If Delta had asked this, woudl the pilot have accepted?

[Dizel8]

NWA tried raising fares, ridership took an instand dive, then NWA dropped the fare increase them because no one matched them.

Actually, I think history shows differently, NWA was continuously squashing fare raises by other carriers, even when it was instigated by CO.

 

[Falconjet]

Yip: I didn't miss the point, I simply disagree and argue that nobody has raised the fares enough to cover their costs. If you can't sell the seats at a price to make money, you have a very expensive hobby and SHOULD close the doors. If Delta is losing $5M a day they aren't charging enough for their fares. It pretty simple.

I was a econ/management major, I understand supply and demand. I also understand that a business has to make money to stay in business. Delta's employees could work for nothing and at current fares they would still lose money. At some point folks will raise fares and maybe other pilots will quit accepting jobs at the low ball operators and then the industry can recover.

Sure its a pipe dream, but the status quo isn't working, somebody ought to at least give it a shot and go down fighting (figure of speech) instead of shrugging their shoulders and asking for more wage cuts.

Just an opinion YIP, just like yours worth what you paid for it.

FJ

 

[pilotyip]

So DA-20 capt you are telling me that if DAL raises the DTW -ATL fare to $450 one way coach to cover thier costs that everyone will ride DAL instead of NWA and Air Tran at $100 one way. It that what you are telling the world?

To $100K/yr I have never seen, no complaints. I have a good retirement and I sleep very well at night. I consider my self one of the luckiest pilots on the face of the earth I have living a dream since I started flying and would change very little.

 

[Vingus]

.

At some point folks will raise fares and maybe other pilots will quit accepting jobs at the low ball operators and then the industry can recover.

FJ

You must be kidding, right!?

I'll stop accepting jobs at lower paying operators when higher paying operators (the legacies) start hiring.

Your post is both arrogant and insensitive. How am I supposed to feed/house my family without a job? I guess I should collect unemployment until AA starts hiring again, huh? But I guess that doesn't matter as long as you've got yours....and can criticize others who weren't as lucky with their TIMING!

Because that's all it really is, timing....

 

[Falconjet]

Yip: No I am not saying that. What I am trying to say is that if every carrier would pay the pilots a decent wage commensurate with the profession and every carrier would charge fares to cover their costs, perhaps the fares would go up. As long as somebody is always willing to undercut somebody the race to the bottom will never stop.

You obviously worked long and hard to get where you are and are happy with your flying job. That is great and I admire that. However, that doesn't mean that somebody flying the 777 across the pond or a BUS to FLL shouldn't make a decent living doing so, particularly considering the many years and sacrifices it takes to get one of those jobs. It is still a job, and I feel that pilots deserve to be paid like professionals.

I don't think pilots, FAs and rampers should have to give back 50% of their pay so people can fly to LA for less than they could drive. I would like to see the carriers charge a decent fare AND improve their business model so that they can make money and prosper. I'm not naive enough to think it will happen, I just wish it would.

By the way, thanks for your service.

FJ

 

[Falconjet]

Vingus: I'm not sure what set you off, but perhaps you took something in my post the wrong way.

What I would like to see is some carrier have the balls to raise their fares to cover their costs without resorting to raping their employees. If they can't survive at those fares, so be it. If you were in business and losing money for 4 years the IRS would shut you down, as you are simply in an expensive hobby, not a business.

Cutting fares and taking employees wages hasn't helped, they are still losing money. When is somebody going to try something different?

I'd like to see somebody try.

FJ

 

[Falconjet]

Vingus: I went back and re-read my post. I was trying to reply to a pm and get my point across in the next post. My language was imflammatory and insensitive. I apologize and have edited the post.

The post you quoted is somewhat out of context, because it is more of a hypothetical comment. The next line explains: "Sure its a pipe dream, but the status quo isn't working, somebody ought to at least give it a shot and go down fighting (figure of speech) instead of shrugging their shoulders and asking for more wage cuts".

My point is that I would like somebody to try something different, like raise fares, instead of continuing to cut everybody's wages.

That was my main point.

Yes, I do agree that timing has a lot to do with where we end up working, I know it did for me.

Thanks for your service.

FJ

 

[Vingus]

Falcon,

Thanks for your reply.

I do believe that an across the board fare increase is in order as well, but I think they call that an oligopoly and I believe that it's illegal in the US to do it (for all the CEOs to have a back door pow-wow and just do it together). It sure would be nice though.

Of course, that won't happen, and not because it's illegal. It's called the prisoner's dillemma logic game. If all cooperate, all come out ahead. But if one breaks with the pack, he gets a neck up on the rest. Therefore, the overall result is that noone cooperates and the net result is a loss.