September 4, 201014 yr Maybe this is starting to make sense? People that live within 100 mi. of an airport get there by rail? Otherwise truboprop?
September 4, 201014 yr ^more likely that if people can't afford to drive 100 miles to the nearest airport, they just won't take the trip to Europe. Most small towns are emptying out in favor of suburban areas attached to the big metropolitan areas anyway. 2001 or thereabouts was the first year that airline passenger traffic declined, going all the way back to the beginning of the airlines. The 911 event scared some passengers off, but the airline industry was already hurting. We may be past the point of no return - the ultimate peak.
October 22, 201014 yr This is a real eye-opener.... Secrets pilots won't tell youBy A. Pawlowski, CNN (CNN) -- You hear their voices over the airplane speakers and you sometimes catch a glimpse of them as they inspect a plane before departure, but for the most part airline pilots remain a mystery. Regal in their uniforms, locked in the cockpit, you know your life is in their hands -- but what are their lives really like these days? Not so glamorous and often grueling, it turns out. Reader's Digest asked 17 pilots from major airlines and regional carriers to divulge some of the realities of their jobs, and many of the comments are chilling. "The truth is, we're exhausted. Our work rules allow us to be on duty 16 hours without a break. That's many more hours than a truck driver. And unlike a truck driver, who can pull over at the next rest stop, we can't pull over at the next cloud," a captain at a major airline told the magazine. Full story at: http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/10/21/pilot.secrets/index.html?hpt=C2
October 22, 201014 yr As ColDayMan would say: oy! "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 22, 201014 yr Yeah....the minimal fuel thing is a lovely thought when you're at 37,000 feet> :wtf:
October 22, 201014 yr Yeah....the minimal fuel thing is a lovely thought when you're at 37,000 feet> :wtf: Oh, PUHLEEEEZ..... This is very routine.... You carry enough fuel to get to your destination PLUS a reserve to get you to an alternate should the destination be socked-in. For instance, out of say ATL, we carry enough fuel to get us to JFK with the reserve. Why? Because we have fuel at JFK for the return. If we're flying to CMH from ATL, we would usually carry enough fuel for the entire turn back to ATL. Why? It's cheaper. Don't forget, you have to burn fuel to carry fuel. Fuel weighs over 6lbs per gallon. In fact, we measure fuel in pounds and our range is calculated in time not miles... As for some of the other items on the list, all I have to say is LOL
October 25, 201014 yr ^If it wasn't a problem the pilot in the article wouldn't have mentioned it. The article NEVER said that this was a problem. It simply lists it a something your pilot won;t tell you. However, your pilot WILL certainly tell you when you stop for fuel in Philly on flight from atlanta to new york lol. I know I do.
February 16, 201114 yr latimes.com 787 Dreamliner teaches Boeing costly lesson on outsourcing The airliner is billions of dollars over budget and about three years late. Much of the blame belongs to the company's farming out work to suppliers around the nation and in foreign countries. Michael Hiltzik 2:16 PM PST, February 15, 2011 The biggest mistake people make when talking about the outsourcing of U.S. jobs by U.S. companies is to treat it as a moral issue. Sure, it's immoral to abandon your loyal American workers in search of cheap labor overseas. But the real problem with outsourcing, if you don't think it through, is that it can wreck your business and cost you a bundle. Case in point: Boeing Co. and its 787 Dreamliner. Full story at: latimes.com/business/la-fi-hiltzik-20110215,0,442445.column
February 22, 201114 yr latimes.com 787 Dreamliner teaches Boeing costly lesson on outsourcing The airliner is billions of dollars over budget and about three years late. Much of the blame belongs to the company's farming out work to suppliers around the nation and in foreign countries. Michael Hiltzik 2:16 PM PST, February 15, 2011 The biggest mistake people make when talking about the outsourcing of U.S. jobs by U.S. companies is to treat it as a moral issue. Sure, it's immoral to abandon your loyal American workers in search of cheap labor overseas. But the real problem with outsourcing, if you don't think it through, is that it can wreck your business and cost you a bundle. Case in point: Boeing Co. and its 787 Dreamliner. Full story at: latimes.com/business/la-fi-hiltzik-20110215,0,442445.column It's much more complicated than the article implies: While recent delays are due to outsourcing, most of the original delays were due to events at Everett. First, the composite designs were "unstable" leading to fractures in the wing. Then there was the strike. That ate up about 2 years of the initial launch. Boeing killed the ambitious schedule before China ever did. It behoves Boeing to blame it on outsourcing. All Nippon Airways (ANA) has been waiting, fairly patiently, for the 787 for four years. Now they're not so patient. Boeing management didn't mention Japan as one of the "evil" outsourcing countries partly due to the fact that it's initial customer is a Japanese airline. It feels like Boeing is doing a bit of spin for the U.S. media in order to pass blame and play on some nationalist feelings. Also, EADS (Airbus) does most of it's work in five Western European countries yet has had loads of cost overruns and project delays just like Boeing. The A380 was an electrical engineering disaster and the components were not made by low-wage workers in the Far East they were made by high-wage workers in France and Germany. Boeing needs to tread carefully on how far they blame outsourcing: Brazil, Canada, Western Europe and Japan are all making quality commercial aircraft. China will probably be added to that list by the end of the decade. Competition will only make it harder for any airline to keep all components in house.
April 21, 201114 yr Meanwhile Amtrak has all of its usable locomotives and railcars out on the rails to meet demand.... Bigger loss for United Continental as fuel cost jumps April 21, 2011 (AP) — United Continental Holdings Inc. lost $213 million during the first quarter, as a much larger fuel bill offset gains from fare increases. The company's fuel costs rose 26.5 percent to $2.67 billion, as revenue increased 10.8 percent to $8.2 billion compared to a year earlier. United and other airlines have been raising fares to offset climbing fuel costs. United has also dropped growth plans for the year. After adding a small amount of flying capacity in the first quarter, it said it would reduce flying by 1 percentage point starting in May, the beginning of the busy summer travel season. It will cut flying by 4 percentage points in September, traditionally a slightly slower time of year for airlines. READ MORE AT: http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20110421/NEWS10/110429980/bigger-loss-for-united-continental-as-fuel-cost-jumps "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 22, 201114 yr Upgrading our rail infrastructure is going to have to be the way to be. At some point even frequent fliers will get fed up with the fee increases, delays, cramped quarters as well as being nickel and dimed for everything except breathing the air!
April 26, 201114 yr Which airline will survive the high fuel prices? I think all cheap fairs are on their way out the door.
May 5, 201114 yr May 2, 2011 Wrath for Airlines as Airports Face Their Own Problems By JOE SHARKEY New York Times TUCSON AIRPORTS, I always say, are the only aspect of air travel that has improved markedly over the last decade. But as I quickly found out here on Monday, at the annual conference of domestic airport executives sponsored by the Airports Council International-North America, airports are worried about uncertain federal aid. The long-delayed Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill continues to languish in Congress as lawmakers argue about how much money to cut. In opening remarks at the conference, Catherine Lang, the F.A.A.’s deputy associate administrator for airports, said she worried about the prospect of “half-built runway projects and half-built terminals,” as well as cuts in inspection efforts and other basic services. Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/business/03road.html
October 3, 201113 yr 'Pan Am' show recalls happier airtime Heyday of air travel has taken off, unlikely to return Jon Hilkevitch's Getting Around October 3, 2011 Airline passengers are enjoying the safest period in commercial aviation. But as the new television show "Pan Am" reminds us, there is little else to enjoy about flying these days and no reason to believe happier times will return. Security pat-downs, baggage fees, overbooked flights and fears of deep vein thrombosis caused by airlines cramming too many seats on to planes could not even have been imagined back in the golden age of air travel in the 1960s. That era is depicted on the ABC-TV series about the jet-setting lifestyles of stewardesses, as they were called then, the pilots flying Boeing 707s between New York, London and Paris and the elegant clientele (less than 10 percent of the U.S. population) they served. As opposed to today's slimmed-down seats and the fees some airlines charge to carry on bags or to get a cup of water, I can vividly recall the salad days of commercial aviation: When full meals were served, even in coach; passengers strolled around planes and visited on sofas; and booze was free-flowing (although I was too young to imbibe). A few years later, spiral staircases led up to piano lounges on the upper deck of Boeing 747s. Read more at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/traffic/ct-met-getting-around-1003-20111003,0,1360956.column
November 28, 201113 yr Wonder what impact this might have on Ohio's airports? Airlines phase out small jets, leaving some towns without service; 1 airport says take a bus By Associated Press, Published: November 25 MINNEAPOLIS — The little planes that connect America’s small cities to the rest of the world are slowly being phased out. Airlines are getting rid of these planes — their least-efficient — in response to the high cost of fuel. Delta, United Continental, and other big airlines are expected to park, scrap or sell hundreds of jets with 50 seats or fewer in coming years. Small propeller planes are meeting the same fate. The loss of those planes is leaving some little cities with fewer flights or no flights at all. READ MORE AT: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/airlines-phase-out-small-jets-leaving-some-towns-without-service-1-airport-says-take-a-bus/2011/11/25/gIQAdsYMwN_story.html "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 28, 201113 yr Wonder what impact this might have on Ohio's airports? Airlines phase out small jets, leaving some towns without service; 1 airport says take a bus By Associated Press, Published: November 25 MINNEAPOLIS — The little planes that connect America’s small cities to the rest of the world are slowly being phased out. Airlines are getting rid of these planes — their least-efficient — in response to the high cost of fuel. Delta, United Continental, and other big airlines are expected to park, scrap or sell hundreds of jets with 50 seats or fewer in coming years. Small propeller planes are meeting the same fate. The loss of those planes is leaving some little cities with fewer flights or no flights at all. READ MORE AT: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/airlines-phase-out-small-jets-leaving-some-towns-without-service-1-airport-says-take-a-bus/2011/11/25/gIQAdsYMwN_story.html Start with airport-to-airport bus service. Later, convert to high-speed rail.
November 29, 201113 yr Many airlines are about to place turboprop oders to replace some of these jets. Realistically "propjets" are the right equipment on flights under 400 miles. This is because they operate efficiently at lower altitudes, savin time and fuel and can carry more baggage/cargo along with t full pax contingent. They also use far less runway and utilize more direct approach paths to the airport. Jets operate very inefficiently beow 20,000 feet. And on a short flight you won't climb that high anyway. As for speed, on the short jet flights at low altitude, you are not flying any faster than a propjet anyway. So in the short run you may service curtailed to some cities, but if the yield is there, with turboprops, you may see some service eventually restored. By the way, a turboprop is a gas turbine that turns a propeller
November 29, 201113 yr My sister just flew back to CLE from IAD on a Bombardier A400 twin turboprop. She did not like it. She said it was loud and a rough flight. Not sure if they were able to fly above the weather but a woman near the front of the plane got sick and didn't make it to the bathroom in time. No one was able to exit the plane at CLE until the aisle was cleaned of vomit. For some reason that took 20 minutes. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 29, 201113 yr Good grief, they have bags for a reason. Turbo-Props are irritatingly noisy, I recommend ear plugs and a book or magazines.
November 29, 201113 yr My sister said she was a younger woman in her 20s, so she was probably too embarrassed to use the air-sickness bags. But I suspect after this experience she'll probably use them in the future, or not wait to use the bathroom. Anyway, a friend just sent this to me..... What are your rights when you fly? By George Hobica, Airfarewatchdog.com There's the Bill of Rights, and Thomas Paine's Rights of Man, and the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But what about your "rights" when you fly? Do you have any, really? What recourse do you have when something goes bump in the flight? You might be surprised to learn that even though the U.S. D.O.T. has recently announced some new passenger regulations, there are probably fewer than you think, and your rights vary depending on the country you're flying within or from. Here's a rundown. READ MORE AT: http://travel.usatoday.com/experts/hobica/story/2011-11-29/What-are-your-rights-when-you-fly/51446562/1 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 30, 201113 yr Good grief, they have bags for a reason. Turbo-Props are irritatingly noisy, I recommend ear plugs and a book or magazines. Jets can be quite noisy also, depending on where you sit. Ever sit in the rear of a DC-9 or 727 or heaven forbid a BAC-111? Now since I know that all of you on here are "Green" and environmentally conscious, you may want to change your opinions of turboprops. Less fuel. Greater lift. Less harmful emissions in the upper atmosphere (since they don't fly at those altitudes). Less emissions overall. Quieter noise footprint for those living around airports. Simpler approach and departure profiles saving time and more fuel. Even as late as the early '70's airlines operated mainline turboprops. United's Viscounts. American's, Eastern's and Northwest's Electra II. Air Canada's Viscounts and Vanguards. In the 1980's Douglas experimented with putting a modified turboprop on it's MD-80 series. The engins were still rear-mounted, but the engine turned a pusher type "prop-fan".
November 30, 201113 yr I don't actively avoid Turbo-Props. Whatever gets me there when I need/want to get there for as cheap and with as few transfers as possible. For me the noise frequency pattern coming off a prop versus a jet is enough to rank as an increased annoyance.
November 30, 201113 yr Jets can be quite noisy also, depending on where you sit. Ever sit in the rear of a DC-9 or 727 or heaven forbid a BAC-111? Yes, on two out of the three. But I barely remember what it was like as the last DC-9 I flew on was about 18 years ago. And I think I flew on a 727 when I was 12 in 1979.... Point being is most of those planes are sitting out in a desert these days. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 11, 201113 yr BTW, with airlines consolidating their flights (especially international ones) at fewer hubs, a few of us on another discussion forum dreamed up an idea. The discussion was motivated by this article.... http://www.npr.org/2011/12/09/143306035/when-airlines-depart-cities-businesses-may-follow We would replace Cleveland Hopkins, Akron-Cantion Regional, and Pittsburgh International with a super-regional airport at Youngstown-Vienna offering a greater critical mass of flights to more American destinations, plus many European cities and perhaps even Oriental destinations. Then we would link this super-airport by high-speed rail to suburban and downtown stations in Cleveland and Pittsburgh offering flight check-in and baggage claim. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 11, 201113 yr BTW, with airlines consolidating their flights (especially international ones) at fewer hubs, a few of us on another discussion forum dreamed up an idea. The discussion was motivated by this article.... http://www.npr.org/2011/12/09/143306035/when-airlines-depart-cities-businesses-may-follow We would replace Cleveland Hopkins, Akron-Cantion Regional, and Pittsburgh International with a super-regional airport at Youngstown-Vienna offering a greater critical mass of flights to more American destinations, plus many European cities and perhaps even Oriental destinations. Then we would link this super-airport by high-speed rail to suburban and downtown stations in Cleveland and Pittsburgh offering flight check-in and baggage claim. Oriental? KJP, I know you didn't mean any harm, but Asian or Far East are better terms for this. ;)
December 11, 201113 yr I don't use the word, but I didn't know the PC police had extended that taboo from people to places.
December 12, 201113 yr I don't use the word, but I didn't know the PC police had extended that taboo from people to places. Off topic but Oriental is a type of furniture. And calling someone of Asian heritage "oriental" can be seen as offensive.
December 12, 201113 yr I don't use the word, but I didn't know the PC police had extended that taboo from people to places. Off topic but Oriental is a type of furniture. And calling someone of Asian heritage "oriental" can be seen as offensive. Yes, I knew that about people, but not places. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orient http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orient#American_English Okay, so Airline Industry Woes...
December 12, 201113 yr Yes, can we get back on topic to more meaningful discussions. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 15, 201113 yr Like this entertaining article, with the great quote in bold below..... Why the Economics of the Airline Industry are Hopeless DECEMBER 8, 2011 BY MARTIN HUTCHINSON American Airlines (NYSE:AMR) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Nov. 28, and the move reinforced once again what many have learned the hard way: The airline industry is an incredibly disappointing investment. Previous airline flops like this prompted an old saying - possibly untrue - remarking that the airline industry has lost money since the Wright Brothers first flew. They've also inspired tall tales of time-traveling bankers from the future having been seen at Kitty Hawk on Dec. 14, 1903 trying to shoot down Wilbur Wright and prevent the whole economic disaster from taking place. Yet, investors keep putting money into these operations. READ MORE AT: http://equityjungle.com/2011/12/08/why-the-economics-of-the-airline-industry-are-hopeless/ "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 15, 201113 yr Out of context of making money off of owning airlines I thought this one was funny too. "It would probably make sense for airports to pay landing fees to airlines, rather than the other way around as is currently the case."
December 21, 201113 yr Good story on NPR about the "joys" of flying :roll: Why Do Americans Bother To Fly Over The Holidays? December 21, 2011 Morning Edition Airline travel has become unpleasant — what with long lines and numerous fees. Linda Wertheimer talks to Seth Kaplan of Airline Weekly about the business behind air travel, airlines and airfare. Listen to story at: http://www.npr.org/2011/12/21/144055065/why-do-americans-bother-to-fly-over-the-holidays
December 27, 201113 yr On the Road Airlines Are Retrenching, and Alternatives Are Slim By JOE SHARKEY Published: December 26, 2011 The coming year will be a time of reckoning in business travel, as airlines reduce service at many airports and prospects fade for practical alternatives to flying, including the long-term promises of high-speed rail... Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/27/business/airlines-are-retrenching-and-alternatives-are-slim.html?_r=2&ref=todayspaper
December 27, 201113 yr Looks like telecommunications is going to have to evolve even faster. Perhaps some kind of tablet-virtual reality system is the next step.
March 9, 201213 yr FAA says airfares may continue to fly high this decade By JOAN LOWY | Published: March 9, 2012 2 WASHINGTON — Airfares are likely to stay high this decade, as passenger travel grows but airline capacity shrinks, according to a government forecast issued Thursday. In its annual economic analysis, the Federal Aviation Administration predicted more airline mergers and consolidation will shrink the number of cities served and the number of flights available in the U.S. air travel network. Travelers won't get much relief until airlines start getting more competition. The combination of modestly increasing demand and shrinking capacity in the near term means planes, already more than 80 percent full, will get slightly more full and remain that way the next 20 years, the agency said. READ MORE AT: http://newsok.com/faa-forecasts-airfares-will-continue-to-soar-this-decade/article/3655861 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 30, 201213 yr Numerous links are imbedded in the original press release at: http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/2012/bts021_12/html/bts021_12.html BTS Releases 4th-Quarter 2011 Air Fare Data 4th-Quarter Domestic Air Fares Rose 10% from 4th Quarter 2010 Top 100 Airports: Highest Fares at Cincinnati, Lowest Fares at Atlantic City Domestic Air FaresAverage domestic air fares rose to $368 in the fourth quarter of 2011, up 10 percent from the average fare of $335 in the fourth quarter of 2010 (Table 1), the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today. Cincinnati had the highest average fare, $502, while Atlantic City, NJ, had the lowest, $189 (Table 3). Fourth-quarter fares increased 2.1 percent from the third quarter (Table 2). Quarter-to-quarter changes may be affected by seasonal factors. BTS, a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reports average fares based on domestic itinerary fares. Itinerary fares consist of round-trip fares unless the customer does not purchase a return trip. In that case, the one-way fare is included. Fares are based on the total ticket value which consists of the price charged by the airlines plus any additional taxes and fees levied by an outside entity at the time of purchase. Fares include only the price paid at the time of the ticket purchase and do not include other fees, such as baggage fees, paid at the airport or onboard the aircraft. Averages do not include frequent-flyer or “zero fares” or a few abnormally high reported fares. When not adjusted for inflation, the $368 fourth-quarter 2011 average fares were up 6.6 percent from the previous fourth-quarter high of $345 in 2008. Unadjusted fourth-quarter fares dropped to $320 in 2009 during the recession. Fourth-quarter 2011 fares were up 15.2 percent from 2009, not adjusted for inflation. They were also up 23.9 percent from the post 9/11 low of $297 in 2004 (Table 6). Fourth-quarter 2011 fares, not adjusted for inflation, were the second highest of any quarter, exceeded only by the high of $370 in the second quarter of 2011. Adjusted for inflation, fourth-quarter 2011 fares in 1995 dollars were $251, down 16.3 percent from the fourth quarter of 2000, which, at $300, was the inflation-adjusted high for any fourth quarter since 1995 (Table 1). BTS air fare records begin in 1995. See BTS Air Fare web page for historic data. Average fares for the full year in 2011 were the highest on record at $364, up 8.3 percent from 2010. The 2011 fares were up 5.2 percent from 2008, which at $346 was previously the highest year on record since 1995, not adjusted for inflation. Adjusting for inflation in 1995 dollars, fares in 2011 averaged $247, up 4.9 percent from 2010 but down 17.6 percent from the inflation-adjusted high of $300 in 2000. See Annual Fares . Passenger airlines collected 71.4 percent of their total revenue from passenger fares during the third quarter of 2011, the most recent quarter available (Table 1A). Air fares in the fourth quarter of 2011 increased 8.3 percent from the fourth quarter of 2000, not adjusted for inflation, compared to an overall increase in consumer prices of 29.7 percent during that period. In the 16 years from 1995, the first year of BTS air fare records, air fares rose 28 percent compared to a 47 percent inflation rate (Table 6). The average inflation-adjusted fourth-quarter 2011 fare in 1995 dollars was $251 compared to $288 in 1995 and $300 in 2000 (Table 1). See Tables 3-5 for data about the top 100 airports based on 2010 originating passengers. Table 3: Five highest and five lowest average fares in the fourth quarter: Cincinnati, a market with a high representation of business travelers, had the highest average fare, $502, while Atlantic City, a leisure-dominated market, had the lowest, $189. For the Top 100 Airports, see Table 8 on the BTS website. Table 4: Five largest increases and five largest decreases from the fourth quarter of 2010 to the fourth quarter of 2011: Fort Myers, FL, had the largest increase, 26.4 percent, and Charleston, SC, had the largest decrease, 8.3 percent. For the Top 100 Airports, see Table 9 on the BTS website. Table 5: Five largest increases and five largest decreases from the fourth quarter of 2000 to the fourth quarter of 2011: Burbank/Glendale/Pasadena, CA, had the largest increase, 59.1 percent, and White Plains, NY, had the largest decrease, 34.9 percent. For the Top 100 Airports, see Table 10 on the BTS website. For additional data, see Top 100 Airports , Rankings or All Airports . Since average fares are based on the Origin and Destination Survey 10 percent ticket sample, averages for airports with smaller samples may be less reliable. Fares for Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico airports are not included in rankings but are available on the web page. First-quarter 2012 average fare data will be released on July 26. Table 1: 4th Quarter Average Fares 1995-2011 Compared to Inflation Rate Fares based on domestic itinerary fares. Itinerary fares consist of round-trip fares unless the customer does not purchase a return trip. In that case, the one-way fare is included. Fares are based on the total ticket value which consists of the price charged by the airlines plus any additional taxes and fees levied by an outside entity at the time of purchase. Fares include only the price paid at the time of the ticket purchase and do not include other fees, such as baggage fees, paid at the airport or onboard the aircraft. Averages do not include frequent-flyer or “zero fares” or a few abnormally high reported fares. Average Domestic 4Q Fares ($) Percent change from previous year Percent change from 1995 Average Fares (4Q to 4Q) Inflation (Dec from previous Dec)* Cumulative Average Fares (4Q 1995 to 4Q of each year) Cumulative inflation rate (Dec of each year from Dec 1995)* Average Fare in 1995 dollars 1995 288 288 1996 278 -3.3 3.3 -3.3 3.3 269 1997 294 5.5 1.7 2.0 5.1 279 1998 316 7.7 1.6 9.9 6.8 296 1999 318 0.6 2.7 10.5 9.6 290 2000 340 7.0 3.4 18.2 13.4 300 2001 300 -11.8 1.6 4.2 15.1 260 2002 309 3.0 2.4 7.3 17.9 262 2003 316 2.2 1.9 9.7 20.1 263 2004 297 -5.9 3.3 3.3 24.0 240 2005 315 5.9 3.4 9.4 28.2 246 2006 318 1.1 2.5 10.6 31.5 242 2007 330 3.6 4.1 14.6 36.8 241 2008 345 4.7 0.1 20.0 37.0 252 2009 320 -7.4 2.7 11.1 40.7 227 2010 335 4.7 1.5 16.3 42.8 234 2011 368 10.0 3.0 28.0 47.0 251 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 1, 201213 yr http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/30/news/companies/delta-oil-refinery/index.htm?hpt=hp_t3 NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Delta Air Lines announced plans Monday to purchase an oil refinery outside of Philadelphia, a novel approach to reducing its fuel costs. A Delta spokesman said the company believes the purchase is the first of its kind by a major U.S. airline. Delta (DAL, Fortune 500) will buy the Trainer refinery for $150 million from Phillips 66 (PSXWI), a company that is set to be spun off from energy firm ConocoPhillips (COP, Fortune 500) on Tuesday. The purchase is expected to be finalized by the end of June. "Acquiring the Trainer refinery is an innovative approach to managing our largest expense," Delta CEO Richard Anderson said in a statement. "This modest investment, the equivalent of the list price of a new widebody aircraft, will allow Delta to reduce its fuel expense by $300 million annually and ensure jet fuel availability in the Northeast." Delta said it intends to spend $100 million to convert the refinery's existing infrastructure in order to maximize jet fuel production. The site, it noted, offers easy access to New York airports and Delta hubs LaGuardia and JFK.
May 3, 201213 yr When Flying 720 Miles Takes 12 Hours By JAD MOUAWAD Published: May 2, 2012 It took Josh Hunter three separate planes, two connections and a two-hour drive to get from Mobile, Ala., to Cincinnati at Easter. When he added it all up, his 720-mile trip had lasted 12 hours — about the same it would have taken him to drive. “The whole point of flying should be to save a lot of time, and I didn’t,” Mr. Hunter said. For anyone trying to fly between the smaller cities in the United States, it’s not easy to get from here to there anymore. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/business/regional-airlines-squeezed-by-flight-cutbacks-and-higher-fares.html?_r=1&hp
May 3, 201213 yr $440 per person to fly From CLE-EWR around X-mas (used to be 150, then 220, then 350, now 440) $150 for Amtrak FOR 2 people. an extra 150 for room one way so for the price of 1 round trip ticket I can send 2 people in a private room on Amtrak. takes 12 hours CLE to NYP 6 am to 6 pm ......CLE-EWR you need to plan for at least 4 and is so often delayed it isn't even funny. Taking Amtak to visit the in-laws for x-mas this year. First year it makes sense economically.
May 3, 201213 yr that NYT article "When Flying 720 Miles Takes 12 Hours" is total b.s. -- of course the passenger could have taken a more direct route! He chose the cheapest fare which is NOT necessarily the fastest route. And he ended his flight itinerary in Columbus in order to drive to Cincinnati! WTF! You did not even fly all the way there.
May 3, 201213 yr He said that in the article. He could have flown from Mobile, to Atlanta to Cincinnati, but that would have cost twice as much. And while he drove two hours from Columbus to Cincinnati in that trip, 10 hours to fly from Southern Alabama to Columbus is a long time.
May 3, 201213 yr Yes, but the title of the article is complete sensationalism. It should read "When Flying 720 Miles Takes 12 Hours by being cheap and flying to an airport in a completely different city than where you're actually trying to go" I understand the point that they are trying to make about routes and frequencies being reduced, but the fact of the matter is that one stop service is still available from most place to cities like Cincinnati or Louisville, for example. Whether or not a person chooses to utilize these faster and sometimes more expensive options is a completely different story.
May 3, 201213 yr You also have to ask: What was his budget? When did he buy the ticket? What is the schedule out of Mobile like? I suspect this was a last minute flight and he was trying to save money considering all the connections.
May 3, 201213 yr ^Exactly, the article was expressing the fact that options are shrinking and prices are rising and for some people to find affordable options they have to go through extremes like what was stated in the article. I don't think it's sensationalism when stories like this are a fact of air travel for many Americans. Being cheap and not being able to afford are two different things.
May 3, 201213 yr All very valid points MyTwoSense. The icing on the cake for this being really poor journalism is the fact that it was over Easter. Any experienced travel writer knows that holidays restrict inventory and force fares up spratically, so this isn't a particularly fair view of this situation also. Of course, this fact is conveniently not mentioned. I'm sure fares to dozens of other airports around the country were abnormally high that weekend also (AND how conveniently they choose not to mention what the passenger ACTUALLY paid! Nor do they mention the additional cost of renting a car and gas to get to Cincinnati!) A sample r/t itinerary in July MOB-CLT-CVG or MOB-IAH-CMH shows a difference of just $10 between flying into CMH or CVG and travel times of less than 3.5 hrs each way including layovers available to either destination. Myth? Busted. Also, did the passenger consider driving west of his hometown for 2 hours to MSY, an airport that has several direct flights a day to Cincinnati? If you think I'm being too criticial, head over to http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/5455994/, an aviation experts forum -- they're all over this article too.
May 3, 201213 yr ^ Calm down and read the article. I don't know why you insist this is bad journalism. The first two paragraphs and the last two paragraphs are about this guy's travails. The rest of the lengthy article was filled with facts about airline cost struggles, the changing roles of the regional carriers, the consolidation in the industry, the steady increase in fares from this decline in competition, the downside of the hub system, etc., etc., etc. It all adds up to an industry in disarray. The major flaw in the article is the failure to mention how rail connections would help alleviate all of this.
May 4, 201213 yr All very valid points MyTwoSense. The icing on the cake for this being really poor journalism is the fact that it was over Easter. Any experienced travel writer knows that holidays restrict inventory and force fares up spratically, so this isn't a particularly fair view of this situation also. Of course, this fact is conveniently not mentioned. I'm sure fares to dozens of other airports around the country were abnormally high that weekend also (AND how conveniently they choose not to mention what the passenger ACTUALLY paid! Nor do they mention the additional cost of renting a car and gas to get to Cincinnati!) A sample r/t itinerary in July MOB-CLT-CVG or MOB-IAH-CMH shows a difference of just $10 between flying into CMH or CVG and travel times of less than 3.5 hrs each way including layovers available to either destination. Myth? Busted. Also, did the passenger consider driving west of his hometown for 2 hours to MSY, an airport that has several direct flights a day to Cincinnati? If you think I'm being too criticial, head over to http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/5455994/, an aviation experts forum -- they're all over this article too. airliners.net is not a true source. more rumors come out of that site. Milepoint and Flyertalk are more accurate and actually authorized members/agents of various hotel, Airlines, Car Rental and travel agencies on their sites.
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