Does it surpise you though? Most people in this country have felt the decline in airline customer service, and many are simply tired of dealing with ****ed off employees, surly FA's, and rude boarding agents that just don't care anymore.
We all have seen a bit of it, and odds are we've even been one of those employees from time to time. I can't count the number of times that I've heard or seen another pilot say something to the effect of "I don't care if they make their connections- I just get paid to fly the plane", or "Not my job... I don't get paid enough to do that."
With the way that the average joe gets treated, the average joes on this jury finally had the opportunity to "stick it to the airlines" that they feel have disserviced them so. Whether it's right or wrong, it certainly isn't surprising.
Truth is there are a bunch of *******s out there. Employees and passengers alike. Unfortunately as a passenger, the odds are stacked against you, so most of the time you just have to shut up and endure or you'll get slapped with "interference with a crewmember."
That said, I do think that 27 million is absolutely ridiculous. The insane thing is that this lady would probably fly SWA again if they let her, simply because it's probably the cheapest airline to fly.