Over the years, the U.S airline business has evolved from luxurious promises to distant islands and countries to global headlines regarding the shifty, and sometimes even violent, treatment of customers. Along with the rising costs of baggage fees and extra legroom, the U.S airline business appears to be entering a new era of customer dissatisfaction. While airlines attempt to maintain perks through boasting loyalty programs and elite frequent flyer clubs, customer satisfaction remains questionable.

One of the most prominent recent examples was United Airlines' (UAL  ) treatment of David Dao, a doctor that was dragged off of an United Airlines flight. The doctor, forcibly removed from a seat he paid for, was left with the loss of two teeth, concussion and a broken nose. And due to the circulation of the explicit video showing him being dragged off the plane, many customers, both from United Airlines and other airlines, expressed frustrations regarding the state of air travel. Gary Leff, a travel blog writer, expanded on the growing state of discomfort with airlines, saying "I don't think this is United specifically. But U.S airlines generally have not been good at screening for the best talent and screening out people who are not good at customer service."

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Similarly, other U.S airlines have been plagued with scandals. Spirit Airlines (SAVE  ) reportedly had what some would consider a nightmare: flights were canceled due to no pilots. In May 2016, the low-cost American carrier Spirit Airlines had canceled a multitude of flights because of the lack of pilots, resulting in a full-fledged riot at the airport. One customer gave details, stating that there was "nowhere to stand, nowhere to sit...employees were forcing people to go outside, people were getting arrested left and right." Spirit Airways passengers were even arrested as chaos ensued.

Likewise, the American airway Delta (DAL  ) had a multitude of scandals, ranging from an airline employee hitting a passenger, to a passenger getting kicked off the plane for using a restroom. Between these scandals, it is apparent that customer satisfaction is highly lacking.

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Some analysts have attributed the decrease in customer service to airline mergers, or the combination of small airlines by bigger airlines. Consumer advocate Bill McGee sums it up the best, stating that "Airline mergers don't improve customer service. When one airline suddenly dominates a route where it previously competed with a merger partner, ticket prices are likely to rise-often considerably."

Although airlines have increased their services with loyalty programs offering frequent flyer benefits, such as lounges, seat upgrades to higher airline classes and choice to board first or last, these benefits are only offered towards elite members, or customers who fly the most. Perhaps only time will tell if customer service will improve for the majority of customers.