The comparison to the computer age made me think about this in a different light - travel is now less valuable because of the on-set of great telecommunications tools than it was even 50 years ago.
Today, huge deals can be negotiated largely over the phone/skype/webex/etc, making in person meetings less frequent. Therefore, if I can accomplish more by not traveling and communicating via Internet or phone, when I do travel, actual time spent flying is not as important, because I already made every effort to minimize travel in the first place, leaving only meetings that are truly worth it.
Today, huge deals can be negotiated largely over the phone/skype/webex/etc, making in person meetings less frequent. Therefore, if I can accomplish more by not traveling and communicating via Internet or phone, when I do travel, actual time spent flying is not as important, because I already made every effort to minimize travel in the first place, leaving only meetings that are truly worth it.