Why do the airlines want to be hated so bad?

I have no idea, but they seem to be trying real hard. Got a call this morning from KLM. Sorry, but the flight I’d booked and paid for was being rescheduled, so I’d have to fly another 2 hours earlier. I asked the simple and obvious question “why?”, and she said “I don’t know, I’m just calling to inform you”.

Hint to KLM managers: When you ask your phoners to tell people they’ve been bumped, give then an explanation to hand out. (PS! Any explanation will do. It doesn’t even have to be true. Make one up.) I think it may just be a matter of adding another required field to the form.

If I wanted a reason, I could call some number in Holland. Thanks, but no. Have them call me. Which she said they couldn’t, then said they could, and of course they haven’t, and they won’t. She wanted to get rid of me, and I can’t blame her.

Anyway, it’s not a big deal about the time change. It’s the way they choose to handle it—treating us customers as cattle that have to do what we’re told without asking questions —that makes us know intuitively that this industry is so ripe for disruption. Can we get Southwest to Europe, please? Update: Still waiting to receive the phone call, I received an email asking me to check in over the web. When trying to do so I get this:

The following errors occurred:

A passenger in the reservation is not allowed to check in with Internet check-in. Please go to the check-in desk at the airport to get your boarding pass.

If I’m not allowed to check in over the internet, don’t ask me to! :)