Well, considering that if you were doing a cross country flight on WN, there would more than likely be at least 3 separate legs. At $8/leg, that's $24. Not that much cheaper. And, there would be no meal of any kind. On a cross country flight that can be brutal. Don't get me wrong. I'm a great admirer of WN, but we are not talking about the same sort of airline or business philosophy. As I said, WN' makes it very clear that they are selling you transportation from Point A to Point B. That's all. My point is not that WN is any less, it's that passenger want all the amenities that AA used to provide, but they want them for free.
For instance, on my last trip, during boarding a couple (mid-50s) came on and while the wife was standing in the aisle in First Class she complained that the airplane was cold. She was dressed in shorts and a halter top. She asked for (I'm trying hard not to say demanded) a blanket. As they were coach passengers, blankets are not available. This is not a new restriction of amenities. We haven't had blankets in coach since shortly after 9/11. The husband pointed out that all of the F/C seats had blankets, and I responded that yes the F/C seats have blankets. He didn't say anything further, but you should have seen the look he gave me. He was highly offended that coach passengers did not get blankets. Oh well, that's one of the reasons why it's called First Class and why people pay a lot of money to sit there.
I'm not trying to justify the reduction in pitch between the rows or the addition of seats on an airplane that is already jampacked full of seats, but you know the company didn't ask for my input on that decision. You as a passenger also have a decision to make. Will you accept the lessening of your personal space, or will you quit flying American Airlines? Nobody at AA is forcing you, and one of the nice things about a free-market democracy is that we have choices.
