Traveling sucks. And it sucks for only one reason. Flying is an enormous pain in the arse. Everything from security, to the ridiculous idea of charging for a single checked bag, to the entirely inefficient operation of the airlines.
Despite the crappy experience you get while flying, airlines still can’t make a profit. To cut costs they squeeze you into tight seats, take away the free snacks, and nickel and dime your luggage. All of these costs are insignificant compared to what they shell out to the bloated unions that still dominate the industry.
I did learn something interesting about airlines. They, in partnership with plane manufactorers, actually study ergonomics and determine the most efficient seating size for comfort that maximizes seating while minimizing complaints. As it turns out this works out to a seat width of something like 16.5 inches. But then they go ahead and order planes with a seat width of 15.25 inches.
Little things like this add up, and so I hate flying simply because it’s a literal and figurative pain in the butt.
Unless you’re willing to pay for first class, you probably hate flying too. I’m convinced that it is possible to make a profit while still maintaining comfort, and I know that I could wring out costs at the same time. I’ll have to get back to you on how.
This wil be my last post from my iPhone. I’m sure you’re as happy as I am about that.
 By The Weakonomist |
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The “bloated unions” are getting the money? I’d have said that the workers are getting the money, but whatever.
I’d put the blame elsewhere–on the capital structure of an airline. When air travel is high, airline profits zoom and small carriers enter the market. But when air travel falls, there’s no way for the airlines to restructure. There’s no one to buy their idled planes. It’s not effective to cut unprofitable routes, because those routes feed passengers in to their profitable routes. Throw in unpredictable spikes and drops in fuel prices and I’m surprised anyone even tries to run an airline
Personally, I’d rather someone saved the passenger rail industry.
Philip Brewer´s last blog ..Frugality, Simplicity, and Sustainability