[jimworcs]

ChrisH,
There is a significant difference. If I buy something from Walmart and it doesn' t work, I can take it back and get a refund, then go to Target. The consequences of their failure to perform to contract are fairly minor and amount to an inconvenience.

Airlines have established an entirely different relationship with their customers. First, there is a fundamental unfairness in their Terms and Conditions. For example: if I turn up at the airport in time to catch the flight, but with insufficient time to get through massive check in queues I am denied boarding and no refund is offered as I failed to get there in the contracted time. If the airline fails to get me to by destination on time, suddenly the airline points to a clause which states that the times of the flight "form no part of the contract", and I have no remedy.

Secondly, if an airline fails to perform, the consequences for the individual customer is often highly significant.. funerals, weddings, christenings, graduations.. events which are not repeatable are lost. It can result in people being stranded, sometimes in foreign countries, sometimes with few resources.

Third, the element of choice is often missing. Many routes have only one direct carrier, and there is no real competition.

So, whether you feel airlines are operating like other companies... I would argue that they should not be. The lack of regulation in the US air industry is highly detrimental to consumers and to the industry as a whole.