Originally Posted by
Traffic_Is_Er_Was
That's about how 90% of commerce works these days. You bought a Macca's or a car lately? The only difference between that and an airline ticket is the time lapse between payment and delivery, and the rubberiness of what they will provide for that money.
TBH, I can't really believe that most people are so naive that they don't realise what they are getting into when they pay for their ticket. Surely every traveller has in the back of their mind "Gee I hope my flight isn't delayed or cancelled, that will really mess up my plans" as they're heading to the airport. It's not like this is anything new.
What is new is contemplating two weeks out from a trip whether the flight you booked a week ago actually exists. The inevitable "Sorry for the inconvenience" boilerplate apology will do much to assuage the "inconvenienced" customer as they attempt to rebook the flight for the same price and figure out how to replicate their previous itinerary. If I wanted a lottery ticket I'd have gone to a newsagent.