Hmm. I'm going to be riding a plane in about ten days, so I'd be interested to see what's up with that. I actually did quite a bit of traveling by plane last summer, and that was really my first time to do so since 9/11, and I have to say I didn't find it bad at all. Certainly nothing on par with what I just read in your post. Of course I'm not saying you're exaggerating in the least. I just find it odd that your country seems even more "gung-ho" about the whole thing. That does sound pretty terrible.
Oh, and just out of curiosity, since this particular parenthetical caught my interest, why would traveling in your kilt be impossible now?