Letters to the Editor
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Steps forward, steps back
Thank you for the informative and interesting article. I'm flying home for Thanksgiving and I just know it's going to be another nightmare. Last time it took 14 hrs--and driving would only have been 5 more (Upstate NY to Minneapolis).
One question I have about if we were to move to fewer, larger jets is this: How much would that 'step forward' be erased by the 'step back' of the airline canceling flights without enough passengers? I recall that being fairly common in the past, back when there was a trend for larger planes and fewer people flying.
My intuition is that we would still come out ahead, but of course as you point out, people love to rag on the airlines regardless. But can you blame them? The massive delays and subsequent lies coupled with draconian security measures and mediocre service make flying a true test of one's cool.
Also, any word on them allowing us to be so decadent as to bring more than 4 oz. of a liquid onto the plane again? The restrictions make me want to pack a suitcase full of breast milk, prosthetic breasts, KY Jelly, and prescription horse tranquilizers, since that's all we're allowed nowadays.
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What about trains?
Patrick, you never mention them, but I do wonder if it's realistic to think that train travel could be part of the solution in the northeast -- the most congested air corridor and the only one that has halfway decent train service in North America. There are even rail stations at EWR and BWI that would allow rail-to-train transfers. How much would more investment in Amtrak (both in increasing NE corridor capacity and in subsidizing fares) take pressure off the system?
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one word: trains
James Kunstler has, for years, been suggesting that we get usable regional passenger rail working again. The air-travel slow-downs are largely the fault of all those tiny commuter jets carrying 50 people at a time. Or less. If regional rail was working the way it could, you could eliminate a lot of those regional jets, and travellers would not have to take that much more time to get where they're going. Maybe a lot less, in some cases.
To paraphrase Kustler: the United States used to have a passenger rail system that was the envy of the world. Now we have a passenger rail system that the Bulgarians would be ashamed of (no slam to Bulgaria, btw)... this problem could be fixed easily with a complete reimagining of our regional passenger rail system.
the fact that it hasn't been done is as much a matter of ignorance and lack of will, as it is technical or financial obstacles.
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Airport congestion
Surely the simplest and market friendly solution would be to cap the number of slots at the most congested airports and conduct an open auction for the right to use the slot. This would give the larger airliners an advantage in that their per seat slot cost would be lower than commuter and executive jets and would have the extra advantage of raising funds for the upgrade of traffic control systems.
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The Consolidation Prisoner's Dilemma - "They can do this voluntarily..."
I thought "Prisoner" has a nice double meaning here... :)
It's a classic prisoner's dilemma:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner%27s_dilemma
Nobody wants to be the first to consolidate for fear of losing business. Whether the fear is justified by the facts of the market or just perceived threat is moot. Probably no carrier wants to be the first. Unless somehow the market makes it clear that it WANTS consolidation. But the market doesn't care whether it's on a big plane or a little one.
The government will have to force the issue.
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more runways
that's rather complex..
ask Lambert circa the late 90's and LAXearly 70's.
cITIZENS are bought out for space, but is it 'faair market value?
ASit is my parents were given an additonal amout of 40k a couple of years after our first Playa del Rey home was 'bought out' due to 'fair value'..it all transprided after a plane crash, in the ocean, over 'the blue light' area....
they were able to stayin the area after many house viwings, but I still recall the complaints..then there was Hughes Aircraft at the other end..and last i read Spellberg tried to suck up beach front for a stdio, and the press would on occasion call 'del rey' the ghetto..not anymore, i can't afford to live there as my parents did, even at my ex spouses union salary of $40+ an hour. and my father made 8 something w/ his job.
fwiw..
~mk
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VLJ's
What insight could you give on the coming influx of VLJ's into the mix. Will they make the problems worse, or provide some level of relief?
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The single best thing for reducing airport congestion is...
...high speed intercity rail. Build rail lines connecting city pairs 500 miles or less apart, running trains that can travel at over 200 MPH, minimize the intermediate stops enroute, and it becomes time-competitive with flying, especially when the Homeland Security Theater delays are taken into account.
To say nothing of the economic benefits to working Americans of rail line construction jobs, engine and rolling stock fabrication and assembly jobs, supply chain jobs, train operation jobs, and more. And the number of hours not wasted waiting at airports would be a windfall on top of that.
We're only missing one thing needed to make that happen: The vision at the top that could see this as the huge benefit for American society in general that it would be, and push it forward.
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Another Answer to Travelers' Insanity?
How about letting us smoke again?
After a 14 hour flight from China without a cigarette, I came off the plane and dropped in a heap to the floor of the concourse at the Cincinnati airport, in tears and cussing up a wild streak...despite being a middle aged teacher!
The U.S. used to be a free country until "W" (and probably Rodham next). Both administrations seem, in my opinion, to be and will be FASCIST!
Maybe ending the drug war, legalizing pot and selling candybars on flights (as well as taxing the heck out of this drug, like they did after Prohibition for alcohol) might even help the economy at the same time as improving the moods and behavior of passengers.
As Jesse Jackson implied with one of his best slogans, 20 years ago, about the advisability of "Paying on the Front Side (freedom, good schools, public transport, peace, fair prices and contracting, etc.)" to avoid "Paying on the Backside (fascism, murder, jails, wars and other violence, lying, stealing, cheating, and wasted human resources, etc.)", how about getting back to a little, cheap, common sense?