The last four times any of my family has attempted to fly from or to Durango, there have been massive problems at the airlines’ hubs. Two forced overnights and two delays of three to five hours.

The so-called “passenger’s bill of rights has more holes in it than Swiss cheese, and there is no regulatory agency from which to obtain relief. And we have had this problem with both airlines serving Durango – United and American – at their hubs.

We used to love to travel, domestic and international. Now, it has become too inconvenient. It is good that there are things to do and sights to see right around here in driving distance. But sometimes it is good to go to a different area with different sights and experiences, if only we could. When we had the Civil Aeronautics Board, airlines were required to serve communities adequately.

Communities could even petition for service from them. Yes, fares were higher then (adjusted backward for inflation), but flights were fairly predictable and didn’t jam in passengers tighter than on a city bus. And the fares were set by regulation, and fees for this and that were not allowed.

Deregulation was supposed to promote competition. What it promoted was “cherry picking” by the airlines, fewer direct flights, and more delays and cancellations. It is past time to re-regulate the airlines.

Richard Ruth

Durango