NYT Article on the Airlines...Worst Yet to Come...

[wxman13]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/27/b...partner=ALTAVISTA1&pagewanted=print&position=

Rather a gloomy outlook as portrayed by that article. Obviously most of us (even folks like me, the lowly private pilot) already know most of this, but seeing it all together in one place is rather sobering. If you don't read the whole article, check these few short paragraphs towards the end:

Airlines are hoping for a reprieve in the form of lower prices for jet fuel, which rose 74 percent this year, to more than $1.50 a gallon. That could give them an opportunity to be profitable again after losing $30 billion in the last five years.

Even so, profits will not restore the jobs the companies are eliminating; bring back the traditional pension plans that are being dropped; or do away with the cost-cutting that has been announced.

And as JetBlue, Southwest and other low-fare airlines keep a lid on prices, the big airlines cannot raise fares substantially to give themselves a cushion as they once might have done.

Mr. Grinstein of Delta said, "If we are waiting for some miracle to occur, we are wasting our time and we'd be better off saving our breath."

It's clear that it's high time for some real changes, preferably before more airlines go under and even more people lose jobs...why aren't more people talking about strikes to get management to really change things? Would strikes even have an impact, or is there a better, feasible way? My last few flights on United have been oversold by 10-15 seats on 737s and 757s, yet they're far from turning a profit...something is definitely, fundamentally wrong. I know I'm preaching to the choir, but that's my 2 cents.

Peter

 

[AA717driver]

Want to see the real difference? Compare the deal a "legacy" ramper has with one from SWA or JB. Big difference in productivity.

Plus, the legacies have all that infrastructure to support--multiple mx bases, Taj Mahal terminals, mixed fleets. Some of it may be necessary because of the different route structures but it still adds costs. JMO.TC

 

[Publishers]

And just what would a strike do except drive away the remaining pasengers.

By your comments, you are looking at how things were and saying that was the correct way. The pay, the productivity, the model , that is how it should be and it has been taken away.

Not necessarily true.....

Aircraft do fly oversold but that has always been the case. They meay seem full now as there are less flights and the fares may be nothing that enables a profit.

 

[SkyWstman]

Yeh, the planes are full but the legacy carriers are not charging what it realy costs to fly. They can't. So it's just a matter of time.

 

[General Lee]

And Skywest will become the lowest paying legacy carrier in the future---flying 150 seat jets for 50 seat wages.........Thanks a bunch.



Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[doh]

General,

Your'e back, and p.o.ed to boot! Welcome.

 

[General Lee]

doh,


Thanks. Yeah, I'm back, and I had a longer trip than expected by a day. Watching all of the stuff on CNN made me frustrated.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[timetoquit]

And Skywest will become the lowest paying legacy carrier in the future---flying 150 seat jets for 50 seat wages.........Thanks a bunch.



Bye Bye--General Lee

Haha! How sad....but true!!

I met a new hire girl @ Skywest the other day who was so happy to be flying a "jet" and just glad to be there, regardless of the pay. I asked her what she envisioned herself doing further down the road, and she said "flying a big jet, even if it was an Airbus for Skywest..." She could have cared less, and had absolutely no clue about the profession and where its headed.

Which led me to ask....what is with Skywest?

 

[doh]

It's the same at Skywest as every where else. In the begining, you are relieved to de done instructing/risking your life freight dogging. Then reality sets in. I have talked to a lot of Skywesters, and the attitude is the same as mine: there are worse gigs but there is a lot of room for improvement! So, don't bash them too hard.

 

[General Lee]

I am sure there are plenty of nice Skywesters. Great. But, they were among the first to ACCEPT growth for the same pay, and that was planes up to 99 seats for 50 seat wages. All of their senior pilots knew this was a crock, but all of the junior guys and junior Captains apparently voted for growth, not seeing that they initiated a trend. That trend will keep their salaries down for decades. Sure, we at Delta just gave up huge pay also, but we actually brought the "bar" up to the highest it has ever been for 3 full years. We had 777 Captains making over $320 an hour. Not anymore. Was the threat of bankruptcy looming over the Skywesters' heads? Nope. What is next for Skywest? A318s for RJ wages? Probably. I bet the senior guys over there are banging their heads against the walls.....


Bye Bye--General Lee