You have to be joking PHX. If you think it is only where airlines are the "only game in town" that the abuse of monopoly exists you are naive... and I don't think you are naive! There is fig leaf competition, such as Delta controlling the best slots and times at Atlanta, but hiding behind the fig leaf of some small, marginal competition on a route served by AirTran or something. These massive hubs are anti-competitive and the the pricing of airline tickets is not market driven, it is driven by the power of their monopoly.
Judge: We agree. By allowing the management of these massive airlines to suck vast sums of money out of the business in the form of "bonuses, incentives, stock options and ridiculous unearned pensions", whilst driving the business into bankruptcy and screwing the staff, passengers and suppliers the government is protecting corrupt monopolists. Uncle Sam protects them by allowing them to do this, whilst passing protectionist laws, such as their exemption from normal consumer protection laws and their protection from competition.
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