A new book on the airline industry “Attention All Passengers: The Airlines’ Dangerous Descent – and How To Reclaim Our Skies,” by William J. McGee, debuted on June 26. McGee, a journalist, consumer advocate and current columnist on airlines for USA Today, offers an expose that reveals the real state of the “friendly skies.”

McGee, who worked in the airline industry before becoming a journalist, crisscrossed the country and traveled around the globe immersing himself deep into the world of commercial airlines. He interviewed countless industry insiders -- pilots, TSA security screeners, FAA inspectors, legislators, the CEOs of the major carriers, and even Ralph Nader and Steven Slater, the disgruntled flight attendant who famously jettisoned a JetBlue flight. He reveals how airline executives are cutting costs in "a mad race to the bottom" by delegating flights to second-tier regional airlines and outsourcing critical aircraft maintenance and repairs to unlicensed "mechanics" in China, Singapore, Mexico, and El Salvador.

According to the book, while U.S. airlines have raked in tens of billions of dollars for checked baggage alone in recent years, our skies (and our airports) are not getting any safer. McGee also explains how both political parties and all branches of the U.S. government have conspired to place corporate interests above the interests of consumers, workers, the nation's economy, and even the planet itself. The book price is $26.99, but is available on Amazon for $17.27 or on Kindle for $12.99.