I think you hit the nail on the head: "future profits". The problem is that the American consumer has indicated he or she only wants the lowest possible fare. The airlines must play the percentages, which leads to less deicing equipment in Atlanta, where it is rarely needed, fewer or no planes on stand-by--the kind of problem that let to the fiasco with JetBlue last year. Historically, airlines have not made profits, and with oil prices where they are, future profits look pretty elusive. And we all want our bennies--upgrades, compensation, VDB vouchers--at the lowest possible price. As we have seen, the all business class airline is a financial failure.