airlines-refusing-to-pay-out-delay-compensation

Funny that the three hour mark is a dividing line in that last week we were delayed just about that amount and Southwest gave us each vouchers for 200 dollars. We did end up taking alternate routes to get to our destination but it ended up about 3 hours delay.

That 3 hour limit can be counterproductive. I have known some economy airlines who, when the wait is getting more than 2 hours, they "steal" a plane and crew from a later flight, whose passengers then have to wait 2 hours. If the first plane is still not fixed, they "steal" a third plane.
So instead of one lot of passengers being delayed 4 hours (and compensated), they end up with 3 lots being delayed 2 hours each and not compensated!

Chris F-- cannot recall last time I heard airlines were described as warm and friendly. Airline mgmt is as smart as they are cold hearted

Air fares are historically cheap because of deregulation. We (you) passengers are the reason why flying is no longer enjoyable. We (you) want low prices and demonstrate this by buying the cheap fares.

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/02/how-airline-ticket-prices-fell-50-in-30-years-and-why-nobody-noticed/273506/

Airfares have fallen by about 50 percent since 1978 ...

If you want a two-word answer to why airfares have dropped so much
since the 1970s, it's this: Deregulation worked.

...deregulation and low airfares have created their own complications:
spartan service, bankrupt airlines, and a brave new world of fees.