Nope, no conspiracy. I claim the airlines are acting purely out of their own self-interest, with no coordination amongst themselves or with the government.

My evidence is their track record of handouts/waivers/favors they've gotten from the government over the past 5 years: direct cash handouts after 9/11, loan guarantees, regulatory pension relief, favorable treatment by the bankruptcy courts and PBGC, etc. And like I said, they haven't done anything substantive to change their business model so that they won't need more government handouts in the future. Therefore, I am arguing that they are keeping their mouths shut so as to maximize future potential of getting cotinued favorable treatment by the government.

The CEO's job is to maximize shareholder value, and that's exactly what they're doing. Yes, the carry-on restrictions are hurting the airlines financially, but compared to the benefits the government can give the airlines going forward, it's a drop in the bucket.