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Honeymoon's Over

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densoo

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 2, 2004
Posts
2,054
"CHICAGO - Low-cost airlines are now facing the same cost pressures that have driven bigger, established legacy carriers into bankruptcy--boosting wages, building costly hubs and buying expensive new fleets.

Workout specialists here for the Turnaround Management Association's annual convention said the honeymoon is over for Southwest, AirTran, JetBlue Airways...."

http://www.forbes.com/business/2005/10/24/southwest-jetblue-bankruptcies-cz_mt_1024airlines.html

How many times have the experts said this?
 
When I was a kid, I had a shiney model of a Delta and TWA airliner. Like those models, the majors are long gone! The LCCs (Logically Competitive Carriers) have invaded the industry. Like so many illegals into this country, you despise us and yet use us because we cost mere pennies. Hypocrite! Your pride? Gimmmie a break...you'll still buy the cheapest ticket for your wife and free-range children because you're so tight, your cheeks are used to smash atoms.
 
Cute name for LOW COST CARRIERS, sounds like you're pissed you never got to fly for a once great carrier like Delta or TWA.........keep flying your "shiney models" kid.

BTW, what is "free range children"?

AND stop the butt cheeks reference, that's a pretty gay comment on your part.
 
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The legacy carriers have cut costs on the backs of the employees. They still have in-place the old style management that they had prior. What makes them think they (legacy carriers) can continue when they still have a luxurious management style of doing business.
 
sandman2122 said:
BTW, what is "free range children"?
They're the offspring of folks like yourself who believe if they give their kids really distinctive names, they'll grow up to be distinctive adults. '
'Free Range' refers to the fact you allow them to roam the aisles and gate areas unteathered. You probably got a few named: Brayden, Colt, Bryce and Madison. Ah, the New World parent!
Just know when you retire....you'll be alone.
 
crashpad said:
They're the offspring of folks like yourself who believe if they give their kids really distinctive names, they'll grow up to be distinctive adults. '
'Free Range' refers to the fact you allow them to roam the aisles and gate areas unteathered. You probably got a few named: Brayden, Colt, Bryce and Madison. Ah, the New World parent!
Just know when you retire....you'll be alone.

'Free range children' - I like that description!

Legacy carriers have cut costs on the backs of employees, but we've also cut costs in distribution, leases, fleet simplifacation, aircraft utilization (unit costs), facilities overhead, maintenance, on-board customer process, crew resource planning and others. While Officers and Directors also took hefty paycuts I think at least at my carrier that we are a bit top-heavy in numbers.

Having said that legacy carriers have done a good job getting non-fuel costs down either inside or outside of the courts. AA and CO are beginning to see the fruits of their cost cutting with some profitable quarters, and I think UA and eventually DL and NW will get there as well. While I still think there are too many hubs out there the # of hubs have come down and that has helped rationalize the quantity of options for the connecting passenger in favour of the network carriers. There will always be a place for hubs within the US transportation system, for the SAV-GRR passenger, or any other of an almost infinate amount of possible city pairings.

Having said that, there is also a place for the jetBlues of the world providing mostly point-to-point services however they cannot, and will not ever be a major player in the connecting services side of the business without adopting the hub and spoke model that they so far have eschewed (FL in ATL excepted).

Additionally, you will see the non-fuel costs at Airtran & jetBlue creep up a bit. Not to the same level of CASM as a DL or UA but likely within 10% or so. Part of this will be driven by mtce costs as their A320's and 717s start to age and take on greater mtce burden on the P&L, as well as labour costs creeping up in particular amongst scale employee groups. Captains getting up into the meat of the payscales (ie: as seniority starts to get up towards 5+ years for a larger % of the crews).

Legacy carriers expect to be able to make up the 10% cost gap because they do operate in hubs and offer O&Ds that an LCC cannot, and also have an international reach from which to exact a yield premium.
 
crashpad said:
sandman2122 said:
BTW, what is "free range children"?
They're the offspring of folks like yourself who believe if they give their kids really distinctive names, they'll grow up to be distinctive adults. '
'Free Range' refers to the fact you allow them to roam the aisles and gate areas unteathered. You probably got a few named: Brayden, Colt, Bryce and Madison. Ah, the New World parent!
Just know when you retire....you'll be alone.

Go bang your head against a wall to let off some steam, of better yet go kick your kid.
 
crashpad said:
sandman2122 said:
BTW, what is "free range children"?
They're the offspring of folks like yourself who believe if they give their kids really distinctive names, they'll grow up to be distinctive adults. '
'Free Range' refers to the fact you allow them to roam the aisles and gate areas unteathered. You probably got a few named: Brayden, Colt, Bryce and Madison. Ah, the New World parent!
Just know when you retire....you'll be alone.

DORK.
 
When the author tells me that he is shorting SWA stock, then I'll give it more credence. Until then, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
 

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