SWA pulling out of four cities

[killbilly]

If the primary purpose of these businesses was truly to turn a profit, then we’d let them fail when they don’t. But explicitly or not, we all recognize that they play a way bigger role in society than making a profit for their shareholders. That’s not a bad thing, but we should just openly admit it and they should be run and regulated with that in mind.

I'm not sure what argument you're making here. What is it you want openly admitted? That "we" think Boeing should be nationalized? The "run and regulated" part of your last sentence is confusing to me.

 

[knot4u]

I'm not sure what argument you're making here. What is it you want openly admitted? That "we" think Boeing should be nationalized? The "run and regulated" part of your last sentence is confusing to me.

He thinks people are dumb and the government is smart.

 

[Cherokee_Cruiser]

God forbid this Starliner launch in May goes awry and we lose two brave astronauts.

Boeing will never recover.

They bought their tickets. They knew what they were getting into.

 

[Crockrocket94]

If anyone ever saw the gates we used in IAH, you could see why they would want to leave that place.

 

[///AMG]

Last time I flew UAL through IAH, I swore I would never spend another dollar on their brand. A couple years later, I gave in on my promise to never fly that airline again. But through DEN. Totally great service. Houston is a trash bin. Literally the worst customer service city in the entire world. Laziest people and culture I've ever encountered anywhere. I'd stretch that statement to the entire state of TX, but there are some pretty good small town eateries where the service is still great.....not at the airports though....NOT AT THE AIRPORTS

 

[ASpilot2be]

Last time I flew UAL through IAH, I swore I would never spend another dollar on their brand. A couple years later, I gave in on my promise to never fly that airline again. But through DEN. Totally great service. Houston is a trash bin. Literally the worst customer service city in the entire world. Laziest people and culture I've ever encountered anywhere. I'd stretch that statement to the entire state of TX, but there are some pretty good small town eateries where the service is still great.....not at the airports though....NOT AT THE AIRPORTS

I try to avoid United. No matter the hub.

 

[///AMG]

I try to avoid United. No matter the hub.

Well technically, I avoid all other airlines most of the time. Not trying to buy ID90 or ZED fares if I don't have to. Just put it on my taxes please. Though no thanks for the taxes

 

[ASpilot2be]

Well technically, I avoid all other airlines most of the time. Not trying to buy ID90 or ZED fares if I don't have to.

That's fair. I try to keep my business to Alaska when I can. Just hit gold for the year.

 

[Skåning]

Houston is a trash bin. Literally the worst customer service city in the entire world.

Laughs in Continental's Newark hub

 

[Skåning]

That's fair. I try to keep my business to Alaska when I can. Just hit gold for the year.

Thanks for your business, but you have no taste

 

[ASpilot2be]

Thanks for your business, but you have no taste

The mileage plan is the best. My miles go further for traveling.

 

[Skåning]

The mileage plan is the best. My miles go further for traveling.

If you want a buddy pass just ask!

 

[mikecweb]

Last time I flew UAL through IAH, I swore I would never spend another dollar on their brand. A couple years later, I gave in on my promise to never fly that airline again. But through DEN. Totally great service. Houston is a trash bin. Literally the worst customer service city in the entire world. Laziest people and culture I've ever encountered anywhere. I'd stretch that statement to the entire state of TX, but there are some pretty good small town eateries where the service is still great.....not at the airports though....NOT AT THE AIRPORTS

Tell me you haven't been to Memphis without telling me you haven't been to Memphis.

 

[roundout]

If anyone ever saw the gates we used in IAH, you could see why they would want to leave that place.

Next door to Mesa

 

[Boris Badenov]

He thinks people are dumb and the government is smart.

It seemed more like "he thinks the airlines are functionally infrastructure at this point" to me. Which, for better or worse, is kind of hard to argue with a $54 billion-with-a-b bailout in the extremely recent past.

 

[Richman]

Tell me you haven't been to Memphis without telling me you haven't been to Memphis.

The old terminal in MEM got a pass because of the perpetual BBQ marination that greeted you as they cracked the cabin door. It served to tingle the sensations, whet the appetite and ready you for Corkeys or Interstate.

MEM without that seems sad.

 

[Roger Roger]

I'm not sure what argument you're making here. What is it you want openly admitted? That "we" think Boeing should be nationalized? The "run and regulated" part of your last sentence is confusing to me.

Absolutely, if the major airlines and Boeing are so important to the national economy and in Boeings case, national defense, that we won’t allow the normal rules of capitalism to apply to them, then my preferred course of action would be to nationalize them and run them as infrastructure. If not that, then at least something akin to re-regulation where they don’t get to, say, start/end service, make big staff cuts, etc without regulatory approval. Oh, and labor unions would get seats on the board of directors and ownership stakes. So in the end sure, they’re allowed to turn a profit, but making money every single quarter is no longer the guiding star.

I know it’s unrealistic, but you did ask.

Of course I also think any airline route under about 500 miles should be replaced with a nationalized high speed rail service so that’s another unpopular opinion

 

[Roger Roger]

Of course another permissible alternative would be anti-trust regulations with teeth so that no company can ever be allowed to become too big to fail.

 

[Richman]

Of course another permissible alternative would be anti-trust regulations with teeth so that no company can ever be allowed to become too big to fail.

Unfortunately that has the side effect of many small competitors who are so cut-throat, nothing ever gets done and no one ever moves up the tech tree.

Look at AT&T. They had government sanctioned immunity, but because of that, they had money to burn on "big science", and invented trivial things like the transistor and the laser. Bell Labs, at one point, was the pre-eminent facility of its kind in the entire world.

You don't get there with a 2-3% margin.

The trade off is they, or their proxies, were required to provide phone service to practically the entire continent to whoever asked, at a reasonable, but not rock bottom price, including places that barely had electricity.

Airline regulation is sort of the same thing. The folks who started the whole thing knew that the current state of the industry in the 20's-30's, marginal operators barely scratching out to break even would never advance the cause. Regulation prevented wanton competition, keep fares and margins high, advance the cause of the industry. In return, they had to serve every crossroads that had an open field.

I suspect this will repeat itself when we get into no-kidding space transport.

 

[Boris Badenov]

Unfortunately that has the side effect of many small competitors who are so cut-throat, nothing ever gets done and no one ever moves up the tech tree.

There are other ways to deal with this, though. No one is suggesting that, for example, the government shouldn't sign contracts with these competitors, even massive contracts. With, of course, severe and strict oversight.