Until a technological leap as large as the move from piston engines to turbine engine occurs and flight crews are replaced by computers, airlines will scrape by

Until a technological leap as large as the move from piston engines to turbine engine occurs and flight crews are replaced by computers, airlines will scrape by on the narrowest margins of almost any industry. As much as it seems like the airlines torture passengers for the shear joy of it, this model is the best thing that could come out of intense competition, high overhead costs, and the prohibitively high fuel costs of the early 2000's