Holiday season brings on the most bumping of the year. For those who haven’t yet experienced the unhappy occasion, bumping is the term for when, despite the fact that you have a ticket, you’re forbidden to board a flight. The situation usually involves overbooking by the airline, and all seats are occupied, although more tickets were sold than actual seats available.

It's a common airline practice, especially at holiday times, to avoid losing money. Airline beancounters know, on any flight, some passengers with tickets will miss the flight. They don’t want to fly with empty seats, although a full aircraft could require one or more passengers to be bumped.

Of the many songs about the joys of travel, this one praises the scenic beauty of a trip by rail. Although the old Cannonball was fictional, the words still ring true:

By the great Atlantic Ocean
On the wide Pacific shore,
Heard the queen of flowing mountains,
To the South Belle by the shore,
She's long, tall and handsome,
She's loved by one and all.
She's a modern combination
Called the Wabash Cannonball!

Most seniors today consider only air or cruises when they travel for pleasure. However, travel by luxury train can be a fun and enjoyable way to spoil yourself while seeing a country without enduring the hostile environment of airports and limited daily views of cruises.

Next time you plan a travel adventure, include one or more people you’ve always wanted to take, but never got around to doing it. Your cute little grandkids grow up too fast. Soon they’ll be teenagers , starting their own lives and think of you as just an old codger. While they still enjoy being with a loving grandparent, book a memorable trip. Do it right, and you’ll all fondly remember the fun for many years.

Get them away from the cold, cold winter to the sands of Waikiki, Marco Island, Miami or Acapulco. Another idea is to relive your amusement park days with them at a Disney or Universal Theme Park.

We don’t have to read the headlines to know the world is in an angry mess. And the U.S. gets its share of blame. It happens to many of our senior readers when traveling in Europe, Africa, South America and other areas in the world. Hostile taxi drivers, airline employees, store clerks, officials and others spout in-your-face anti-American words.

The first impulse is to respond with angry answers. And for seniors who once wore U.S. uniforms, to remind them about saving (or blasting) their sorry butts in WWII and/or wars since. It’s perfectly natural to respond that way, unless you're a harebrained Hollywood celeb or permanent protest marcher, who'd respond by kissing the nasty native on at least two cheeks.