I was going to say something like this but Bruce Schneier beat me too it, Separating Explosives from the Detonator, "For years I've been saying this: Only two things have made flying safer [since 9/11]: the reinforcement of cockpit doors, and the fact that passengers know now to resist hijackers. This week, the second one worked over Detroit. Security succeeded."
The only thing that saved lives on 9/11 was cell phones. Without them the passengers of United 93 wouldn't have known to resist. Cell phones are still mostly illegal to use on flights (particularly during takeoff and landing when they think terrorism is most likely to occur). The only thing that prevented more damage on Christmas was that a passenger noticed something and got out of his seat to do something about it. Now it will be illegal to get out your seat during the last hour of the flight.
I liked this addition by Schneier: "Only one carry on? No electronics for the first hour of flight? I wish that, just once, some terrorist would try something that you can only foil by upgrading the passengers to first class and giving them free drinks."
Update: Schneier adds more (summing up what he's been saying all along) in CNN, Is aviation security mostly for show
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