iated expenses such as hotels. When comparing air vs. rail, we also must acknowledge the time factor to some degree. Air travel is simply much faster than rail -- airplanes can travel cross-country in hours, while trains take days. For overseas travel, rail is not an option. But, temporarily putting the time issue aside, it is clear that air travel also has economic benefits.
             According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the average airfare for the second quarter of 2007, including taxes and fees, was slightly more than $326, which is not a tremendous change from the 1995 second-quarter average of $305, and down from a
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