UAL Q3 2011 Earnings Conference Call Thread [Discussion, Highlights, etc.]

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Oct 27, 2011, 1:12 pm

#31

Joshua

Join Date: Aug 2001

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Quote:

Originally Posted by entropy

I find it a bit ridiculous that he's whining about the "tax" burden for airlines. Airports aren't free to build, ATC isn't free. Those airports, and infrastructure to build and maintain cost money, so either its the "public" who pays (and doesn't fly) or its the users of infrastructure that should pay. I'm in the camp that the users should pay when possible. (I also think that private aviation, especially private jet aviation needs to pay a lot more when it comes to user fees).

Airports charge PFCs of up to $4.50 for enplanement, flight segment tax of $3.70 per segment plus 7.5% excise tax of base fare funds ATC, and TSA fees are up to $5 each way.

The talk of a $100 tax per takeoff was for the general fund. It is not a user fee.

Oct 27, 2011, 1:52 pm

#32

sbm12

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Join Date: Apr 2001

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Quote:

Originally Posted by FriendlySkies

Recent blog post talked about UA possibly ordering some A321s. Any talk of this? I missed the call, so I'm just about five minutes into it.

Someone asked about the narrow-body order and the response was that it wouldn't be this year at all.

Oct 27, 2011, 3:09 pm

#33

EWR764

Join Date: Jan 2005

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Quote:

Originally Posted by entropy

If the airlines are going to be taxed to such an extent, it would be helpful to see some of those revenues put toward meaningful airspace and ATC reform. We are currently bound to an outmoded, obsolete, overburdened system that dates to the beginning of the Jet Age and results in wasted millions (if not billions) of dollars from additional fuel burn, delays and lost productivity. Meanwhile, the NextGen proposal is anything but, and decades overdue.

I agree that private jet aviation needs to shoulder some more of the burden. It's not fair that commercial air carriers essentially subsidize a system that siphons airline revenues while getting what amounts to a free ride.