Originally Posted by
rmbl
While you might be right about the first point, I completely disagree re: the second. Filing complaints like this is the best way the DoT has to find out where their existing regs are lacking and motivate them to issue better regs in the future. I suspect DoT already has the authority they need to issue those regs. If not, they can ask Congress for it. But, either way, it's better to file the complaint and let DoT see what's happening in the field.
True, but then they would have egg on their face a) they would have to address the fact that cncls go up as a direct result of their legslation causing far more inconvienence than was there before, and b) that they didn't go far enough, and need to include delayed flights that are still opened up. To address (b) more, then (a) would increase, and they would look very foolish for not having thought this out origianly and catered to lobbying pressure without realizing that there is a cause and effect relationship. Tighten the noose more, and get even more negative effects.
I'm all for regulations when it comes to safety/security, but artifical regulations for comfort (beyond the consumer's real regulations of who/where to spend their flying dollar at/on) have costs that often outweight the benefits, unless you count the benefits as "catering to political lobbies", in which case, the benefits to the legislaters is immence.
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Nothing comes for free and increased costs/risk of artificial penalties influences behaviors in unpredictable and often negative ways.