US government seeks to block American-US Airways merger

August 13th, 2013 at 11:39:05 AM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
US government seeks to block American-US Airways merger

It seems strange that the government would take so long to act on this issue.
August 13th, 2013 at 2:44:17 PM permalink
AZDuffman
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 135
Posts: 18136
Quote: Pacomartin
US government seeks to block American-US Airways merger

It seems strange that the government would take so long to act on this issue.


The execs at the surviving management team are probably not pro-Obama enough and being punished.

For some reason people think we need a dozen or more airlines. History has shown when you have more than a handful none are profitable and service stinks.
The President is a fink.
August 13th, 2013 at 10:44:54 PM permalink
Fleastiff
Member since: Oct 27, 2012
Threads: 62
Posts: 7831
Look how little discussion there is about flying passenger planes.

Baggage fees, money from rental car companies, take off slots, landing slots.... nothing whatsoever to do with flying people safely.

Most tickets already are priced too low for safe flights. More and more maintenance is going overseas to where the "certificate" is cheaper, but the work may be shoddy or not done at all. More and more licensed airline pilots, particularly those out of India, have never once set foot in an airliner and have no where near the hours their log books indicate.

National and regional carriers are in a precarious relationship as it is. Younger pilots get hired by the Regionals but have no clout and are basically living on McDonald'sType wages and a McDonald'sType lifestyle of do what you are told when you are told or go get lost. This is not a good way to train safe or assertive pilots whose sleep is disrupted who are assigned travel assignments at the last moment and who basically are so marginal as to lack any authority in their jobs at all.

Safety margins are eroding and politicians are arguing about baggage fees?
August 14th, 2013 at 3:09:02 AM permalink
AZDuffman
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 135
Posts: 18136
Quote: Fleastiff


National and regional carriers are in a precarious relationship as it is. Younger pilots get hired by the Regionals but have no clout and are basically living on McDonald'sType wages and a McDonald'sType lifestyle of do what you are told when you are told or go get lost. This is not a good way to train safe or assertive pilots whose sleep is disrupted who are assigned travel assignments at the last moment and who basically are so marginal as to lack any authority in their jobs at all.


The American Public refuses to pay fares that would allow for higher pilot pay. In any case, aviation is a crappy business model.

Until the mid 1980s flying to places was something "rich people" did. It might be that we end up going back in that direction. The public has to learn to accept that if you want Greyhound fares you are going to get Greyhound service.
The President is a fink.
August 14th, 2013 at 4:29:54 AM permalink
Fleastiff
Member since: Oct 27, 2012
Threads: 62
Posts: 7831
Quote: AZDuffman
The public has to learn to accept that if you want Greyhound fares you are going to get Greyhound service.
It might be that if you are going to get Greyhound service all you can ever support are Greyhound fares as the rich will go to jet sharing and other Air Taxi services to fly direct to their destination avoiding all hubs and screeners and hoi poloi enroute.
August 14th, 2013 at 5:48:14 AM permalink
AZDuffman
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 135
Posts: 18136
Quote: Fleastiff
It might be that if you are going to get Greyhound service all you can ever support are Greyhound fares as the rich will go to jet sharing and other Air Taxi services to fly direct to their destination avoiding all hubs and screeners and hoi poloi enroute.


You have to be uber-rich to do all that. I am talking just your regular rich good-side-of-the-tracks-top-10% rich.
The President is a fink.
August 15th, 2013 at 2:01:27 PM permalink
1nickelmiracle
Member since: Mar 5, 2013
Threads: 24
Posts: 623
I've taken GH before and think the service is better than flying because you don't feel you're under attack when you show up for the bus. There are not hideous and arbitrary fees, no searching and frisking, and much more privacy. Baggage is easy and not just a way to trick people into paying more. Flying is just a big hassle from finding a good fare to all the preparation to make sure you don't get arbitrarily charged a heck of a lot more. It seems to me when you fly, you're not a customer anymore, you're a sucker and a mark.

Furthermore, I don't believe monopolies and oligarchies through mergers are necessary and service goes down and costs go up the less players there are in an industry.