As everyone knows, air travel continues to get more miserable by the day.Skyrocketing fuel prices, consolidation, sudden (or suddenly enforced) safety inspections, bankruptcy, even botched baggage systems--all are wreaking havoc with an already beleaguered industry. And as today's article in the Times points out, the consequences are significant--and dire--for travelers.All of which is lousy news for frequent flyers (and families of five trying to get to their vacation destination before spring break ends), but it's good news for proponents of the virtual workplace. If ever there was a time for companies to look for alternatives to air travel, it's now. Managers should do everything they can to make web and video conferencing the first choice for collaboration among their employees. Don't just encourage its use--demand it, and make in-person meetings the last resort, requiring significant justification.You'll save money, of course. But you'll save your employees lots of time and headaches, too.