Gave up flying several years back.
Sorry, but I'd honestly rather have a silent trip (if we can scrap the safety announcement or make it so that people who WANT it can plug in headphones to hear it and the rest of us can just ignore the silent hand-waving in front of us, I'd be even happier), some legroom (suggesting that you have ANY legroom nowadays is really just being a liar), not be sold-at for hours on end, and be slightly further from the sniffing, scratching, yelling, etc. of other passengers. Absent that, I just won't fly. To be honest, the extra cost of a couple of tanks of fuel in a modern car and a cheap ferry / Eurotunnel crossing (where you can get out and walk around, even) is almost lost in the noise of the extra comfort. (Hey, I gave up on the US years ago, I certainly don't care that I wouldn't be able to get there).
Question: Why does my car have more legroom than a plane? And more storage? And better seats? And better entertainment options? And better comfort options (heaters, fans, A/C, etc.)? And a nicer seating angle / reclining capability? And a better view? And better cup-holding etc. facilities? And nicer belts (I know, I know, that one has an answer, but stlll)? And such things are all static items that could, in theory, be fitted to a plane and the cost amortized over thousands of flights, I don't imagine they are any heavier than an airplane seat. Seriously... a proper tray that doesn't rely on the guy in front not bouncing around would be nice (not that you even get a meal nowadays either). An armrest you can put an arm on. A pocket for rubbish. Seat controls to adjust. Places to plug things in to charge, etc. Even my rear passenger seats offer all that, and you could make them into a long row just the same as on any plane. Three car passenger seats probably aren't even the same width as three plane seats. They certainly don't go as high. And I could easily put a bag in the footwell better than I can in a plane.
Given that you can stop a car at any point, open the windows, travel for just as long as on a plane (hell, I've done 9 hours straight to Scotland before now), and they do SO MUCH BETTER a job at attending to my comfort, I can't see why a plane couldn't... it's literally just penny-pinching. Charge everyone a fiver more for those hundreds of passengers flying thousands of flights every year and put in some decent seats.
I can't bring myself to use them any more. On top of things like the stupid queues, security processes, time expectations (it's literally lose-a-day to get to Spain, it's not much more to drive!), preparations, baggage restrictions, flight timings, travel to the airport, car parking, etc. I just don't see that they are any use to me any more.
But whenever I jump in my car and go off on holiday, wherever around Britain or abroad, I "feel" on holiday the second I start, I can stop off anywhere I like whenever I like, I can change plans on a whim, come back with a whole boot full of presents, etc. etc. and take four people along with me (which drastically cuts the cost to less-than-a-plane - four tanks of fuel is a LOT of travelling). Priority boarding? We know that as "calling shotgun". We can chat. We can play games. We can watch movies. We can fall asleep (well, most of us can). And we can pull into that little sleepy French village that's got a fair on today.
Airlines have worked tirelessly to screw me over as much as humanly possible, to the point that I actually believe the allocated legroom and "you can't leave the flight because we're delayed so you're locked in a tin box for the next three hours on the ground" should be illegal. I can't see why I'd reward them with even a pittance of money, or the air travel taxes, or airport purchases just so they can do that to me. Going on holiday is no longer exciting if it involves air travel, especially if I have a child in tow. I can't think why I'd subject myself to it again.
It never used to be like that.