Thank God -- United is Getting New Planes

I couldn't help smile when I read the news that United Airlines is buying 150 Boeing 737s to update its aging fleet.

Here in Cleveland, which has been a Continental (now United) hub for years, if you fly even a few times a year, you can't avoid flying on a United (or Continited, as I like to call it) plane.

And man are they old.

The last time I flew United, which was in May, the flight was delayed because one of the engines wouldn't start. And the in-flight TVs weren't working.

That aside, the plane just felt old -- from the worn cloth seats to the tattered seat-back pouches (you know, where they keep the SkyMall catalog) that were hanging by a thread.

With the aircraft-manufacturing industry's prolific backlog, it'll be a while before Continited sees the new planes. But at least they're on order.

Until then, I might have to look into a flying car.