Office Highway recently. Jay Van Vechten, founder of Van Vechten & Co., a Boca Raton, Fla., marketing communications firm, was impressed — and especially non-plussed with his own experience with a recent airline trip. This is a guy who’s traveled by transAtlantic cruise liner, toured the world, and absolutely had it traditional travel.

Hence his comments below…

“Your trip sounds amazing. So much more interesting than flying these days.

“This past week I was in South Carolina. When I reached the airport in Columbus, the check in agent said my bag was 3 pounds overweight and would cost me $50.”

Jay thought he had the solution. Jay was wrong.

“I began pulling hangers off of all my clothes, piling them on the counter in front of her. Now she said I was 2 pounds overweight as she tossed the hangers into the trash beneath the counter. My bag was still open as she started pointing at my toiletries, suggesting that I should be smart and put those things in my carry-on.

“OK….,” I said and began transferring those items into my tote. Bingo. I was now within limits.

“The bag was closed. I received my seat assignment. Then went around the corner to security, where the TSA took away all the toiletries that I had just transferred from my suitcase to my tote bag. I figured there were about $55 in personal grooming “product.” that went into the trash. Wow. I could have saved five bucks if I’d left them in the suitcase.

“Stick with the RV.”

As airlines scramble to milk every dollar from passengers, and passengers struggle to make their way in a fast and dramatically changing travel landscape, many would prefer to ditch the air in exchange for the road — whether the road is on the Atlantic, the highway, or, heck, anywhere but the airport.