Atrocious behavior by the American carrier United Airlines
creates a global viral storm and real financial consequences:
Domestic US airline industry is a protected sector with
lousy service and uncompetitive prices – Foreign carriers are not allowed to
fly on domestic routes in the US.
Dangers of declining competition – [Guardian piece]:
America's airlines are shameless. But United has just set a new low
“But, really, is
anyone actually surprised at United’s lack of compunction? Thanks to
deregulation and industry consolidation, the power relationship between
airlines and customers is dramatically skewed in airlines’ favour. Carriers can
basically do whatever they like and get away with it. After all, what are you
going to do? Take a bus?
Short of boycotting
flying altogether there’s basically no way for customers to hold airlines to
account. So we just hand them our money and grin and bear it. We expect
airlines to be awful. And low expectations are lucrative; while airlines like
to cry poor to justify incessant cost-cutting, last year global airlines made
profits of $35bn.”
Related:
Heather Olen notes:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/11/opinion/united-airlines-is-not-alone.html
“Too many companies — not to mention the government — are treating all but the very wealthiest with contempt.”
“Too many companies — not to mention the government — are treating all but the very wealthiest with contempt.”