Denver International Airport

How hard can it be to get a really good chicken walnut sandwich at Denver International Airport? Depending on when you land, a lot harder than you'd guess. And it's not just Denver: The problem of airport restaurants that are closed when passengers are still arriving is irritatingly widespread.

A scant few U.S. carriers took home honors from this year's "Best of Business Travel" awards from Business Traveler magazine. The apparent malaise affecting U.S. airlines may involve something more fundamental than the economy.

Work is moving forward on a new light rail link from downtown Denver to its airport, backed by an unusual combination of federal loans and private investment. The project will create thousands of jobs, and add a much-needed public transit option for reaching the nation's fifth-busiest airport.

It's not that I object to paying for web access while I'm traveling. Yes, I emphatically believe that it enhances a place's image to offer Web access for free, the way running water and heat are part of the package. Still, connectivity costs money to install and maintain, so I can deal with...