Poor Service is everywhere, but there is a difference
When you receive poor service from WalMart, you can determine that you will never shop there again and if they disappoint enough customers, they will suffer the economic consequences. The once mighty Sears discovered this, as did KMart. Likewise with insurance companies. The airlines are different. Many of the routes they run are effectively monopolies and they are the only carrier running a direct route, or have the only available slots for regular business customers. In addition, they are protected from normal commercial pressures. Congress protects them from being taken over by foreign airlines for example, protects them from bankruptcy by allowing them to go into Chapter 11 repeatedly and renege on their commitments to their employees and customers and by providing massive subsidies after 9/11. These are just some of the examples.. as a result, they are arrogant, dismissive of their customers needs and have gotten out of control. Your analogy with other companies, such as Target and Walmart is not valid. No one will protect them from bankruptcy or prevent competitors from providing a better service. In this regard, the airlines are almost unique... and this is why they are at the receiving end of such vitriol.
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