I guess this is the weird psychology about airlines (and passengers) that I just don't get. You can get a cheaper fare, with a more desirable routing, on an aircraft that is objectively nice (relatively new, personal DirecTV screen, free headphones)... but the minute they try to take away some menial thing that you take for granted on other airlines, that makes the whole experience completely unbearable.

Have you never gone three hours without drinking something before? Heck, I've been on 10-12+ hour trips where I don't get a free drink (Amtrak, Greyhound). I also find it ludicrous to complain that the luggage took 40 minutes from gate-to-carousel. I've never actually timed it but I'm pretty sure I've waited longer than that for every major airline at some airport or another.

And by the way, every other airline faces situations where late-booking/third-party-booking passengers do not get a seat assignment at check-in. This is not at all unique to Frontier.

If you said that Frontier got to your destination 5 hours late, or they lost your luggage, or your flight was canceled and they had no other aircraft available, or there were 15 crying babies on your plane, or the seats were so cramped you could barely move, then in my book, that is an absolutely perfect reason to have negative thoughts about an airline. These are the horror stories I associate with Allegiant and Spirit. The fact that a flight attendant went beyond her responsibilities to try to ensure families were seated together, while still keeping everything on time (based on your lack of complaints about delays), does not fall into that category.

I'm sorry, but if I had to choose between the time my 2-hour Delta flight was delayed 14 hours, the time Southwest lost my luggage when I had an important meeting the next day, the time my United pilot just never showed up, or the time I had to go a couple hours without a tiny free plastic cup of Coca-Cola, I think the latter would rank pretty darn low on the list of things "I was definitely not prepared for."

Your complaints are simply about your lack of being able to feel entitled. And this is why Delta can charge $700 for a one-way ticket. I'll never understand.