So most foreign carriers are better.
May 24, 2011, 9:42 am
#16
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May 24, 2011, 10:39 am
#18
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From reports I've read Alitalia and Iberia (I've never flown either), sound like frontline experience nightmares?
May 24, 2011, 11:40 am
#19
Join Date: Mar 2011
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My personal opinion on this matter is I don't think we should have a national airline (gov't run). I wasn't alive during airline regulation. I think deregulation was the only good thing Jimmy Carter did.
I would not want a national airline gov't run and I am gonna get a little political but I believe everytime gov't meddles in our personal affairs or the private sector it just makes things worse, JMHO!!!! I have said this before I believe we should just let a free market work and not have gov't intervention.
I think deregulation has set our country apart in the sense that we have competition and airlines are competing for our business. Yes the pool is getting smaller but there is still competition for the consumer, which IMHO is always a good thing.
I would not want a national airline gov't run and I am gonna get a little political but I believe everytime gov't meddles in our personal affairs or the private sector it just makes things worse, JMHO!!!! I have said this before I believe we should just let a free market work and not have gov't intervention.
I think deregulation has set our country apart in the sense that we have competition and airlines are competing for our business. Yes the pool is getting smaller but there is still competition for the consumer, which IMHO is always a good thing.
as far as airlines, don't think it has to do with it being govt run vs private. it is a hit and miss and really just depends on the people running the business. you can find good and bad examples on both sides of the fence.
May 24, 2011, 3:49 pm
#20
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May 24, 2011, 4:33 pm
#21
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You are cherry picking the better foreign airlines out there. I don't think you'd put EgyptAir, Air China, or Air India on the list, which are the flag carriers of their respective countries but are arguably worse than US carriers.
You might want to consider what would bring the carriers you list down to the US airline level:
- a brutally competitive domestic market in which airlines must strip out any and all extra costs, to the extent they calculate how many olives should be put in their salads
- the burden of buying health insurance for their employees in the world's most overpriced and inefficient health care market, with no end in sight to increasing costs
- a large base of older FAs without pensions or social support, who have to work way beyond normal retirement age, combined with age discrimination laws and unions which prevent dismissal for lack of performance
The US pretty much has transportation suitable to its political and legal reality: bus-like airlines which provide safe, no-frills transportation to the unwashed masses. Anyone who can afford anything better can choose foreign carriers, who can make money with higher standards.
You might want to consider what would bring the carriers you list down to the US airline level:
- a brutally competitive domestic market in which airlines must strip out any and all extra costs, to the extent they calculate how many olives should be put in their salads
- the burden of buying health insurance for their employees in the world's most overpriced and inefficient health care market, with no end in sight to increasing costs
- a large base of older FAs without pensions or social support, who have to work way beyond normal retirement age, combined with age discrimination laws and unions which prevent dismissal for lack of performance
The US pretty much has transportation suitable to its political and legal reality: bus-like airlines which provide safe, no-frills transportation to the unwashed masses. Anyone who can afford anything better can choose foreign carriers, who can make money with higher standards.
If the government ran an airline, I could only imagine the NY Post making jokes about "government cheese" (literally) being served as a snack. Then legislators would demand it fly to every podunk, god forsaken bumble f'ing airport in the country, thus creating a situation such as we have at the federal level: an entity in debt at 400% of its gross revenue.
May 24, 2011, 7:37 pm
#22
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Hey folks I have a question. Since I and I think most of us intentionally book foreign carriers, why not have a nationalized airline? Most quality foreign carriers are government run. Singapore air, Thai, ba, lut, quantas, new zeland, etc. I know Virgin x is private, seriously, what are the thoughts of a nationalized airline?
What are your thoughts? We can have a union and your hire date starts your seniority but your salary is based on your exp. and qualifications.
What are your thoughts? We can have a union and your hire date starts your seniority but your salary is based on your exp. and qualifications.
Lack of competitions means less ways of collecting miles unfortunately..
May 24, 2011, 8:34 pm
#23
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I guess one of the takeaways after 30 years+ of deregulation in the US is that you can't combine a top-level premium service provider and a low cost carrier in the same airline. Since no US carrier can survive without a domestic network, and since domestic routes have to contend with the Southwests and JetBlues out there, every US carrier is forced to adopt some version of the low cost model, to the detriment of providing premium service. We don't expect McDonald's to have a corner in its restaurants with Michelin 3-star level cuisine, why do we expect it from AA/DL/UA?
An airline doesn't have to be government-owned to be "mediocre", if by "mediocre" one means incapable of offering "world-class" service in F competitive with SQ, EK, CX, BA, LH, QF etc. US carriers are world-class if evaluated against their main reason for existence, which is to efficiently provide nearly accident-free, cheap transportation to the largest flying population in the world.
If you could reduce the level of competition in US air travel markets, airlines might generate enough economic profits to permit them to compete on service rather than price. But this is politically unthinkable in the egalitarian and capitalist USA.
An airline doesn't have to be government-owned to be "mediocre", if by "mediocre" one means incapable of offering "world-class" service in F competitive with SQ, EK, CX, BA, LH, QF etc. US carriers are world-class if evaluated against their main reason for existence, which is to efficiently provide nearly accident-free, cheap transportation to the largest flying population in the world.
If you could reduce the level of competition in US air travel markets, airlines might generate enough economic profits to permit them to compete on service rather than price. But this is politically unthinkable in the egalitarian and capitalist USA.
May 25, 2011, 3:26 am
#25
Join Date: Jun 2008
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i'm going to have to stand up for USPS for a government-backed, supposedly revenue neutral company. the service, price and reliability are better than fedex and ups imo, domestic and international for small and medium sized packages. of course, they are losing huge sums of money almost every quarter due to too many government employees sitting around with thumbs in their backsides, as was pointed out earlier.
May 25, 2011, 4:55 am
#26
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It depends on which flights you're talking about. For example, I've been on a number of intra-Europe flights, in both economy and business class, on multiple carriers. Overall, it isn't obvious that the experience is any better in Europe than in U.S. (domestic first or economy). Some things better, some things worse.
If you're talking about inter-continental premium class, then that's another story.
If you're talking about inter-continental premium class, then that's another story.
May 25, 2011, 8:01 am
#27
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You are either on drugs and/or work for the postal service.
Jun 5, 2011, 4:50 am
#28
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: USA
Posts: 53
Hi wrdouglas;
My personal opinion on this matter is I don't think we should have a national airline (gov't run). I wasn't alive during airline regulation. I think deregulation was the only good thing Jimmy Carter did.
I would not want a national airline gov't run and I am gonna get a little political but I believe everytime gov't meddles in our personal affairs or the private sector it just makes things worse, JMHO!!!! I have said this before I believe we should just let a free market work and not have gov't intervention.
I think deregulation has set our country apart in the sense that we have competition and airlines are competing for our business. Yes the pool is getting smaller but there is still competition for the consumer, which IMHO is always a good thing.
Charlie.
P.S. I think this might be in the wrong forum, just saying.
My personal opinion on this matter is I don't think we should have a national airline (gov't run). I wasn't alive during airline regulation. I think deregulation was the only good thing Jimmy Carter did.
I would not want a national airline gov't run and I am gonna get a little political but I believe everytime gov't meddles in our personal affairs or the private sector it just makes things worse, JMHO!!!! I have said this before I believe we should just let a free market work and not have gov't intervention.
I think deregulation has set our country apart in the sense that we have competition and airlines are competing for our business. Yes the pool is getting smaller but there is still competition for the consumer, which IMHO is always a good thing.
Charlie.
P.S. I think this might be in the wrong forum, just saying.
Jun 5, 2011, 6:12 pm
#29
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Jun 5, 2011, 6:16 pm
#30
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It depends on which flights you're talking about. For example, I've been on a number of intra-Europe flights, in both economy and business class, on multiple carriers. Overall, it isn't obvious that the experience is any better in Europe than in U.S. (domestic first or economy). Some things better, some things worse.
If you're talking about inter-continental premium class, then that's another story.
If you're talking about inter-continental premium class, then that's another story.