Jan 27
Airlines suffered record drop in traffic in 2009.
Freight also fell, by 10.1 percent, as "full-year 2009 demand statistics for international scheduled air traffic that showed the industry ending 2009 with the largest ever post-war decline," IATA said in a statement.
Hmmm… let’s see… 2009 is easily the least flying I’ve done in my adult life. I took just one flight in 2009.
- Security was a hassle. I was ‘selected’ for special searching on both legs of the flight. Meanwhile, I’m sure they let the Muslims through the express lane of security.
- Delta charged me almost as much for my bags as for my airline ticket.
Even if I do fly in 2010, it won’t be with them. - Internet was cool on the plane outbound. But not available on the return plane. Too bad I’d paid for a round trip Internet pass.
- My luggage was stolen. Nobody was arrested but they think it was an “inside” job.
- Rental car locations seemed to be in the next county. And why does it take 1/2 an hour to get me my car? At a name brand rental place…
My son and I have extensive travel plans in the coming year to attend National and sectional shooting matches. We won’t be flying.
January 28th, 2010 at 6:36 am
We would prefer a continuing free lunch on flying? The era of deregulation expansion and incentives is over. Since the airlines are losing big money, the alternative to going out of business is charging the customers something approaching the real cost. It’s the same squeeze as in health care. One of the contributors to the debts of governments is the massive airport expansions and modernizations to accommodate the huge increase in travelers responding to cheap fares.Flying from Baltimore or Newark or Dallas, for example, in the 21st century is a far different experience than in the 1970s. Now that the expansion infrastructure is in place, a recession at least temporarily cut the paying customers which moved the airlines way below the profit line. Then the security costs after 9/11 worsened many aspects of flying and the airlines cost of operations. Someone – the customer and the taxpayer – must pay to play.
BTW: you didn’t notice that you had to buy any meals at the airports?
If you have a good solution, I’m sure the airlines would like to hear it.
January 28th, 2010 at 7:33 am
They should ask Southwest.
Still cheap, still friendly.
The airlines have only themselves to blame. In good times they hooked up with unions, now they die together.