The TSA forces airlines to haraSSSS travelers based on characteristics like no FF number in the record prior to ticketing, last-minute purchase, one-way purchase, cash purchase, and other stupid, unnecessary criteria.

The airlines don't want to haraSSSS anyone. The TSA makes them do it. Please don't give us nonsense like "the airline is referring you for additional screening and TSA has no say in it". That's a lie. The TSA is the problem here, not the airlines.

Correct. The airlines are running a business, not a goon squad like TSA. Much of their revenue comes from customer loyalty and their ability to keep passengers satisfied. It would be insane and suicidal for them to subject paying customers to this type of harassment. We should lay the blame where it belongs, at the feet of Chertoff, Hawley and their thousands of subordinates.

UA fully supports this madness. Therefore they must want to harass their customers.

I knew there was a reason besides TED that I don't fly UA very much. :D

I think they all make up bogus security policy and support the madness simply because they like not having to pay for it like they did pre-9/11.

At least from what I've seen in my travels, employees despise TSA but management gives the "official" position so ...

Apparently not too farfetched to imagine some Gubbamint Inspector 'could' ask the airline (AA, UA, other-cxl'd) the now-famous "You wanna fly today ?"

/.

UA have a history too. I'm sure their executives are desperately trying to avoid looking like they're soft on terrorism.

That doesn't mean they think haraSSSSing passangers is a good idea. It's quite possible they do it because they think they have too.

The SSSS program was around before TSA, blame the FAA.