There is a pretty generalised atmosphere of hositility towards customers in the US based airlines. Staff have had their pay and benefits cut to the bone whilst executives pay themselves huge bonuses, often whilst the airline is either bankrupt or losing money. Meanwhile standards of service have fallen so low, that the customers are resentful and angry at being treated like cattle.
This toxic combination, largely the result of deregulation which allowed the airlines to create huge local monopolies and to pretty much do what they like without any intervention, is the cause. When travelling internationally, it is almost always better to avoid US based airlines. For US domestic travel, there are a few reasonable choices... Virgin America, JetBlue, Alaska, possibly SouthWest. The old mainline carriers, the worst of whom are Delta, but also United, US Airways and AA are to be avoided at all costs.
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