re: What facilitated the change in the crowds at American airports?

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I mostly fly out of Atlanta

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This is the honest truth: At the Hartsfield Airport between connections, I witnessed a guy walking the concourse with his emotional support PITBULL. And yes, his boxers were exposed due to his saggy drawers.

IMO it was quintessential Atlanta.

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certainly isn’t getting cheaper.

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Yes, it is. It's vastly cheaper than it used to be.

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Flights are definitely cheaper. I have flown Spirit and Frontier for as low as $20... I am not kidding. (you get what you pay for).

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I don't get the anger against Spirit and Frontier. They are at least half price and provide about 60% of the service....they more or less get you where you wanted to go and do so mostly on time. None of the others do much more than that, they may bring you a drink and a snack but for $300 more it would take a bunch of drinks to make up the difference even at high assed airplane prices....

That said I think people who complain about airports and airplanes have selective memory. It hasn't be remotely "glamorous" since the 50's and was probably a shite show then also. Anyone remember being trapped in a aluminum tube for 2 hours while every nervous nelly on the plane smoked a pack and a half of cigarettes between Atlanta and Birmingham? I do...nothing that happens on an airplane to day is remotely close to being that fricking miserable. It only stopped in 1988 on flights less than 2 hours long....and in 2000 on all US domestic and international flights. By 1988 there were already LLCs around....the industry was deregulated in 1978 which spurred the LLC boom but Southwest had been in business for more than 10 years at that point. I know flying was once "exciting" for most people because most of us had not done it a lot but for people who flew a lot in the 1970s it was a fricking boring assed miserable experience...everyone complained about it then too. I don't think it is measurably worse today....its always been akin to a greyhound bus trip but more expensive and faster if things work out in your favor....I hate flying and I hate airports and I am quick to observe that it has gone down hill considerably since just last fricking week LOL...but in reality it has always sucked, the only time it did not is the same time it does not now and that is when the traveler is relatively inexperienced and its exciting...that lasts about 4 flights for most people then its miserable for the rest of our lives....

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Another great point. There is plenty of room between wearing a three-piece brooks brothers suit and looking like the Lebowski.

White fishing shirt
Navy blazer or fleece vest (keeps your shite in pockets)
five pocket khakis
socks (need them if the TSA machine is out of calibration and your shoes come off)
Slip on loafers that are comfy and easy to take off when TSA calibration is out.

If you aren't comfortable in this, maybe you have scabies or something.

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Hobby often looks like a Burger King lobby depending on the gate area. I don’t understand it.

Yep. And that goes for almost the whole country. Constant construction and “upgrades”

EBT card holders.