Airlines should be in a lot more hot water than they already are due to the ability of passengers to jeopardize the safety of flights, their financial disorder that seeks government bail-outs and their constant overbooking of flights. Airlines are already notorious for scheduling difficulties, unwarranted delays and lost luggage. People simply cannot and should not rely on these airlines.
On a recent A&E Special, a film shows a family of six being denied a vacation flight that they had pre-booked. The airline staff was limited in how much they could offer passengers to exchange their seats for the family. The limit was a $200 coupon for a future flight. No one accepted the offer and the family was kept off their flight. This is poor business, and since this is a standard practice, it justifies no support to airlines that overbook or fail to obtain seats for ticketed passengers.
Lost luggage is another ridiculous aspect of the airline business. Not only is luggage often lost, but with the new rules, luggage must either be unlocked for inspection or have a special lock that allows staff to search the luggage. Ironically, it is this same staff that is most responsible for the theft of passenger items. Passengers should always keep valuables on a carry on along with the first day's worth of travel clothes including pajamas and sleep wear. You can't trust the airlines.
The airlines did not get the heat they actually deserved for 911. The planes are not secured and though they like to compare their safety record to driving, when one considers the hours on the road with a good driver verses the average airline and air pilot with the air hours flown, then I'm not sure the safety record still holds water. One thing about driving is that I usually still have my luggage when I get to where I was going. I should live through most auto accidents, where I most likely will not live through most airline accidents.
For a taste of some of the lawsuits against airlines, click here.