[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

Compared to those who advocate for airline passenger rights the airlines and their lobbying organization--the Air Transport Assn. ("ATA")--have, literally, tens of thousands of dollars for contributions to "friendly" candidates and for anti-passenger advertising. Accordingly I have big time problems with the airlines, and the ATA, attempting to hijack sites like this for their own ends. Those who are currently employed by US-based airlines may well have their employment security threatened if airline passenger rights reform were enacted. So there's an understandable desire, on the part of these people, to vigorously defend the status quo--no matter how dysfunctional it is. Another group of defenders of the status quo may be those who one or more airlines recognize as being a significant revenue contributor (truly "frequent fliers.) This latter group has probably been shielded from much of the abuse the INfrequent traveler must endure. Thus the label "Airline Sympathizer" responds to these points as well as to the "I have a right to speak my mind" issue.