Passengers do care about on-time performance.

I started flying for fun...strictly a hobby before considering it a career when my instructor hinted about flying as a profession. I continued in my sales and marketing career, and flying for business ( a lot ) earning Platinum status etc on more than one airline. From a customer standpoint, I've flown them all and without a lengthy editorial on how they have evolved and changed, the point is as a business traveler, sure price is a factor, but reliability, service and the product make a difference. From my past "customer" experiences, and the insights gained from being an employee of more than one airline, the strides companies are taking to make the experience better have come a long way in the past decade. For some price may be king, but those other factors are why people will spend more for a better product, and reliable service.