Standing in line at a check-in counter in Atlanta, I heard the passenger ahead of me express surprise that no meal would be served. The agent snapped that, "Food served on-board is a privilege, not an obligation of the airline." He sure put that passenger in his place, didn't he?

Given the low quality of airline meals, I can hardly imagine the training it must take to persuade an agent to use the words "food" and "privilege" in the same sentence.

As it turned out, a "snack" was provided: peanuts drenched in oil and salt. On the next flight, the pretzels must have been made of either pressed cardboard or sawdust.

More recently, after everyone had wedged themselves into their seats for a transcontinental flight, the passenger next to me was informed that the vegetarian meal she'd ordered ahead of time was not onboard. As a substitute, she was handed a cold lunchmeat sandwich, served without apology.

Goodbye to Oscar
Those free movies you used to show were a nice perk. Now, more often than not, you provide a dark screen or an invitation to pay $5.

Passenger "rage" is indefensible, but it's worth trying to understand. Could some of it stem from growing frustration at the deteriorating relationship between airline and traveler? In a context of being totally ignored by flight attendants or being held captive for long periods of time on a sweltering tarmac, passengers seem to lose their cool more quickly than when the relationship was more friendly.

The many professional, caring, attentive men and women on your in-flight staffs suffer from the behavior of those who fail to respond to passengers' needs.