No. This is not extreme. There is not a business in the country that operates like the airline system and gives the type "Who cares?" service to its customers that can reasonably expect to survive too long.
There is no other industry that treats its customers as the Big Three do. NONE. They could care less about anything other than doing everything they can to fill up the planes while charging the maximum charge. They are run worse than a "mom and pop" start-up business. There is NO customer service, and the agents at most airports (especially at O'Hare or Newark or LaGuardia) do nothing but talk to each other and ignore their CUSTOMERS. I'm certain it has to do with the deteriorating manners and norms of society--and the fact they are paid peanuts (You get what you pay for.)