Why It's Not So Easy for Americans to Cut Off United Airlines.

© (JOSHUA LOTT/AFP/Getty Images) Give travelers more choice.

The ugly viral video incident that has sent United Airlines' reputation and stock price into a tailspin has generated calls to boycott the airline – "delete the app," to employ contemporary parlance.

But it's tough to delete the app when it's the only app in town. Lack of consumer choice in air travel makes it near impossible to just pick another airline in many U.S. markets.

A decade ago, nine airlines competed fiercely to win traveler loyalty. Today, following a wave of mergers and consolidations, only four airlines control almost 80 percent of all available domestic capacity in the U.S.

The merged powerhouse airlines have carved out hubs in major cities, building veritable fortresses where the "Big Three" carriers (American, Delta and United) dominate access to gates and seats. At 16 large hubs, a single carrier controls at least 50 percent of domestic seats.



By Jonathan Grella.
Full story at MSN News.