Everyone is shocked about how the poor guy was pulled out of his seat and dragged off the airplane. It reminded me of my first commercial flight way, way back in 1945.

World War 2 had ended a month previously, and one of my assignments was to fly from the fleet HQ in Manila to Mindanau, the southernmost island of the Philippines. My task was to do an inventory of Navy equipment and supplies there for shipping back to the States.

Q: When I check into a hotel and the clerk tells me the room price, do I accept it or ask for a better rate? ALP, Gettysburg PA

A: You’ve booked the room at a certain price, but you may not have to accept it. In a word: inquire, and maybe your prayers for a better deal will be answered! Of course, there are no room bibles any more, but some preaching to the desk clerk may help.

I go by air several times a month and too frequently seated near problem people. As I get older, it becomes more annoying. What can I do about it? PLJ, Dallas TX

A: It isn’t just your age. Flying these days can be more crowded, security groped, frustrating, overbooked, overpriced and just plain unpleasant. One possible solution is upgrading. Pay more to get a larger, more comfortable single seat in business or first class.

According to USA Today, during the past 15 years, the retirees cruised annually on Carnival ships involving about 880 days, adding up to 2.5 years at sea.

That’s about the same amount of World War 2 time your travel4seniors.com editor spent in the U.S. Navy. Of course, it isn’t likely anyone was shooting at the seagoing seniors while they were on the briny. Nor did they have to fire anti-aircraft guns, scrub the decks or clean up the mess hall.