By any name, it's still a crap airline
I hate flying. I hate the airline industry. I specifically hate USAirways. I don't hate the employees of USAirways, just the company itself. It is the epitome of all that has gone wrong with American capitalism. It is a company that systematically degrades the quality of its product while constantly increasing the cost for it. It is a company that treats customers the same way it treats their luggage. The company is posting record profits -- up about 90 percent after merging with American Airlines in 2013. That's a function of two things: reduced competition on more than 1,600 routes, and dramatically lower fuel costs. The guy who runs USAirways/American makes about $20 million a year. You'd think windfall profits might allow slight improvements in customer service. If you do think that, you should get your head out of your ass. On a recent flight out to Vegas, and then back a week later, I experienced what has become the depressing standard in U.S. air travel: every ...