Will it never end?

If you've flown for business lately, you have probably been stressed over several different factors that are unfortunately out of your control.
--Flight Delays
--"Mechanical" difficulties
--Crew absences
--Lost baggage (for those of you who opted to pay the $15 fee to check a
bag..congrats on getting your money's worth)
--Despicable customer service

None of these things seem to be getting better as airlines thrash around like fish out of water attempting to salvage their business. Now given, I do feel bad about the state of the industry. The success or failure of airline travel directly effects our nation's economy. What is so disturbing is that once again the airlines try to put a band-aid on something instead of focusing on their core values to lead them through difficult times.

Airline travel is not a retail store...it is a SERVICE. So what happened to the service? The agents and crew who were excited to be a part of the airline, who cared about their passengers, and who felt empowered to go the extra mile have been furloughed, and we are left with the most senior employees who have "seen better days" and "knew what it was like when legacy carriers were king".

In tight times like these, airlines should be spending ALL additional resources to please their customer, because without them, there is no reason to provide any service (good or otherwise).