With all due respect, the excuses and rhetoric dribbled by the airlines is hogwash. If the airlines gave a dam about their passengers, they'd look for and find creative solutions, but in truth, most US carriers that I know, do not give a rat's ... about their passengers.

For example, extreme weather in a variety of US hubs during the winter months is entirely predictable. If my memory is right, a $6.00 or $7.00 copy of the Farmer's Almanac predicted the recent weather in the very regions of the nation that were effected by it. If adverse weather and irregular operations are a known entity, why than do the airlines not ask their Reservations Agents who would like to take "emergency call" from home, and when weather and operations are adverse, open up a whole additional tier of employees who work from their home with a computer and telephone, and receive calls that are overburdening the on-duty reservations agents. A simple solution to a simple, predictable problem. Not Rocket Science.

I talked to an LL Bean Customer Service representative who was answering calls in the comfort of her home today, doing a very effective and professional job fielding LL Bean customer service calls.

The airlines need simply to take a genuine concern for their passengers, and think out of the box for solutions. I do not believe there is one US airline that exudes those qualities, and I believe that Continental and jetBlue are the biggest offenders.