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Don't want to pay a fair $ for tickets, it will affect you later.

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av8er2

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Posts
353
I would of liked to buy my new mortgage local in my town to help people just like me stay employeed. I would of done it even if it meant a few hundred dollars more at closing.

But because the public has no loyalty to the airlines and don't care about their own safety and happy emplyment of airline employees, I had to go with the lowest bidder elsewhere. If the public shops tickets like Walmart buys goods in China, without any respect for the US, then it forced me to buy my mortgage out of my town. Because of this a broker in my town missed out on a little extra in their paycheck.

I'll bet if a local broker gets on the internet and shops like crazy to get that $149 round trip ticket, they aren't thinking that it will come back to decrease their income someday, but it did this time.

I really wanted to buy from someone local but since I now have no job security and my paycheck is going downhill, there will be times in my town, locals will miss out on extra income also.

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Back in the 1990's, the long distance telephone companies began undercutting each other's rates. The consumers eagerly switched carriers each time a lower rate was announced. Why the lack of customer loyalty?

The typical consumer is looking for a good deal on everything from gas to diapers. The airline ticket for XYZ Airline, like most other items, is bought when it is cheaper than ABC Airline's ticket. How is this any different from saving 35 cents on a gallon of milk?

Put another way, should I feel bad if I buy a used car from Carmax (a big used car retailer), even if it takes money away from Al's Used Cars on the corner of 1st and Main? In my humble opinion, I work hard for my money. Why should I be the subject of scorn if I want to stretch it as far as I can?

The airline industry's problem is similar to that of the long distance industry during the 1990's. Too much competition for the same market. MCI, Worldcom, Sprint, AT&T, and a host of others sought to capture the same folks. Sure, there were some industry laws that prevented total domination, but for the most part the effort was nationwide.

Compare that to the airlines, and you should see the similarities rather quickly. Continental, Delta, American, United, USWest, etc. fly to many of the same destinations and compete for the same customers. The laws of business dictate that the most competitive price will prevail. Sure, I would like a sandwich and a pillow, but if I save 100 dollars on the flight I'll buy my meal ahead of time and bring it aboard.

This type of occurance is not unheard of, by the way. History is, after all, the greatest teacher. The Industrial Revolution made a lot of people very wealthy, and created a lot of jobs. Suddenly, anyone who knew how to work with machinery was in high demand. Jobs were plentiful, but the skilled labor was short. Pay was, as a result, quite decent.

Fast-forward a few decades. Now, instead of labor shortages, there is a glut. People have become used to machinery, and thousands of people have been trained in vocational schools. After graduation, they enter the business world, only to find that jobs are beginning to become widespread, and pay is decreasing.

Was this a one-time event? No. Read on.

The modern computer started really taking shape during the late 1970's and early 1980's. Even then, very few people had even seen a computer, let alone worked with one. As the "intelligence" of the machines increased, their usefulness also skyrocketed. The late 1980's brought IBM-compatible computers and, of course, Microsoft and its Windows operating system. However, there was a problem: People did not know how to fix the computers when they broke.

Enter the age of the "Computer Guys." This segment of the workforce knew how to work with the devices in order to get them to perform. Suddenly, anyone who knew how to work with computers was in high demand.

As time progressed, the Internet came onto the scene. As in the early days of personal computing, anyone who knew how to design a web page, connect multiple computers to the Internet, or design a network to carry large amounts of user traffic could command huge salaries. Jobs were plentiful, and skilled labor was not.

Fast forward to late 2000. The myth of the "Dot-com" companies is busted. Suddenly, the theme song of the economy shifts from "Skyrockets in Flight" to "Free Fallin'." Jobs are eliminated, companies declare bankruptcy, and nobody wants a "Computer Guy" anymore.

Today, there is some rebound in the world of information technology, but nowhere near what we saw during the "crazy days."

Aviation is seeing the same shift. The so-called "Golden Age" has ended, and the large-scale fascination with aviation is no longer. Little boys no longer stare at a commercial airline pilot in awe. Now, they simply turn on their Ipods and sit in their assigned seat.

The "aviation schools" such as Riddle are turning out certificated pilots every year, but the overall demand for them is decreasing. No amount of striking or union threats will stop this trend, let alone reverse it. That is, unless there is a consolidation among commercial carriers.

If we are to learn anything from history, it would be that there is always something "new and improved" on the horizon. Aviation will probably see a major change in the near future, perhaps in the form of "space planes," which will require new skills and training. These "space pilots" will command higher salaries, better working conditions, and an overall improved quality of life.

Just an "outsider's" take on the state of aviation...

--Dim
 
We could save airlines as an industry if we moved them into the government sector.

The government could take in the airlines and operate them as a government entity. Rampies, gate agents, stews, lav boys, mechanics and pilots would become federal workers. In addition, they would be able to bid nationally under one list for jobs...just like they do at www.gov.

One uniform, one payroll, one set of rules and the pay would be set to the G-scale.

The feds would set the schedules and fares and what doesn't get paid for in user fees would be offset by taxes. They could fly planes empty to keep people busy.
 
FN FAL said:
We could save airlines as an industry if we moved them into the government sector.

The government could take in the airlines and operate them as a government entity. Rampies, gate agents, stews, lav boys, mechanics and pilots would become federal workers. In addition, they would be able to bid nationally under one list for jobs...just like they do at www.gov.

One uniform, one payroll, one set of rules and the pay would be set to the G-scale.

The feds would set the schedules and fares and what doesn't get paid for in user fees would be offset by taxes. They could fly planes empty to keep people busy.

Be careful what you wish for...the next time you get on an airliner, it could be as fun as going to the DMV or Post Office. Service with a scowl.
 
The DMV. When someone applies for a government job they have to take an IQ test, and the ones who score the absolute lowest get assigned to the DMV
 
Supply and Demand - that explains it every time.

Too many airplanes and airlines, not enough passengers -- prices go down.

Too many pilots not enough jobs -- wages go down.

In some industries, IF one company can stand out by providing a specialized service, a value that people can recognize and appreciate THEN they might get away with charging more.

My thoughts are.... there are a TON of people out there who hate Walmart.
They are much happier in Dillards or whatever.

An airline will come along and offer roomier seating, screen pax for behavior and weight & dress, fuss over them a little bit, and they will be able to charge double. (Either that, or those consumers will get in on some form of shared bizjet travel.) As pilots, 90% of us will be flying the walmart types around; very few of us will be in the elite corp.

Jeez that was supposed to be informative, elucidating, but ended up very depressing, sorry. Must be the rapid ingestion of beer.
 
Quadruple the price and if volume drops off to one fourth, the airlines will make money.
 
Hey watch it!

My Mama works at the DMV. :laugh:

Jack


Icelandair said:
The DMV. When someone applies for a government job they have to take an IQ test, and the ones who score the absolute lowest get assigned to the DMV
 
FN FAL said:
Quadruple the price and if volume drops off to one fourth, the airlines will make money.

...the surviving airlines. And what will happen to the pilot pool? (owch!)

Still it might be a good long term thing. Darwin-esque, but healthier.
2005-2015 - the Black Years of American Aviation ???
 

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