What are our regionals doing wrong?

[Turkey Shoot]

It's called government subsidizing. Nice if for the pilot. Sucks for my taxes to go to anyone to help fund a venture that wouldn't last without it.

It's got nothing to do with training or anything else of that nature.

 

[ReportCanoa]

It's called government subsidizing. Nice if for the pilot. Sucks for my taxes to go to anyone to help fund a venture that wouldn't last without it.

It's got nothing to do with training or anything else of that nature.

Generalised state aid to airlines is illegal under EU law. There are some ways the govt's can invest money under certain terms, but it is not prolific as it was. And what about the 10 billion plus loan guarantee from the US govt following sept 2001?

 

[texarkana]

I’m in need of enlightenment ...

If I were in the United Kingdom right now, I could hop on a carrier like Ryanair or Easyjet from London and go to Ireland for the weekend for about $70.00 return direct, or from the UK to Italy for about $100
Now lets say I wanted to go from Orlando to Key West for the weekend, it would cost me about $500.00 direct return.
Or say, Atlanta to Jacksonville which is about the same distance for about $400.00.

Now these 'no-frills' airlines such as Ryanair are boasting profits (even with the high fuel prices), whereas our carriers are reporting losses. You don’t hear much about bankruptcy, or losses as such, just packed flights and profits.

In fact I read in the USA today last week how air travel within the US is up 80%, then I flicked forward a few pages and read how Northwest pilots are taking a pay cut! Why? Doesn’t more passengers = more money?!

What are we doing wrong? Why do we charge more, but get less?
Does anyone know what an FO or CA on say Ryanair makes per hour?
Because if its close or exceeds our staggering $19.00 per hour starting pay, then one has to ask themselves, again, what are we doing wrong?

My friends over in the UK will go over to Europe for the weekend just for something to do, but for us to do say fly to Vegas for the weekend, or NY for the weekend is frankly inconceivable due to the cost.

We pilots are getting screwed, the passengers are getting screwed, so who isn’t? Management? Where is the money going and why is our industry in such a mess?

Thank you.

I have often wondered the same thing. Would this be related to the ideas that Europeans have more vacation time, and are generally more travelled than Americans?

 

[FN FAL]

I have often wondered the same thing. Would this be related to the ideas that Europeans have more vacation time, and are generally more travelled than Americans?

More travelled? What are you talking about? We got county roads in our state that are bigger than some European countries...Duh.

 

[Guitar rocker]

It's called government subsidizing. Nice if for the pilot. Sucks for my taxes to go to anyone to help fund a venture that wouldn't last without it.

It's got nothing to do with training or anything else of that nature.

Dude, I like the "Deport Hulas" part! Beautiful. I always wanted to take that old tool out for a nice STEAK dinner!

 

[mar]

Short answer

Back to the original question...

...it's not just the regionals. It's the entire system.

Here's my short answer: Everybody got what they wanted--except airline employees.

The various mangements wanted deregulation and got it.

The passengers wanted cheap fares and hourly departures and got it.

And now the service is abyssmal and the airport "super-hubs" are completely saturated.

The funny thing is, given the size of the US compared to all of Europe, a convenient web of integrated airline service would be really sweet. Like riding the trains in Europe.

Oh well. Maybe in a parallel universe.

 

[AC560]

There is over capacity in the US airline system and under capacity in the European/Asian system. Once the airlines finish cutting down on employees/aircraft you will see them return to profitability.

Pilotyip is right when he says at some point there will be a turn in the US pilot wages. In another couple years when the industry has finished contracting and potential new pilots have decided for other carriers, you will see salaries increase again. Just a matter of how long the current crop of pilots can hold out.

 

[paulsalem]

The passengers wanted cheap fares and hourly departures and got it.

How could giving customers what they want be the wrong thing to do? Espcieally when loads are reportedly up to 80%

 

[ken]

After 9/11, the goverment has about a 45% tax on a $200 ticket to help pay for the TSA ( thousands standing around ).
Plus, corporate greed. It's ok for a pilot to make $20 an hour, while the ceo makes $5.8 million a year?
That is what is wrong with this picture.

 

[Corona]

Pilotyip is right when he says at some point there will be a turn in the US pilot wages. In another couple years when the industry has finished contracting and potential new pilots have decided for other carriers, you will see salaries increase again. Just a matter of how long the current crop of pilots can hold out.

Pilotyip is wrong about another thing, then. (The first about not needing a degree to have a successful airline career.)

Labor costs typically decline over time for any given industry. I'm not aware of any career where that is not the case, especially now. The airline industry will not die, despite best attempts, but it will also not be much of a viable, stand-alone career, either.

C