India, Feb. 18 -- I have been reading so much about the glory days of travel when resorts were not overrun by tourists; when airports were not the obstacle courses they have now become; when air travel was glamorous; and when hotels were not room factories.

All this nostalgia made me think back 50 years. Born to parents who were always travelling, I have been coping with planes, airports, hotels and resorts since I was a small boy. And so, I asked myself: Was it really better in those days?

Well, purely in terms of experience, much of it was better. But all too often, lots of it was not as good as it is today.

Let's start with airports. When I was young, Heathrow was the most glamorous airport ever; the centre of the world. Sadly, priv...