Contemporary issues in aviation paper

[QuasarZ]

I don't know how to delete a thread so this might be posted twice..

I have to write an "industry standard" paper on contemporary issues in aviation for my internship this summer. Anybody have ideas on some contemporary issues? I am pretty confused on what to write about and haven't had the chance to clear things up with the intern director yet.

Thanks a lot
QuasarZ

 

[CF34-3B1]

How about the increase Airline Executive compensation packages vs. the decrease in labor compensation? I bet your boss will love it.

 

[willNOTfly4free]

User fees

 

[QuasarZ]

Those two ideas crossed my mind, also the age 65 debate

 

[Dude]

I would love to see someone expose that numerous airlines are allowed to operate under bankruptcy protection, sometimes for years, and other companies are forced to "compete" in the same marketplace without the same advantages. Be sure to mention that deregulation is a fraud and as long as the bankruptcy laws (the govt) allow bankrupt companies to continue to operate, saturate the market with unneeded seats, constrict the airspace system, rob from their employees while increasing their own pay, transfer their obligation of retirement funds to the taxpayers, and provide a $hitty product while claiming that rebranding will fix their problems and new paint and interiors will bring the consumer back to their once-beloved airline.

You can also talk about the erosion in class amongst the American traveler and how they, regardless of fare, dress worse a nineteen year old in line for any coin/any drink night. The simple fact is that flying is no longer a luxury, it is a pain in the a$$, for most. If it weren't forgnm4nt the TSA, FAA, ignorant passengers, apathetic airline employees, even worse airport employees, horrible seat pitch, no food, paying extra for your bags to get to your destination with you, flight attendants that act like they are a goddess if they are smaller thapredaton a size 14, delays, delays, delays, and more delays, then this industry would be a ray of sunshine.

When you do your research, read Hard Landing by Petzinger, Nuts, and Fate is the Hunter, by Ernie Gann. While you are at it Google these names: Bob Crandall, Richard Ferris, Gordon Bethune, Frank Lorenzo, Eddie Rickenbacker, Tom Braniff, Gerald Grinstein, Ron Allen, Herb Kelleher, Lamar Muse, Jimmy Carter+deregulation act of 1978, Jim Wright, Juan Trippe and whomever else you can think of that played a role in this catastrophe called "the airlines business". The government and management greed has contributed to the failure of a few great companies, such as: Eastern, Braniff, Mohawk, Texas Air Intl, People's Express, TWA, Pan Am, Northeastern, Allegheny, Piedmont, Lake Central, PSA, Western, PacWest, Midway, Ozark, Frontier, Republic, National, and Capitol. There are many more. Some were victims of mergers and consolidations and others simply picked clean until there was nothing left. Mergers do not serve anyone well. Ask Pan Am pilots at DAL, Republic guys at NWA, Piedmont guys at Airways, or Reno and TWA dudes at American. This is a fascinating business, but only suited for the morally compromised, greedy hearted, and the soulless that has no personal integrity or loyalty to the arm of his/her company that provides the very wealth that they accumulate.

 

[SenorSpielbergo]

I would love to see someone expose that numerous airlines are allowed to operate under bankruptcy protection, sometimes for years, and other companies are forced to "compete" in the same marketplace without the same advantages. Be sure to mention that deregulation is a fraud and as long as the bankruptcy laws (the govt) allow bankrupt companies to continue to operate, saturate the market with unneeded seats, constrict the airspace system, rob from their employees while increasing their own pay, transfer their obligation of retirement funds to the taxpayers, and provide a $hitty product while claiming that rebranding will fix their problems and new paint and interiors will bring the consumer back to their once-beloved airline.

You can also talk about the erosion in class amongst the American traveler and how they, regardless of fare, dress worse a nineteen year old in line for any coin/any drink night. The simple fact is that flying is no longer a luxury, it is a pain in the a$$, for most. If it weren't forgnm4nt the TSA, FAA, ignorant passengers, apathetic airline employees, even worse airport employees, horrible seat pitch, no food, paying extra for your bags to get to your destination with you, flight attendants that act like they are a goddess if they are smaller thapredaton a size 14, delays, delays, delays, and more delays, then this industry would be a ray of sunshine.

When you do your research, read Hard Landing by Petzinger, Nuts, and Fate is the Hunter, by Ernie Gann. While you are at it Google these names: Bob Crandall, Richard Ferris, Gordon Bethune, Frank Lorenzo, Eddie Rickenbacker, Tom Braniff, Gerald Grinstein, Ron Allen, Herb Kelleher, Lamar Muse, Jimmy Carter+deregulation act of 1978, Jim Wright, Juan Trippe and whomever else you can think of that played a role in this catastrophe called "the airlines business". The government and management greed has contributed to the failure of a few great companies, such as: Eastern, Braniff, Mohawk, Texas Air Intl, People's Express, TWA, Pan Am, Northeastern, Allegheny, Piedmont, Lake Central, PSA, Western, PacWest, Midway, Ozark, Frontier, Republic, National, and Capitol. There are many more. Some were victims of mergers and consolidations and others simply picked clean until there was nothing left. Mergers do not serve anyone well. Ask Pan Am pilots at DAL, Republic guys at NWA, Piedmont guys at Airways, or Reno and TWA dudes at American. This is a fascinating business, but only suited for the morally compromised, greedy hearted, and the soulless that has no personal integrity or loyalty to the arm of his/her company that provides the very wealth that they accumulate.

Amen.

 

[Yuppyguppy]

I would love to see someone expose that numerous airlines are allowed to operate under bankruptcy protection, sometimes for years, and other companies are forced to "compete" in the same marketplace without the same advantages. Be sure to mention that deregulation is a fraud and as long as the bankruptcy laws (the govt) allow bankrupt companies to continue to operate, saturate the market with unneeded seats, constrict the airspace system, rob from their employees while increasing their own pay, transfer their obligation of retirement funds to the taxpayers, and provide a $hitty product while claiming that rebranding will fix their problems and new paint and interiors will bring the consumer back to their once-beloved airline.

You can also talk about the erosion in class amongst the American traveler and how they, regardless of fare, dress worse a nineteen year old in line for any coin/any drink night. The simple fact is that flying is no longer a luxury, it is a pain in the a$$, for most. If it weren't forgnm4nt the TSA, FAA, ignorant passengers, apathetic airline employees, even worse airport employees, horrible seat pitch, no food, paying extra for your bags to get to your destination with you, flight attendants that act like they are a goddess if they are smaller thapredaton a size 14, delays, delays, delays, and more delays, then this industry would be a ray of sunshine.

When you do your research, read Hard Landing by Petzinger, Nuts, and Fate is the Hunter, by Ernie Gann. While you are at it Google these names: Bob Crandall, Richard Ferris, Gordon Bethune, Frank Lorenzo, Eddie Rickenbacker, Tom Braniff, Gerald Grinstein, Ron Allen, Herb Kelleher, Lamar Muse, Jimmy Carter+deregulation act of 1978, Jim Wright, Juan Trippe and whomever else you can think of that played a role in this catastrophe called "the airlines business". The government and management greed has contributed to the failure of a few great companies, such as: Eastern, Braniff, Mohawk, Texas Air Intl, People's Express, TWA, Pan Am, Northeastern, Allegheny, Piedmont, Lake Central, PSA, Western, PacWest, Midway, Ozark, Frontier, Republic, National, and Capitol. There are many more. Some were victims of mergers and consolidations and others simply picked clean until there was nothing left. Mergers do not serve anyone well. Ask Pan Am pilots at DAL, Republic guys at NWA, Piedmont guys at Airways, or Reno and TWA dudes at American. This is a fascinating business, but only suited for the morally compromised, greedy hearted, and the soulless that has no personal integrity or loyalty to the arm of his/her company that provides the very wealth that they accumulate.

Your time and your airline say it all. Shut your mouth about C11's. End of discussion

 

[vtwo]

Those are all great places to start your paper but Nobody wants to here it so I suppose you can fill you paper with fluff and get an A instead.
Or
you could start with why the airlines need one national pilot contract that could be used as an absolute minimum. Or maybe instead of having the company jerk you around with the healthcare issues, why we as ALPA don't have a union health care option, you would think that with 64,000 alpa members ALPA could negotiate a much better insurance plan than the individual airlines do. Then they try to minimize cost while trying to fool the employee on what great care they have.

 

[Flopgut]

Here is a good thesis: Why is Dallas Love Field broke AND home to the most profitable airline in the US?

 

[BORAT]

Offshoring of heavy Maintenance.

 

[Newjetjockey]

Farting in the Cockpit - Why a Captain's Repeated Attempt at Humor can be a First Officer's Nightmare.

 

[~~~^~~~]

I think an issue that would be easy and interesting to write about is the outsourcing of major airlines' domestic codeshare.

All Delta flying was once performed by Delta pilots. Today 49% of Delta system block hours are operated by subcontractors under contracts ratified by Delta's pilots.

This brings up many contemporary issues that you can explore from a business model perspective, from a labor perspective, or simply having fun figuring out where it goes from here.

From a managerial perspective:

• How does an airline manage its brand when nearly half of its services are outsourced to other airlines operating under the brand's name?
• How do airline brands deal with contractors who also are competitors under different major brands?
• How do you manage risk, when your brand is flying on another airline's aircraft?

From a labor perspective:

• How has an airline career changed since half the flying is no longer with a "major" airline carrier?
• How do unbranded contractors compete with eachother?
• Does ALPA, the dominant union, represent members equally? What have been the results of ALPA's pattern bargaining with regard to brand v/s non-branded pilots?

Delta has stated going forward they are pleased with fleet optimization which puts contractors on domestic feed and thin international routes, while their larger aircraft are used on longer routes where they are more efficient. I keep using Delta as an example because I think they are further down the road on this "contemporary issue" than other carriers. Delta is also reporting they have not seen the drop off in bookings and revenues that other carriers are complaining about. Could it be that Delta's fleet optimization is truly working, or are they leaving good customers at the gate because their airplanes are too small?

These guys have done a lot of well documented homework on some of these issues: www.rjdefense.com Other sources to get you started http://www.aviationplanning.com/asrc1.htm which has a really excellent "Hot Flash" page with the author's thoughts on the subject of your paper.

 

[Dude]

I'm sorry Guppy if I struck a nerve. My time and my airline have no bearing on the facts, for they are indisputable. I am merely repeating what has been said for years. It's hard to dispute fact. If you don't like it I'm sorry. This thread is about contemporary aviation issues and these issues are still valid today. The only thing that I mentioned that is new is the people. They are far different from the glory days. The employees, pax, mgt, everyone is different. Sad.

 

[temcgrew]

Farting in the Cockpit - Why a Captain's Repeated Attempt at Humor can be a First Officer's Nightmare.

And how about "Captains with Alzhiemers - The same three stories on a 4 day trip".

or How can the RJ not be profitable as a stand alone aircraft, but two companies can make money off it.

 

[SDF2BUF2MCO]

I think an issue that would be easy and interesting to write about is the outsourcing of major airlines' domestic codeshare.

All Delta flying was once performed by Delta pilots. Today 49% of Delta system block hours are operated by subcontractors under contracts ratified by Delta's pilots.

This brings up many contemporary issues that you can explore from a business model perspective, from a labor perspective, or simply having fun figuring out where it goes from here.

From a managerial perspective:

• How does an airline manage its brand when nearly half of its services are outsourced to other airlines operating under the brand's name?
• How do airline brands deal with contractors who also are competitors under different major brands?
• How do you manage risk, when your brand is flying on another airline's aircraft?

From a labor perspective:

• How has an airline career changed since half the flying is no longer with a "major" airline carrier?
• How do unbranded contractors compete with eachother?
• Does ALPA, the dominant union, represent members equally? What have been the results of ALPA's pattern bargaining with regard to brand v/s non-branded pilots?

Delta has stated going forward they are pleased with fleet optimization which puts contractors on domestic feed and thin international routes, while their larger aircraft are used on longer routes where they are more efficient. I keep using Delta as an example because I think they are further down the road on this "contemporary issue" than other carriers. Delta is also reporting they have not seen the drop off in bookings and revenues that other carriers are complaining about. Could it be that Delta's fleet optimization is truly working, or are they leaving good customers at the gate because their airplanes are too small?

These guys have done a lot of well documented homework on some of these issues: www.rjdefense.com Other sources to get you started http://www.aviationplanning.com/asrc1.htm which has a really excellent "Hot Flash" page with the author's thoughts on the subject of your paper.

Yep. On top of that how regionals have warped into nothing more than a third party/contractor/"temp" for mainline operations. Whoever is cheapest at the contract rebid time.

 

[~~~^~~~]

Yep. On top of that how regionals have warped into nothing more than a third party/contractor/"temp" for mainline operations. Whoever is cheapest at the contract rebid time.

Exactly the point. They are crew leasing companies.

At a regional, you never hear the words "Safety, Service, Efficiency." All you hear is bidding, performance and rumors. In my opinion, the regionals lack a safety culture and customer service is ignored except for the individual employees who offer service out of their compassionate predisposition.

I'm bullish on Delta, but think they need to coordinate and communicate their goals to the 49% their front line employees who now work for other airlines.

 

[igneousy2]

Fatigue. ALPA has some good information. You could compare regulations to the contracts. Also, there have been some incidents/accidents attributed to fatigue that the FAA has refused to act on. One accident in Kentucky and now we all have to verify that we checked our runway heading with a checklist item; Numerous incidents/accidents attributed to fatigue and the FAA has refused to take action. Has not even acknowledged it as a problem. In fact they have gone toward more laxed standards recently. Jetblue can now do trans-con turns. The FAA refuses to apply Whitlow across the industry (only domestic, what about flag, supplemental, and 135 ops)

This should be the #1 concern of the FAA, especially since security is no longer their problem.

Later