The reason is that in reality there is no market operating. The airlines have developed instead a series of hubs which dominate local markets and they create an illusion of competition. They are in fact a series of monopolies... AA dominate Dallas, Miami, Delta dominate Atlanta, United/Continental at Newark, etc. The next big scandal is the airlines abusive practices to force passengers to purchase the "extras". There are examples on this forum for example of airlines refusing to seat young children (as young as 2) next to their parent, unless the parents pay the fee to select their seat. This is exposing children to potential risk of abuse, and is a clear safety threat.
The tactic of having ridiculous "layovers" arriving in the morning and being booked on the last flight out is another scam designed to force passengers to purchase additional "services". The lack of regulation and oversight by the DOT is scandalous and re-regulation long overdue.
|