It is now believed there will be fewer than 10 major airlines remaining. Van Scyoc notes the consumer got better all-around service before deregulation. There were more flights at convenient times. There were fewer passengers. They enjoyed more leg room and more personal service.
Flights are more crowded, there is less leg room and the service is less personalized.
Competition encourages creative marketing, such as extremely low off-season fares on certain routes, to increase traffic. Sch edules are out of sync. Connecting flights rarely dovetail. Airports are mob scenes of travelers trapped in long layovers. Before deregulation fares were determined by the number of miles flown.