Article

2017-04-12 Economy

Author blames airline industry mergers for dodgy customer service

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Besoeker 2017-04-12 02:36|| || Front Page|| [6 views ] Top

#1 Why I hate to fly. The airlines and their govmint overlords have ruined the airline industry for passengers. High-priced tickets and expensive add-on services to only be abused with herding mentality, oversold seats and often surly TSA screeners. It seems like there would be a good market for a private airline that circumvented all the BS, was secure and treated passengers with a little respect. It could be called Concierge Airlines.

Posted by JohnQC 2017-04-12 09:15|| 2017-04-12 09:15|| Front Page Top

#2 Is this anyway to run a bus company? As long as people are willing to be treated as cattle, it makes my driving easier on the interstate, except I75 in Florida which always seems to be like a WWII bomber formation from I10 to the Turnpike.

Posted by Procopius2k 2017-04-12 09:32|| 2017-04-12 09:32|| Front Page Top

#3 In other words:

"We don't care! We don't have to! We're the ~~phone compay~~ airlines!"

Posted by CrazyFool 2017-04-12 09:34|| 2017-04-12 09:34|| Front Page Top

#4 Eh, I flew a lot in the 1980s and the experience was pretty awful back then as well. From the moment airlines decided to be the Greyhound of the Skies it was destined to be a less than awesome experience.

The Concierge Airlines idea might actually be a good one as an alternative for those willing to pay for the privilege of being treated well and provided on-time flight service.

Posted by Crusader 2017-04-12 10:50|| 2017-04-12 10:50|| Front Page Top

#5 Back in the 90s I read an article in Popular Science about the coming revolution in Air Travel. New navigation and fly by wire techniques were going to create a new generation of cheaper small planes that would allow direct flights between small airports instead of the hub system. Instead of planes acting like buses they would be more like limo-buses or limos. They mentioned that instead of buying tickets folks could be buying a time-share in a plane. Sounded pretty good.

I assume the tech didn't pay out or Sept 11 screwed it up (feds not wanting tons of little planes flying everywhere).

Posted by rjschwarz 2017-04-12 11:30|| 2017-04-12 11:30|| Front Page Top

#6 rjschwarz - There is one company (that I can think o)f that did go this route. It's called NetJets but it probably too pricey for the average bear.

Posted by warthogswife 2017-04-12 16:49|| 2017-04-12 16:49|| Front Page Top

22:51 Zenobia Floger6220
22:43 trailing wife
22:33 trailing wife
22:32 trailing wife
21:10 Alaska Paul
19:58 Rex Mundi
19:55 swksvolFF
19:03 gorb
18:29 Dale
17:53 Zenobia Floger6220
17:46 gorb
17:46 gorb
17:44 Procopius2k
17:24 DarthVader
17:20 Crusader
17:17 Besoeker
17:01 Crusader
16:49 warthogswife
16:32 rjschwarz
16:30 AlmostAnonymous5839
16:30 DarthVader
16:29 magpie
16:28 Glenmore
16:25 magpie