Parents bought a ticket on Skybus

[jumppilot]

Keep in mind, my parents know the pains of being an airline pilot..the low pay, low return-on-investment, instability..

I called them today to catch up, asked when they were going to visit, etc. They said, "Actually, we are flying out in October! There is an airline that flies direct from Bellingham to Columbus!"

Yikes!

 

[DrewBlows]

Not surprising, there are plenty of pilots who shop at Wal-Mart.

 

[General Lee]

Keep in mind, my parents know the pains of being an airline pilot..the low pay, low return-on-investment, instability..

I called them today to catch up, asked when they were going to visit, etc. They said, "Actually, we are flying out in October! There is an airline that flies direct from Bellingham to Columbus!"

Yikes!

Disown them, or just tell them they will have to take a cab to your house, since you don't pick up people who come in on the "Shame train."


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Old School 737]

Keep in mind, my parents know the pains of being an airline pilot..the low pay, low return-on-investment, instability..

I called them today to catch up, asked when they were going to visit, etc. They said, "Actually, we are flying out in October! There is an airline that flies direct from Bellingham to Columbus!"

Yikes!

October!! I hope they can get a refund when they close the doors in September!!!

 

[MK82Man]

Just back from a CMH overnight. Who's on Skybus's side? Nationwide that's who. Yeah that' right, they got a 319 with a big ole ad for Nationwide Insurance plastered all over the side of one of thier jets. Nationwide is on our side -- for freaking real. Wonder what revenue that raised? Wonder if they have limits on who can paint what on the side of thier jets.

 

[jumppilot]

I was on my way to the airport for the commute the other day and heard an add from a local repair shop..

"I was recently out at the airport and saw Nationwide's new airplane with their huge logo on the side...Maybe that is why they try to push bad replacement parts on customers, because they have to afford that new jet...blah blah blah"

Also, my parents are not airline pilots. Just the traveling public....

 

[HA25]

Skybus is basically the bottom... we have two places we can go from Skybus:

Either the bottom falls out and we're all sunk!

or

It can only get better..

which do you think will happen? I wish I knew so I could start applying to the U for an MBA or a Masters and find a new career now, before I'm 40!

 

[BenderGonzales]

They charge $500,000 for an advertising paintjob.

 

[NEDude]

Sounds very much like PeoplExpress when they started. Every employee, including pilots, had two jobs in the company, and everyone was trained as a flight attendant even if they never worked that poaition. All your ticket bought you was a seat. Checking bags, that was extra. Want a Coke, that was extra. Same business model, just updated for the internet age.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Not surprising, there are plenty of pilots who shop at Wal-Mart.

Wal Mart Sucks.

 

[BenderGonzales]

Rez is a one-trick Pony.

 

[TAWS]

I wonder what Nationwide will do if competing companies make fun of their strategy/associate it with a sweatshop like SkyBus? If it gets too bad, will they bail - forcing others to reconsider, or will Walmart just advertise there??

 

[FreightGod]

Wal Mart Sucks.

Wish we had one around here.

Speaking of, Dell is starting to sell their 'puters at Wal Mart these days.

We all have the choice of buying the same brand high, or low.

I go the the discount wine place for my case of Las Vasquis.
Get all my boat gear from e-bay for half price, etc.

Don't blame Joe Six-Pack for shopping for airfare.

Should he have brand loyalty towards (Delta, AA, NWA for twice the price? )

 

[cruxx@9]

Wish we had one around here.

Speaking of, Dell is starting to sell their 'puters at Wal Mart these days.

We all have the choice of buying the same brand high, or low.

I go the the discount wine place for my case of Las Vasquis.
Get all my boat gear from e-bay for half price, etc.

Don't blame Joe Six-Pack for shopping for airfare.

Should he have brand loyalty towards (Delta, AA, NWA for twice the price? )

It's not about Wal Mart being cheap for joe six pack. It's about the Wal Mart ANTI UNION stand. I remember when I was in high school in Flint, MI and "walking the line" in front of WM with my dad a union electrician IBEW. There would be shoppers coming out of the doors with Proud to be Union UAW jackets on. WM builds their stores NON UNION and will not let union leadership on property and here our union brothers and sisters are supporting them. Hmmmm, what is of the UAW now? Union is more than just protecting your job while you are at work.

Do I shop at WM, well, it's not my first, second, third...so on choice. But they are like bugs popping up everywhere pushing everyone else out. Whew, sorry there that soap box was just too inviting.

As for your parents....they are still your parents, but I wouldn't pick them up in front of the Scumbus doors. I'd still have to ask them to walk down the terminal a bit. To put them in a cab is a bit much, but would get the point across.

 

[~~~^~~~]

deleted.......

 

[HA25]

Wish we had one around here.

Speaking of, Dell is starting to sell their 'puters at Wal Mart these days.

We all have the choice of buying the same brand high, or low.

I go the the discount wine place for my case of Las Vasquis.
Get all my boat gear from e-bay for half price, etc.

Don't blame Joe Six-Pack for shopping for airfare.

Should he have brand loyalty towards (Delta, AA, NWA for twice the price? )

Walmart and the Walmartization of America is going to be "Joe Six Packs'" undoing.. You see, while Joe is out saving a buck at Walmart, Walmart is leaning on venders to outsource his job to China and Vietnam so that in a few years, Joe will have a hard time even paying for the garbage Walmart sells! The American executives are too short sighted to even care... so long as their next quarterly bonus is paid!

I'm here in Shanghai as I type this, and overlooking the city from a 30 story room.. I can tell you this... in 20-30 years, you're going to be looking for a job in China. These people have their crap together, and 90% of that is because American business has more or less given them a jump start by moving our middle class to them!

Mark my words.. the US will be a "has been" empire like the UK in your lifetime!

 

[klr1395]

Right On FMS, I agree. See the 'Big Box Mart' cartoon on www.jibjab.com if you want to see it the entertaining way. Cheers!

 

[CA1900]

I can tell you this... in 20-30 years, you're going to be looking for a job in China.

See, if I worked for Mesa, I'd already have a job in China. Such a forward-thinker, that Johnny O.

 

[NEDude]

The funny thing about Wal Mart is they built their business on selling stuff that was only made in the USA. It wasn't until about 8-10 years ago they abandoned this practice. I don't know a whole lot about the history of Wal Mart, but many who know more about it say old Sam would be turning over in his grave if he knew how the company operated these days.

I saw somewhere, maybe on here, an essay about american businesses. It compared Japanese car makers with the American ones. In short it said that American manufacturers have been saying for years that the American union worker is too expensive and started to outsource jobs to other countries. At the same time they have been losing billions of dollars. Japanese manufacturers have been busy building plants here in the USA with American union workers and been making billions of dollars in profits. Perhaps the problem is US management, not US workers.

Funny thing, the only car on the Nextel cup circuit made in the USA is the Toyota Camry.

 

[DrewBlows]

Funny thing, the only car on the Nextel cup circuit made in the USA is the Toyota Camry.

Not exactly. The Fusion is made in Mexico, the Camry in Japan and Kentucky, the Impala in Canada, and the Avenger in Sterling Heights, MI. The Impala is made by Canadian Auto Workers, the Avenger by United Auto Workers, while the Fusion is presumably made by non-union workers and the Camry is made by non-union workers.

Being from Michigan it's almost a sin to drive a foreign car. Recently my grandparents and a friend whose mother was an auto worker purchased Toyotas. Their rational? "It's built in America", which is technically true, but notice Toyota decided to build factories in Right-to-Work (for less) states rather than have to employ UAW members.

Given the choice I try to support union members and hope others would do the same. I can definitively tell you I won't be buying a Toyota or shopping at Wal-Mart any time soon.