Improve flights by video gaming

An article in today's Online Media Daily has given me a great idea. The article reported on Southwest Airline's sponsorship of the Midnight Gaming Championship 2008 video gaming season, part of its effort to market flights and online tools to the target demographic of 16-25-year-olds.

I'd like to see them run with this idea of combining flying and gaming. In my fantasy, as I wait in line for my cavity search, a Southwest attendant hands me a hand-held gaming console that is networked with all the other people on my flight. We all then start playing a MMPORG (massive multiplayer online role-playing game) such as World of Warcraft, continuing it in the boarding area and on the plane. This would SO take the drudgery out of flying!

Better yet, at certain points in the game, whoever is in the lead could be escorted up to a seat of honor in first class as a reward. On arrival, winning passengers could be allowed to exit first.

While over Arizona, players could wager on the outcome. It would also be exceptionally amusing if, say, the passengers on the Southwest flight could play against passengers on a Delta flight to the same destination, the winners getting to land and disembark first.

Or, we could continue to stare at one another with despair, and look to our Blackberries for camaraderie. Which would you prefer?