US airlines are set for a 10th year of profits

[Longtimer]

Complete article can be viewed at: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/26/airline-labor-unions-for-pilots-flight-attendants-want-raises-in-2020.htmlUS airlines are set for a 10th year of profits. More than 120,000 employees want a raisePUBLISHED THU, DEC 26 20191:01 PM ESTUPDATED 7 MIN AGO
Leslie Josephs (https://www.cnbc.com/leslie-josephs/)@LESLIEJOSEPHS (https://twitter.com/lesliejosephs)
KEY POINTS

U.S. airlines are set to post their 10th consecutive year of profits, the longest stretch in at least four decades.
Labor unions representing more than 100,000 pilots, flight attendants, and caterers and other workers are seeking better pay, benefits and quality of life.
Labor is generally airlines’ largest expense and it is becoming a bigger share of costs.

[CW247]

Single nation rules with no cheap eastern European companies to undercut the competition. A level playing field in every regard.

[WingNut60]

KEY POINTS

.....Labor is generally airlines’ largest expense and it is becoming a bigger share of costs.



Not fuel? Really?

[misd-agin]

Forecast for next year is out. I forget the exact predictions but I think the U.S. profit was expected to be slightly lower but I think the article continued with "but still more than the rest of the world combined." Reports had world airline profits at $33.8 billion in 2018 with U.S. 'operating profits'(??) at $17.6 billion (52% if the two different articles are using the same type of profit sources).

[Rated De]

Not fuel? Really?

Contract season?

The data suggests otherwise(fuel is)...

[Loose rivets]

Reports had world airline profits at $33.8 billion in 2018 with U.S. 'operating profits'(??) at $17.6 billion

Rather puts Boeing's losses into perspective.

Not Fuel?

I remember a head-honcho in a Luton based airline of the 70's. "Fuel is now our greatest expenditure." I feel sure it was 12p a gallon but that seems impossibly low. About that time I paid 35 quid for 500 gallons of home heating fuel - and I got green shield stamps. I remember clearly my purchase as I'd fought hard to get the same as the pal that had sold the house to me. "but he owns a holiday camp and buys a LOT of fuel".

I cringe now, but I said, I work for an airline and burn tonnes of it a day. There was a moment's silence before he started laughing, and agreeing.

[WingNut60]

Not fuel? Really?

And that would be excluding capital costs for purchasing (or renting) such non-essential items as aircraft???