You know you’re unloved when people prefer the taxman. In the latest University of Michigan customer satisfaction index, America’s airlines scored worse than the Internal Revenue Service. This past summer has been the worst in years for delays and baggage mishaps on domestic flights. Not coincidentally, average load factors are running above 80 per cent – even higher than during the late 1990s. America’s ageing air traffic system cannot cope. With little slack in the system, all it takes is a storm over New York, through which a third of US air traffic passes, to cause disruption across the network.

Higher ticket prices could reduce demand to manageable levels. But, in a deregulated market, who jumps first? Even as traditional airlines cut domestic capacity, low-cost carriers add to theirs. The commoditisation of air travel is a boon for many. But, if you price and schedule aircraft more like buses, it is little wonder they become as reliable as buses.