On almost a daily basis you read in the paper or see on TV that someone has done something so incredibly foolish—usually dangerous, too—that you wonder what’s wrong with them....

There are any number of web sites that will help you find the lowest air fares, and to some extent they do. But there are other factors affecting the price...

The eight hour flight from Paris to New York was uneventful and passed rather easily. We took off in a light rain and climbed through fog and low clouds, but...