Thanks!

For too many years airlines have ruined any semblance of quality or even reliability by selling tickets below the cost of providing the service the cutting staff, services and even maintenance to a level that it is impossible for an airline to run reliably much less have any quality of service. This was even before the time-wasting nickel and dime “ala-carte” fees which wouldn’t be necessary if airlines would simply refuse to sell the product at below cost. The obsession with “market share” even at a loss is something akin to shooting yourself in the foot to prove you have good aim!

The other disgraceful thing has been the wholesale “screwing” of not only employees–through pay cuts, layoffs, pension theft and benefit cuts–but shafting most creditors and stockholders like by abuse of the Bankruptcy laws. Of course, those CAUSING the airlines’ problems–the kleptocrat CEOs and top executives–have been spared the abuse done to everyone else in the Bankruptcy process. The only parties to have BENEFITTED from this idiotic deregulation and the lax Bankruptcy laws have been kelptocrat executives, corporate lawyers and the “cheap is all that matters crowd” and everyone else–stockholders, public, creditors and employees–be damned. At least partial–if not full 1970s CAB–reregulation is needed NOW!

FIRST, airlines should be PROHIBITED from selling a ticket BELOW the cost of producing it. Doing so makes it impossible to run an airline in a quality, even a reliable way regardless of poorly employees are paid or treated. There should be a MINIMUM ALLOWABLE fare in every city pair (ie; ATL-NYC) pegged at what AVIATION KNOWLEDGEBLE experts (not marketing hucksters or desk jockey bean counters) say it cost to run an airline in a safe, reliable and quality fashion. Above that price competition will be allowed, but running an airline’s quality and dependability in the ground for the sake of “cheap fares” will not be allowed.

SECOND, “Performance Standards” requiring airlines to CONTROLLABLE items such as lost bags and non-weather, non-air traffic delays to a minumum set by the the DOT or face sanctions should be enacted to prevent the higher that current below cost air fares from just going into the pockets of kelptocrat CEOs but instead properly providing the quality airline service that existed before 1978.

THIRD, the Bankrputcy laws must be reformed to prevent airlines from using them as a strategy to deprive workers of decent wages, benefits and working conditions as well as unfairly shirk obligations to creditors and devalue the stockholders interests. The Railway Labor Act should be amended to properly reinstate the requirments that Bankrutpcy Courts not allow any voiding of contracts which unfairly places any cost cutting on the backs of rank and file empoyees.

FOURTH, and this applies to ALL corporations, not just airlines; corporate governance laws must be changed to give stockholders a BINDING (not just non-binding) say on how much CEOs and other top brass are paid. It is despiciable for CEOs of even failing companies to make millions of dollars while demanding employees take pay cuts to the near poverty level. There is nothing “socialist” about this as the “plutocrat lobby” accused President Obama of for even wanting a NONBINDING stockholder right on CEO pay. What could be MORE CAPITALIST than the OWNERS (stockholders) or a corporation deciding what the HIRED HAND CEOs will make? CEOs and other top executives–in cahoots with puppett boards of directors (who are supposed to represent the STOCKHOLDERS, not CEOs) must think they are some super priveledged higher class of persons somehow exempt from the havoc they wreak of everyone else.

Dennis Michael Smith, Marietta, Georgia

So, I guess the airlines should charge you based on the price of oil, daily. right?
Because at my airline, for every DOLLAR that oil increases, that ADDS 40 MILLION DOLLARS in increased COSTS, the cost of oil to operate those aircraft you fly on. They are trying to keep ticket prices reasonable by charging you extra’s. NO ONE IS FORCING YOU to buy a soda or check a bag. That COST will now be determined by YOU, not the airline. WAKE UP, HEATHER. The industry’s pricing model has………………..CHANGED. The industry is always evolving. Remember travel agent commissions? Paper tickets? Chicken or Beef? CHANGED………….and………………….GONE.

and, YOU have it backwards, they reduced services which kept fares more reasonable, had they had to raise them to cover the fluctuating oil price. sure, oil is down, what about 3 months from now? Could the Middle East perhaps reduce oil production to raise the price up again? Everyone who flew this summer, flew cheaply. (WITH THE EXCEPTION of last minute fares) because they purchased their tickets, when?….MONTHS IN ADVANCE. Those fares didnt cover the increase in fuel costs for the entire summer. So, the airlines had to reduce costs by unbundling services. Why unbundle? So, the airline can recoup expenses, because it now COSTS MORE to fly you. Simple Business 101.

And, NEWSFLASH……….it doesnt matter that theater and baseball parks didnt give away free products to it’s customers. The airlines, which have on average, 50 TO 100 MILLION customers PER YEAR can no longer include these freebies in the ticket price. I suppose YOU always expected a trip to Florida to cost 79.00 bucks. SEEMS you’re out of touch and LACK serious knowledge of the industry that I’ve spent my entire life doing.

MOP THAT!

You wrote:
THE PRICE OF YOUR TICKET GETS YOU FROM POINT A TO POINT B. All other services are EXTRA…………You’re NOT “paying twice.” Everyone’s simply upset that the “same product” actually costs more now because the airlines are charging, services rendered.
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NO, people are NOT upset about the same product costing more.

First people have NEVER liked getting nickeled and dimed to death.

Second…Lewis Lipps IS correct. It would also seem
that you didn’t read my post backing him up. If you ONCE got a service
that was bundled into the price of the plane ticket and then they TAKE
THAT SERVICE AWAY and DO *NOT* lower the ticket price accordingly,
you are STILL PAYING FOR A SERVICE YOU ARE NO LONGER
RECEIVING! That’s bad enough…and it SHOULD be illegal. They
are still charging for a service they are not providing…it’s called “theft” of
passengers money.

AND if they now charge separately for that service, then you ARE paying TWICE!!!

And by the way…POOR comparison of theatre/baseball tickets…NEVER
have the food, etc been part of their ticket prices. Don’t ever join a
debating team….they’ll mop the floor with you.

HELLOOOOOO….Frank…is there ANYONE upstairs?

Interesting how many other (service) industries price this way. Ever go to a Baseball game? A broadway show? A bottle of water is NOT included in the price of your ticket. Either is that hotdog/glass of wine or those choice seats behind the catcher’s mound/or balcony seats.

THE PRICE OF YOUR TICKET GETS YOU FROM POINT A TO POINT B. All other services are EXTRA…………You’re NOT “paying twice.” Everyone’s simply upset that the “same product” actually costs more now because the airlines are charging, services rendered. That those 69.00 dollar fares to florida are now gone. That you may have to actually PAY MORE then you would if you drove the route your flying!

I also don’t pay a checked bag fee. Did you not read the part about me not using the legacy carriers? Also, I travel with a carry-on bag only most times. Not due to fees, but for the ease of travel without large un-necessary bags.

I proof-read my post, but let me apologize in advance if I didn’t properly spell out all my words. Nice attitude by the way.