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Business focus & training

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Rvrrat

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 5, 2002
Posts
139
A couple questions for all willing to take the time:

Business focus: What are airlines more concerned about; the bottom line or the person who might either buy a seat or a space for freight?

Training methods: I have personally experienced the "quickie", "firehose" & "deliberate." All have their pros & cons in a particular situation. If you had all of your training to do again (all done in one style) which would you choose?

It has been written that the definition of insanity is to do the same thing while expecting a different result. With that in mind, we know what kind of shape the airline industry is in now and it seems that it might require more than just a robust economy to fully revive. What business fundamentals should be addressed?

Thanks in advance for your considered thoughts.
 
Deep thoughts (sorry)

Apologies to Jack Handey.

First one is simple, in my .02. Bottom line. The airlines want to make money. They have stockholders and boards of directors monitoring their actions. Lose money, and management and the board will be sacked. It's just as simple as that. Therefore, companies will be concerned about filling every seat and loading each Lance to the gills with freight. Companies will seek aircraft that can make or exceed their load factor with the fewest number of sold-out seats. I recall that Larry Risley loved the 1900s at Mesa. He could make money on each 1900 flight if he sold only two full-fare seats.

Now, if Larry cannot find his two paying pax or the Lances cannot be (over)loaded with boxes, both will try to cut expenses to maintain the desired bottom line. I remember clearly how my Accounting professor in college told us it is axiomatic that to increase net income you cut expenses.

I have reflected on your second question for some time. I think that one learns better through an organized, well-run training program which makes steady but not necessarily hurried progress. Your mind needs time to absorb and integrate new learning. Your mind also needs a break from time to time. Moreover, if you learn via the "quickie" approach, you will forget what your learned as quickly as you learned it unless you keep using the new knowledge. Consider a weekend groundschool for a written as an example.

Finally, I'd say the airlines need to address the needs of everyone when the economy recovers (it always does). Provide a more customer-friendly route structure. Improve service. Dare I suggest this one: Serve real food. Pay all employees a decent wage. Perhaps this is all pie in the sky, but try to make people happy. You'll get more business and repeat business, which is a key. You'll make money, you can increase your six-figure bonus at the end of the year and still pay your people well.

At least those are my thoughts.
 
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