![]() ![]() ![]() What explains the sorry state of airline travel in the United States? Largely, it is story of government retreating from its historical role in structuring competition in airline markets, combined with a near wholesale abandonment of anti-trust enforcement. They are now exceeded their unpopularity only by health insurance companies and Internet service providers. No wonder that in surveys of consumer satisfaction, the dominant airlines in the United States score abysmally. Adding insult to injury, the industry’s profitability recently hit an all-time high, reaching $20 billion in 2016. An analysis of government data by the Wall Street Journal shows that not only has service to all but the largest airports fallen dramatically over the last decade, the already high cost of flying to most mid-size and smaller locations has increased faster than inflation. While the number of departures at large hub airports declined 6.2 percent between 20, the decline at small and non-hub airports was 31.5 percent, or five times as great. Meanwhile, more and more cities and even whole regions of “fly over America” are finding they are served by fewer and fewer flights costing more and more. These amplify long simmering resentments over such routine indignities as “involuntary denied boardings,” late and canceled flight, mishandled baggage, bruised knees, and ever more add-on charges. Viral videos showing passengers being manhandled or pushed to the ground and left unconscious by airline employees become the talk of the nation. Complaints about the decline of airline service have now become a commonplace of American life.
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