Before Woodrow Wilson became President of the United States, he was President of Princeton University. One day he had to endure an hour-long interrogation by an anxious mother who wanted to be sure that Princeton was the best place to send her son.

He patiently tried to answer every one of her questions, and assuage every one of her doubts, but finally, his patience came to an end. He held up his hand and looked at her and said, "Madam, we guarantee satisfaction, or you will get your son back."1 There is nothing quite like a guarantee to put you at ease.

The next time you are in an airport, observe the difference between passengers who have confirmed tickets and those who are flying standby. You can always tell the difference. Those with confirmed tickets are reading newspapers, talking,…