Interesting take on the loss of rural air service

Not interesting at all. Seems like a PR piece planted to pimp for the relaxation of the ATP rule.

Anyone who’s ever flown EAS will tell you that little towns don’t recognize that they’re, well, little. And you need to be not little to fill airplanes to make money. Money that needs to be made since everyone thought deregulation was such a super idea.

And they’re never satisfied. The airport manager at one garden spot we flew into came into the station every day to tell us how much we sucked, and how much better things were when BigAirlineCo used to fly 727s into East Woebegone.

But this is so transparent, I’m honestly surprised Politico bit off on it. They’re usually a little more savvy than that.
 
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I know my 'hometown' airport lost air service for the most part. But it wasn't the ATP rule, it's because many people I know would drive an hour north to save $50 (number pulled directly out of my butt so don't @ me), or even to LAX or SFO to save a little more.

Or, my favorite, would drive 4 hours to LAX down Highway 99 in the Tule fog to avoid flying on that 'scary puddlejumper'

But I digress!
 
I know my 'hometown' airport lost air service for the most part. But it wasn't the ATP rule, it's because many people I know would drive an hour north to save $50 (number pulled directly out of my butt so don't @ me), or even to LAX or SFO to save a little more.

Or, my favorite, would drive 4 hours to LAX down Highway 99 in the Tule fog to avoid flying on that 'scary puddlejumper'

But I digress!
I’m guilty of that myself. Back in the 90’s when I lived within a few hours drive to ATL, I would routinely skip the hop from CAE, GSP, or CSG to save a few bucks.
 
I’m guilty of that myself. Back in the 90’s when I lived within a few hours drive to ATL, I would routinely skip the hop from CAE, GSP, or CSG to save a few bucks.

Company I worked for from 1999-2003 was based in GSP.

Whenever we had meetings at corporate, they made us fly into ATL and drive to GSP because of the fare differences.
 
It's been over 15 years since I last sat in the business end of a BE1900, but I felt every word of Richman's post in the marrow of my bones. Just the outright hostility of some of those EAS passengers as they mourned a legendary bygone era when mainline sent 737s into Worland, WY with first class seats as far as the eye could see...

And yes, any citation of a quote from the Regional Airline Association in a context other than ridicule leads me to file an article as astroturfing lobbyist pablum.
 
Company I worked for from 1999-2003 was based in GSP.

Whenever we had meetings at corporate, they made us fly into ATL and drive to GSP because of the fare differences.
I routinely fly a 180 pax seat airplane to GSP with over 190 SOB. I don’t know the point at which enough people start saying no thanks on fare price but we still haven’t hit it. It’s hard to see it now, but if they’re not careful I feel like it’s going to get Austin’d. Probably mostly a good thing for them, I guess.
 
“Talk about a low blow,” Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, the congressperson for Del Rio, a predominantly Hispanic community, said in an interview. “I’m frustrated to no end. … If these major companies want rural America to thrive, they need to be investing in rural America, not pulling the rug out from under us.”

It’s funny to see Republicans asking for government assistance. Isn’t that, like the other side’s thing?
 
I routinely fly a 180 pax seat airplane to GSP with over 190 SOB. I don’t know the point at which enough people start saying no thanks on fare price but we still haven’t hit it. It’s hard to see it now, but if they’re not careful I feel like it’s going to get Austin’d. Probably mostly a good thing for them, I guess.

This is 20+ years later, though. GSP became a real destination place to live - hell, I'd put it on the short list of places to live if we ever decided to leave NoVA, but back then it was kinda sleepy.
 
Company I worked for from 1999-2003 was based in GSP.

Whenever we had meetings at corporate, they made us fly into ATL and drive to GSP because of the fare differences.

Oof.

For personal travel, I would 100% drive the 2.5 hrs or whatever it is from ATL to Greenville. Actually doing more than that next weekend (flying to ATL and driving to Brevard NC) to avoid a connection.

But for company travel? No chance.
 
Politico really dropped the ball on this article.

Not to mention MOB proximity to PNS and GPT.

Anyway, 1500 hour rule gone by summer 2024.

I doubt it. It is hard for a regional airline to complain about a rule that isn't actually causing the problems. Many regional airlines (PSA and RAH as examples) aren't even hiring low time FOs any more due to a lack of CAs.

The reason for the current CA crunch was due to early retirement packages and general retirements during covid. The legacies all of a sudden had to cover 3000+ open positions due to an unexpected travel recovery. Most of those positions are of course filled by regional CAs.

Delta, for example, has been hiring 2000+ pilots /year because of this discrepancy. Once they fill the vacuum all they need to worry about are retirements (peaks around 550/year) and any possible growth that may occur. Hiring will of course be cut by half if not more in a year or two. Other airlines will also reduce when their giant staffing holes are filled.

It’s funny to see Republicans asking for government assistance. Isn’t that, like the other side’s thing?

Pretty standard honestly. It is always the government's fault when a free market decision is made that they do not like. It is sadly funny since they try so hard to get the government out of the free market when it doesn't specifically hurt them.
 
There really weren't a lot of regionals at TPNx last week.
 
Folks seem to keep forgetting that airlines are a for-profit business doing whatever they can to (mostly legally) earn a profit. They aren’t a charity.

Of course! We demand big seats, food, cheap air fare, no one in the middle seat and 747-8 jet service from Visalia, CA to Quartzsite, AZ. :)
 
Anyway, 1500 hour rule gone by summer 2024.
Age 67, maybe... 1500 Hr. rule - not a chance. Let the training pipeline catch up... and once we go around the sun maybe 6-8 more times the 'pilot shortage' will be good for maybe another generation.

The seniority 'stagnation' compared to right now (at the legacies) in the 2030's is gonna be amazing to watch, it's gonna be like the mid 'aught's all over again.

I'm looking forward to be the old guy telling the stories to the kids on my jumpseat, using my wooden fork, whittlin' away at the "so called cheese" from the cheese plate... making chess pieces...

"Now, back in the early part of the century, in '05, you would go to a job fair and stand in line for 3 hours to have five mintues with an AirTran recruiter."

"What's an AirTran you ask?"

"Even crazier than that is people would spend thousands of dollars, which is like $20,000 in today's dollars, to buy a type rating in a 737 just to get your foot in the door."

"No, it didn't guarantee you a job, it didn't even guarantee you an interview..."
 
This is 20+ years later, though. GSP became a real destination place to live - hell, I'd put it on the short list of places to live if we ever decided to leave NoVA, but back then it was kinda sleepy.

Allegiant and Silver both have directs from TPA, have taken both. Really good Belgain place in Greenville. Don't think I would live there, but was definitely a nice place to visit the few times I was there.
 
Allegiant and Silver both have directs from TPA, have taken both. Really good Belgain place in Greenville. Don't think I would live there, but was definitely a nice place to visit the few times I was there.

Trappe Door! I know it well!

I "checked out" the hotel dog, took it for a walk and saw that place.

download.jpg


Fantastic layover.
 
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