No, the airlines were NOT bailed out after 9/11. They have not been bailed out during the higher fuel costs either and the public and employees have paid dearly. The employees who have not been furloughed have lost many of the benefits that took years to gain through hard negotiations. My daughter, a fligh attendant for American, earns less than I did as a teacher although she has nearly the same education level that I have. Flight benefits? It took her and her family all day to get a flight from Dallas to Phoenix when they couldn't get into Tucson on a space available basis. Imagine what it is like when others in our family try to fly who have lower priority than the actual employees and their immediate families . . . there are fewer flights available and most are over sold. Benefits are becoming less and less. Even the unions have their hands tied because of the constant threats of bankruptcy. The public is upset over having to wait in lines for security, carrying on more luggage than overheads were ever designed to carry, upset that there are fewer services, etc. and they often take those frustrations out on the airline employees who hear those same complaints all day long. What the public really needs to do is take those complaints to upper management because the employees don't have the power to resolve most of the issues the complaints are about. When you fly and want to take out your frustrations on the poor flight attendant, ticket or gate agent, just remember that those people are overworked because of cutbacks and every bit as frustrated as you are - and multiply their frustration by the number of problems they encounter daily.