Air travel, which for economy-class passengers gets ever more cramped and unpleasant, is at least poised to become more interesting.(new contracts and aircraft by manufacturers Airbus, Boeing)(Brief Article)

* Air travel, which for economy-class passengers gets ever more cramped and unpleasant, is at least poised to become more interesting. Boeing and Airbus are going head to head in a fierce struggle for world supremacy. Airbus is taking orders for the A380, a double-decked, four-aisled, 555-passenger behemoth that only major hub airports like London, New York, and Frankfurt can accommodate. Boeing, on the other hand, is introducing the long-range, midsize, 250-seat 7E7 ("Dreamliner") for direct point-to-point flights between second-tier regional airports--which means reaching more destinations with fewer connections. Boeing and Airbus--long mortal ...