To anyone who may have sighted it, there was nothing remarkable about the chartered McDonnell-Douglas jet en route from Majorca, in the Balearic Islands, to its base in the British Midlands. Clearly visible against a soft-blue sky, the descending aircraft gathered in the remaining miles of its journey at a great rate. Aboard was a mix of mostly happy families, foursomes, couples and the occasional single returning from two weeks of package-priced pleasure that had maybe included sunburn, squabble, and most probably a little sex on the side.