That was very kind of you to talk with the Marine. I share a dislike of altitudes, and plane flights are not fun until you realize that your're over 30,000 ft. up, usually more than 5 miles high. The only thing you need to worry about is the weather and murderous Muslims - but one Marine can take care of a Muslim.
It's very helpful when the pilot tells you what rivers, towns, etc. you are passing over. To me, it's fascinating to watch the "great American desert" begin as you cross from DFW to California.
It is very honorable for the Marine to serve our country and he was the kind one to talk to me and share a little bit about himself. :)
That's right, it's good when pilots point out landmarks. For some reason though, the last couple of times we flew the pilots were remarkably silent, except when we hit some light turbulence and then they asked us to remain seated and to buckle up.