Jim,

Thanks for the insights/musings about ASMs/CASMs and weight/fuel factors etc. Commercial aviation is one hell of a jig saw puzzle to put together and operate smoothly ( and of course we know that the "smoothly" part often doesn't happen as weather, ATC holds, mechanical and other issues can pop up at any moment turning order into chaos ).

Given the general state of commeicial aviation, it looks like all carriers have their hands full trying to develop a winning strategy on a playing field which never holds still.

I think that if I had not gone into the medical field where I give anesthesia, that given what I know now, I'd take a shot at aviation as it's a fascinating and challenging field -- but like my present job, it's all about logic, algorithms, patience, and luck.

In your case, you had one of the neat jobs with a beautiful view.

Barry