I just talked to a co-worker who will be sitting at home today instead of flying because checked bags (and his own tardiness) cost him a seat on a plane. It seems that you must check bags at least 30 minutes before departure (how should I know?) and he arrived at the counter 25 minutes before. I know, that’s insane by any measure, but he had a 6 AM flight from a small airport and was obviously living in the good old days for air travel. It didn’t work.