The problem is not that I can't fly to ONT direct. The problem is that the entire aviation industry is in a shambles. Deregulation was a leading cause of that. Why? Because the Fed backed out. We don't have the Fed demanding that FWA have DC-9/DC-10/Boeing 737/etc. service - there are no direct flights anymore. So, there are fewer aircraft orders, so there are fewer aircraft mfg jobs, fewer mechanics jobs, etc. We all paid taxes that supported all this - once. We don't anymore.
Aside: And there is, in fact, a down side to this wrt to travellers as well. Under regulation, airlines had to compete on service. They all cost the same, so how did one decide which airline to travel? The one with the best service/food/on time rating/etc. But that's an entirely different matter and it won't be too long (if such isn't the case already) that no one will remember when it was "fun to fly commercial." Aviation is in its last stages and deregulation was a leading cause of the cancer that will result in its death.