an idea to start a fix?
PJ2, Will, I wonder what you think of an idea I've had for a while- while we've seen the effects of 31 years of almost total deregulation, I'm wondering if it isn't time to put some sort of floor under the fare structure- say a mandate of so many cents/mile, with frequent adjustments as fuel sashays all over the place? Do you think that might help?
rgbrock1- You're old enough to have been paying attention for the last 20 years or so--what do you think happens when every major except AA and WN have been in CHXI in the past 7 years? How does NWA continue when they go to a strike deadline with their A&Ps and fire them all at once? It was in all the papers...and only 4 years ago.
Going back further, how much cash did Carl Icahn pull out of TWA by selling and leasing back the parts inventory? That wasn't exactly an inside industry secret, either.
Even further, what business did UAL have buying a hotel chain and a car rental company?
Do you have any idea how much of the overhaul work is now done offshore/farmed out? At one major, they're arguing about whether they have 24 or 25% still in house.
Remember the jetBlue 320 that flew around SoCal burning off fuel so they could land lighter with a nose gear pointed 90 degrees off center? Do you think that was the first incident or the FIFTH?
I think it would be a good idea if SLF started connecting the dots instead of looking for the cheapest fare. Start by knowing that AA still does most of their work in house, and then look for a good fare.
(disclosure- I don't work for any of the outfits mentioned above)
/rant mode
sb