Nowhere are class lines in America more visible than at an airport. As crowds are herded thru the same ramp, four foot strips of red carpet identify early on who is first class and who isn’t. All kinds of labels like “preferred” or “advantage” can mean boarding the plane bare minutes earlier, but to much more legroom and larger Dixie cups.
Realizing there is a marketing niche for the proletariat section of the plane as well, airlines have added a section that, while still in the main cabin, will sport added legroom. They will call it “Main Cabin extra” which will consist of the very finest of the crummy seats.
American Airlines subcontracted that work so they would not have to pay full wages for their own union mechanics and, as a result, the airline had to ground dozens of airplanes after seats came lose in four different flights. The airline defended their decision to outsource the work as a necessary cost cutting measure:
“Our competitors have forged a path of having their maintenance completed where it is most cost-effective,” she said. “We must similarly adapt.”
Now admit it, if you were flying across the country, and the wings fell off the plane, wouldn’t you understand if an airline had been forced to switch from metal to plastic to remain more competitive?
Ah, Capitalism! Not even Circe with her best glance, could turn so many humans into swine.