Airlines optimize for profit, like almost all businesses do. Otherwise they don't stay in business. All of the supporting businesses -- the concessions in the a

Airlines optimize for profit, like almost all businesses do. Otherwise they don't stay in business. All of the supporting businesses -- the concessions in the airport, the car rentals, the shuttles, etc. operate according to the same principle: make money. They may prey on their captive audience with $7 bottles of water and terrible service, because they can. A traveler who wants to have an experience catered to them can pay for premium class, or a charter or private plane. The rest of us tend to optimize for spending as little as possible, so we get what we pay for.