My sister called this morning to say she was flying to Spokane to see a sick friend, and once she confirmed her flight she wanted me to book a couple of seats for her daughter and grandson too. I agreed, of course. I didn’t realize that I was committing myself to navigating an airline’s website.

Hoo boy. “What flight? Okay, easy. “First class or coach?” Still easy. “Which seats?” Huh? Oh dear, how do I know where my niece and her son might want to sit? And are there still two seats together anyway? Oh, look there are still two seats next to one another! Grab ’em quick!

“How would you like to pay for this?” Er, a credit card. “Number?” Here. “Expiration Date?” Here. I was prepared for the security number question, but it never came up.

“Refundable ticket? Only $25 more apiece!” Er, no? “Trip Insurance?” Nuh-uh. “Are you sure?” Yeah.

“Trip confirmed.” Okay, where’s the “print” button on this screen? Oh, there it is. Oh wait, there’s an email button next to it. Even better. What’s my niece’s email address? What’s my sister’s?

I remember when you parked your car in the airport garage or somebody dropped you off, you walked to the ticket counter and inquired whether there was a seat on the flight you wanted, paid for it, and walked down to the gate. That seems simpler somehow.