It must be tough making a profit as an airline. There are so many unpredictable things that happen. And yet some airlines standout as exceptional. Others, like American Airlines, just dig their grave faster and faster, waiting for the next government bailout when they deserve to go under.

I used to love American Airlines. They were the first rewards program I joined in the 90s. I wanted to fly with them. Last year, I foolishly defended American to other travelers.

There are many things I loved about American. It was the little things. They positioned themselves as better. They acted the part too.

They gave me an eye mask and ear plugs for my international travel. There was no extra baggage cost when traveling overseas. Oh! The warm wash cloth at the end of the long flight.

These are small things. But they are worth their word-of-mouth marketing weight in gold. I probably only mentioned the baggage fee a couple times, but the free eye mask and ear plugs… those were a favorite. I told dozens of people. They were something small that made international air travel a happier experience.

Contrast that with this year’s trip.

I didn’t get my boarding pass when I checked in at Atlanta this year. I flew to Charlotte. I hunted down and went straight to my gate, thankfully. Because then I waited thirty minutes to talk to an agent.

Apparently, this is part of American’s new policy to sell cheaper tickets. They don’t give you a seat until you get to the gate. If you’re in a group, you are doubly screwed and might have to sit across the airplane from your friend or loved on.

If an intelligent CEO had to suffer through this crap, they would kill this policy in seconds. But obviously, they don’t care.

Yeah, it was bad for me. But I feel sorry for the flight attendants. They are stuck dealing with annoyed and angry travelers while frantically trying to get everyone seated before the next flight.

It’s bad business. And bad word-of-mouth marketing.

I told a couple dozen people about the eye masks and wash clothes, but here I am blogging about what a crappy company American has turned into. I whined about it to a couple dozen people in just one week while in Ireland.

So yeah. It must suck running an airline. But it sucks worse for the customer if you make them miserable by offering a slice of greatness and give them misery in return.