A depressing question

[radarlove]

Jet Blue's announced loss got me to thinking. Yes, I know they still made operating income for the year, but here is my question:

If Jet Blue can't make it, is there any chance that ANY airline can be started and grown successfully? Indy Air is gone, Vanguard is gone, National is gone...

Jet Blue was started with sufficient capital, a great management team (at least that's what I read, maybe some JBLU guys can comment) and a short-term monopoly on JFK (no slots).

If they can't make money with all that, who can?

 

[FLB717]

AirTran.

Started well, was close to being gone 6 years ago and a very talented team took the helm. While not large profits, more than most and with stable growth. The furture will tell but I bet on teal tails.

 

[Lake Alice]

Dude, if you are asking someones opinion on this board and using this very info to make significant career choices...well, um, best of luck.

 

[radarlove]

Umm...not.

Where, exactly did I ask you for job advice?

 

[pipejockey]

We don't need or want start ups to succeed. They just end up watering down the service and the prices...thus our wages.

Maybe start ups that actually offer a premium service like Primaris I believe. But I am sick of these 2 bit LCC's coming in and undercutting businesses that were doing fine. For crying out loud, United had something like a 1 billion dollar profit in 2000, and that was before all the cost cutting.

 

[CA1900]

But I am sick of these 2 bit LCC's coming in and undercutting businesses that were doing fine. For crying out loud, United had something like a 1 billion dollar profit in 2000, and that was before all the cost cutting.

Yep, it was all the fault of the LCCs. There wasn't any other event in the subsequent year that might have had the slightest impact on United's profits. Nope, nothing at all...

 

[B727-100QF]

UPS started in 1988, so I guess that makes us a startup. We've been doing OK so far. Over $1 BILLION profit in the fourth quarter. Now if they would only share some of that with us!

 

[Capi_Cafre']

Jet Blue was started with sufficient capital, a great management team (at least that's what I read, maybe some JBLU guys can comment) and a short-term monopoly on JFK (no slots).

If they can't make money with all that, who can?

Dont forget that their cabin cleaners fly the planes for free, too.

 

[cezzna]

Unless the industry is re-regulated you're all going to be a Mesa pay rates eventually, I don't care who you fly for. If you don't think it's going to happen eventually then you're just being naive. This doesn't apply to you box flyers, just the cattle herders. The public wants to fly for 99 dollars to anywhere USA period. There are an endless supply of starry eyed start-up players and an endless supply of SJS'ers. You're all F*cked in the long run. The free market won't support living wages in the airline industry, long term. This IS reality.

 

[ferlo]

Alaska,

Of course as a pilot here, we paid for the profitability ourselves...