Knowing the Answer

When I open a new tab in my browser, I'm shown a series of articles that may or may not pique my interest and offer me a diverting read. Sometimes they do, although sometimes they are also just a couple of steps above clickbait.

One I read recently had been taken from a BBC report, and it was about how airlines have lengthened scheduled flight times in order to make it more likely that the flights will arrive on time. It's interesting enough, but what caught my eye, of course, was the explanatory headline: "Why Airlines Make Flights Longer on Purpose." The BBC article does explain the rationale behind the change, but invoking ol' William of Ockham gives us a more honest, if not very specific answer. Why do airlines make flights longer on purpose?

Because they suck, we're stuck, and they don't care.