You'll need to consider initial purchase price, resale value and the costs of fuel, maintenance and insurance -- as you would when buying any other car.

A big shift in passenger Numbers would be more likely if airlines had to pay the same taxes that train operators do, namely value-added tax and a tax on fuel, both of which would push up air fares.

In recent times, Americans found myriad ways to fuel spending even as incomes for many households stagnated, borrowing against the once-rising value of homes and tapping credit CARDS.