Lou Dobbs On Airlines...

[USAirUnited]

While everyone but Washington policymakers and regulators is watching, the entire airline industry in this country is on the verge of an outright collapse.

Link to USNews.com

 

[zonecontroller]

corrected link

 

[Justair]

Bush is an oilman not an airline man.

Expect more of the same.

 

[oldiebutgoody]

Gee I wonder who Lou meant in this quote:

"Re-regulation may not be the best solution, but so long as we insist on propping up failed carriers through bankruptcy protection and government bailouts, it is the only solution available."

Hmmm. I can think of two majors this could apply to!

 

[elmerfishpaw]

Gee I wonder who Lou meant in this quote:

"Re-regulation may not be the best solution, but so long as we insist on propping up failed carriers through bankruptcy protection and government bailouts, it is the only solution available."

Hmmm. I can think of two majors this could apply to!

[post="205096"][/post]​

Yep, USAirways and United!

 

[Fly]

Of course, had the government not given the nod all these years to LCC's that should never have made it, would the legacies (United and USAirways in particular) be in this position? The legacies have been held down, beaten until bloody, and were denied their right to flex their muscles. No wonder the airlines are in shambles. To give aid to some, but not to all, is a major reason we are in the mess you see. The government should take an all or nothing approach to avaiation, let the chips fall where they may. But, because of these BK laws, other airlines are in great shape (Continental comes to mind) and others are in trouble. Can't have it both ways......now United and USAirways get to abuse the bk laws and there is nothing anyone can or should be able to do about it.

 

[oldiebutgoody]

There's no doubt that the present policy toward the airline is only causing the airlines to "cycle", that is, as they mature they get replaced by newer carriers. All this does is ruin any stability that exists in an already unstable industry. This will, if it hasn't already, ruin the industry which in turn will weaken the industrial base and many other industries in the US. The idea of deregulation is fairly sound, but it requires complete deregulation, not regulation of some aspects and none of others. Then, after you factor in idiotic business decisions, like massive quanitities of small aircraft in the eastern corridor when the exact opposite is needed, UAIR and UAL are BOTH doomed for failure. I don't fault Bronner for trying to make UAIR work, I fault him for NOT doing his homework and not placing REAL airline folks on the BOD, rather than investment bankers and such, who are largely to blame for some of the idiotic moves UAIR has made in the last couple of years. It seems to me that the most ingenious thing that Bronner has been able to do is the reinterpretation of bankruptcy laws and the RLA, and this has occurred largely because of the dire situation this industry is in. In better times I don't think it would be happening.

 

[N924PS]

Yep, USAirways and United!

[post="205102"][/post]​

And close behind, Delta, Continental, American, and Northwest.

In the meantime, folks that don't blink about filling up their SUV's with gas at over $2/gal while drinking a cup of Starbuck's best at $3.50/cup will flinch at the smallest increase in the price of an airline ticket to cover increased fuel costs.

 

[goingboeing]

And close behind, Delta, Continental, American, and Northwest.

In the meantime, folks that don't blink about filling up their SUV's with gas at over $2/gal while drinking a cup of Starbuck's best at $3.50/cup will flinch at the smallest increase in the price of an airline ticket to cover increased fuel costs.

[post="205119"][/post]​

You are exactly correct!

 

[vc10]

Dobbs is ignorant. If one big airline collapses, all the others will have a party. There's no way the entire industry collapses short of another 9/11 event.

corrected link

[post="205089"][/post]​