As an American, anytime you fly an airline, you should fly a US Flag carrier - your tax dollars are at work. The airlines buy (lease) planes from the manufactures (same as defense contractors but civilian) and then sell tickets to fuel and pay salaries.... There is a cycle of profit in each airline based on purchase dates for aircraft, however, the bottom line is that these BIRDS serve as a National asset which the Government reseves the right to Nationalize in the event of National Emergency. The airlines and the insurance industry takes this into account also.
Nice coup on the Fed Govt in taking the responsibility for SECURITY away from the "flag Carriers" and thus saving the "investment" component of this industry.... Tax payers subsisdize every flight made by US Airlines......
The only reason I could even rationalize for flying on a foreign national flag carrier is that the flight attendants are usually beautiful and female, not old, ugly and protected by regulations of the US and Equal Opportunity.....:)
Fly American Airlines and promote the National Defense, the National Economy and weaken our World Rivals!!!
The "government issued ID" requirement was bad enough, but it has gotten worse and worse - pat downs and strip searches, checked luggage searches, etc. I simply refuse to submit myself to their nonsense.
When an airline decides to treat me like a responsible adult and a paying customer, I will consider flying again. When an airline allows the pilots and qualified passengers to be armed (as the current laws and FAA regs allow), I will be ready to fly. Until then - FORGET IT!