bush wants to increase bumping fees

[joevollers]

Like congress has nothing to do with this debacle. How many shti-stain start-ups in the last 15 years have been allowed to proliferate in this country because of "de-regulation" and the unlimited number of neutered pilots who would work for these companies just to "get into the business and fly a big jet"?

Well...
You can go to a startup and make over 100k a year in year 2 or go to a "legacy" and take 10+ years to get there... It's not a matter of principle it's a matter of money : 25-30 years ago people decried SWA; and 10-15 CAL were considered union breakers... You can't expect people trying to put food on the table to be more principled than the industry in general

 

[Stifler's Mom]

Sounds like a great "strategery" to me.

 

[seefive]

I'm not fond of anyone running this time either, rep or demo - but I'm voting for that guy from OHIO with the hotty wife. I figure they'll all perform the same in office no matter what so if I gotta look at them on TV every night atleast we can look at his hot wife.

lets start a drive/campagine -

FlightInfo endourses "the Ohio guy with the hot wife" for President.

LMAO...................I'm in!

 

[JPAustin]

Well, Bush can't really enforce an across the board increase in fares to reduce demand to match the supply (which there is VERY little of), so this increase in bumping fees is a fair means of an effective fare hike.

The airlines won't get together and "decide" to raise fares in order to better match the supply with the demand -- they can't anyway because that would be collusion. The airlines won't voluntarily increase fares to increase their individual supply while still overbooking because they know that the competition will enact what is best for it and thus keep prices just low enough to draw people from the airline that raises prices.

We live in an age where the consumer is apparently king and thus the lower price wins the patronage. Price isn't everything though, and consumers need to be taught that (why else does Target exist vis a vis Wal-mart?).

And besides, the airlines already have this covered by offering multiple levels of prices for the same seat. If the pax wants to avoid that chance of a flat-tire on the way to the airport, then get the fully refundable ticket. Otherwise, go cheap and get the discount fare like most people do and take that real life chance like everyone else in life does with every facet of their life.

The airlines are unique critters in transportation, much like trains. The profit margins are razor thin and every carrier seems a snowstorm away from bankruptcy, yet, air transportation is critical to our national economy. I for one am for a little economic regulation of the airlines. Not so much so that they run inefficiently, but enough to keep the economy lubricated and healthy.

 

[Coffee Pot]

Isn’t one of the tenets of the republican party a free and open market? Where competition reigns supreme? Where the weak are eliminated because of our free and open system?

And yet you want to blame a two year old democratically controlled congress for our woes?

I can understand when a conservative decries social policy and entitlements. But when he blames a political affiliation for supporting platforms; platforms for which his party holds as a sacred doctrine, then his argument becomes laughable.

Time to switch parties?

 

[Coffee Pot]

My bad ex737, just re-read your post and you did not specifically point at our new congress. Fair was your assessment of congress, I just assumed another jab at the dems.

All my other points, I stand behind.

 

[Ex737Driver]

and 10-15 CAL were considered union breakers... You can't expect people trying to put food on the table to be more principled than the industry in general

The scabs at CAL still are. You just called the pot and the kettle black at the same time. I believe that was one of the excuses scabs use...........just trying to feed my family, etc.

The point here is that nobody likes scabs and nobody likes pilots that think that working for a scum operation like Skybus or any other start-up makes them a "real" pilot.

Your math is skewed as well. You want to provide for the viewers here that a second year VA pilots makes 100k a year? There are plenty of legacy pilots in their third and fourth year making passing the 100k mark. Well before your 10 year+ guess.

 

[waveflyer]

The point is that we are MARRIED to our current company by seniority. Our seniority system is our worst enemy. WE ARE THE ONES THAT BAILED OUT THE INDUSTRY- to the tune of BILLIONS. Government and management ultimately knew that we would DO ANYTHING to keep our company from going out of business.

WHY?

Because changing companies means starting over at wages that are at or near the poverty level.

We all have to LOOK IN THE MIRROR on this one. WE SET IT UP THIS WAY and then fall for every management and gov't trick in the book.

 

[§kyye Candy]

I love how bush wants to increase the fee for bumping a pax because it has not kept up with inflation. Does that mean airlines get to jack up the ticket price to match inflation?

Er, how about jacking up the paycheck to match inflation?!!

 

[jonjuan]

There are plenty of legacy pilots in their third and fourth year making passing the 100k mark.

Which legacies?