The airlines say they had to change the weight limits because the heavier bags were a danger to their employees. But I guess if you give them $25, they're willing to put their workers at risk.
The airlines go out of their way for the first two or three days after a bankruptcy filing to convince you it's going to be business as usual.
Who gets to decide what an 'extraordinary circumstance' is? The airline. If airline says no, then what rights do you have? You have to take them to court.
They are almost like the airline of the 1950s and 1960s that viewed flying as an experience, not an endurance test.