Letters to the Editor
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ahem.
"...(including those shadowy outfits whose principle business is smuggling weapons and other contraband..."
The MSNBC.com story in question was enough to make me remove that site from my bookmark toolbar. Morons. Great job clarifying their blunders, as always.
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How many people honestly still have a fear of flying
I have to admit that about 8 years ago I wound up sitting next to a good old hillbilly who freely admitted he had never been on a plane before. But he had one of those fake binocular flasks and was sipping brown liquor. So he wasn't askaird atall. And in 96 I sat next to a Dutch girl who pouded down a grubby fist of pills and passed out for the whole ride from CDG to JFK. Her hair was dirty. And on the other side of me, I do believe the old guy might have died, or coughed up a lung or something. And the kid infront of me was autistic and banged his head on the seat and chirped and made odd noises as we flew into a 100kt headwind and the trip took 11 1/2 hours. But no one was afraid. If I could have got my hands on a gun they would have been afraid as we plummeted into the North Atlantic at Mach 1.
But really, are there still people who are afraid to fly?
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Fuel
My understanding is that it was not uncommon for airlines to fly with significant excess fuel when the cost of fuel at Airport No. 1 was significantly less than Airport No. 2 -- but that the rising basic cost of fuel means that the added load and fuel burn to move it is making this uneconomic, i.e., the few cents you save per pound at Airport No. 2 are more than offset than the cost of the fuel required to fly with the extra weight.
The other context in which this was going on was at Heathrow, Stanstead and Gatwick after the explosion of the Buncefield fuel depot (big bang) in December 2005 meant that aviation fuel at the London airports was in short supply and rationed out.
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Sensationalist Press Reports
"The story I did on Airline Pilots [sic] complaining that their airlines were forcing them to fly with 'Minimum Fuel' requirements is now getting national attention. I am happy MSNBC.com is featuring the story that has peaked [sic] the interest of lawmakers in Washington."
Boy. There's something to be proud of. Mangling homonyms and making grammatical mistakes in a self-laudatory note about an inaccurate, sensationalist article written to get page hits.
Yep. That's today's "press". And they wonder why most of us don't trust a word they say.
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Fuel Fears
You're fair to criticize the reporters for hyping up the potential dangers without really understanding or explaining the safeguards built into the system. However, I think the reason people are uncomfortable is that at some point, the airlines wanted to carry more fuel than the gov't required, and now, because of $$, they've decided to cut it. In the end, it's a question of trust- and these guys haven't earned it...
There's a high degree of mistrust of corporate behavior nowadays, between contaminated food, dangerous toys and drugs from China, airlines violating FAA rules, etc. Most people have come to realize that our regulatory bodies are weak, and companies can, if they want to, simply ignore some directives.
Airlines, while their safety record is admirable, treat their customers worse than any other major industry (except maybe the cell phone one). Service on domestic airlines is atrocious, planes are dirty, food (when provided) is inedible and blankets and pillows are being taken away. Flight attendants (on the domestic carriers I've been on) are far from focused on customer service and are sometimes downright rude...
If an airline can cut pillows to cut costs, is it such a far leap of imagination that they'd cut fuel as much as they can?
Logically, I think we know that killing passengers is a poor way to build a business, but it hasn't stopped countless other industries from taking risks in the interest of profit. Why should we trust an industry that has shown such disregard for their customers' satisfaction, comfort and loyalty?
Unfair, maybe, but certainly not undeserved...
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Customer Treatment
Hantu13 says,
Airlines, while their safety record is admirable, treat their customers worse than any other major industry (except maybe the cell phone one).
I guess you've never bought computer software. And while the airlines have an "excuse" - moving a bunch of people faster than they could ever dream of moving by car, train, or bicycle, and they want it for practically free, with complimentary food and pillows - two very rich and profitable software companies come to mind - Microsoft and Intuit - whose products could be a lot better and whose customer treatment could not be much worse.
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In...
In a time in our nation when fear rules, they have to keep the people afraid.
Fearful people are less observant of the other, often more pressing things, that are happening around them.
Bush ok's torture, the world hates the Bushist America, McCain flip-flops like a dying fish, Clinton can't win (in 2008 at least), Osama won't be found, Iran doesn't have nukes, Israel government wants to nuke the Palestinians, Cheney wants to attack Iran with a biblical passion. All things that have to be kept quiet.
I just worry about the pressures on the airlines to make a profit and cut costs. I think I'll be driving a lot more now and not because of fuel loads.
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Fear of flying still exists
My husband will fly but will not sleep for days beforehand. He also needs to be medicated and will not move or speak the duration of any flight (including a 14 hour flight to HI)
He knows more about planes than any other layperson I have ever met. He can look at a plane and tell you how much fuel they carry and how long they can fly. He is irrationally frightened and it is the reason we limit air-travel vacations to twice a year if that.
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Complaining about the airline industry
Hantu13 says:
"Why should we trust an industry that has shown such disregard for their customers' satisfaction, comfort and loyalty?"
I would love to know *specifically* what you mean by this nice little sound-bite.
Do you fly a lot? Then you are rewarded for your loyalty by frequent flier miles, or had you just taken them for granted? Or are you so self-entitled to expect airlines to give you free flights?
"Satisfaction" Have you ever arrived at your destination? Did somebody wish you a good day as you left the aircraft? Was there somebody waiting to assist you with getting to a connecting flight? My brother recently landed a full hour early ahead of schedule. I asked him "Did you hear anyone thank the pilot on your way out?" Eh, no. Somebody complained they had another hour to kill.
Comfort? I think everyone knows the deal here. If you want first or business class, then you pay for it. Same as with railways! Same as if you were going to purchase a nice large comfortable car! What is so different about the airline industry? Oh that's right, they are the media's whipping boy and you bought the story hook line and sinker! Would you prefer everyone had three feet of legroom but that no airline could economically afford to fly?
Southwest's extra fuel charge for this year will be $750m. That was their entire profit for 2007.
More people should remember that before they start whining about loyalty and satisfaction.