But if the airline is asking folks to waste away some of their vacation time or potentially miss a business meeting that is something they shouldn't and can't be asking.
they're a private business, so as long as they're not committing any crimes, they can pretty well do and ask whatever the fuck they want. let the buyer beware.
They are technically a private business, but unlike a real private business that would go out of business if they ran poorly enough, this isn't actually possible for United Airlines, because the U.S. government won't allow them to fail, and shovels them money to ensure they don't.
a strong argument for keeping government out of such things so that the free market can right these sorts of wrongs
Because it's done such a bang-up job with the airline industry over the last 50 odd years, right?
you're going to have to clarify just what you're trying to say here.