Mayor Pete

[leh-nerd skin-erd]

9 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

And Mitch McConnell's wife. And no particular experience in any of the areas under the Dept of Transportation's domain, other than being the daughter of an extremely wealthy Taiwanese shipping magnate and using that to get an earlier government post in the obscure Maritime Administration.

Ah, "other than".  I follow. 

[The Frankish Reich]

1 hour ago, leh-nerd skin-erd said:

Ah, "other than".  I follow. 

Hey, I'm considerably more charitable regarding the former Secretary's talents than her boss is:

https://www.newsweek.com/everything-trump-has-said-about-elaine-chao-she-finally-fires-back-1776666

 

Among one of the most repeated is Trump's nickname for Chao, often referring to his former employee as "Coco Chow," a term first coined by the former president in September 2022 in a Truth Social post.

 

In a Truth Social post this month, Trump complained that the Senate minority leader and "his 'wife,' Coco Chow, who is a sellout to China," were making it "difficult for everyone else by constantly capitulating to Hopeless Joe Biden and the Democrats."

 

Trump also dragged Chao into his attacks on President Joe Biden this week after Fox News on Sunday reported that some of the classified documents found in Biden's possession had been transported to a Washington, D.C., facility in the Chinatown neighborhood.

 

"Does Coco Chow have anything to do with Joe Biden's Classified Documents being sent and stored in Chinatown?" Trump posted to Truth Social on Monday. "Her husband, the Old Broken Crow, is VERY close to Biden, the Democrats, and, of course, China. He gives them all whatever they want!"

[The Frankish Reich]

EDIT: Even I have become desensitized to how horrible a person Donald Trump really is. I was somehow unaware of this, only having read that he "mocked" Chao. Could there be anything more childish, more racist, more obnoxious than repeatedly making fun of a Chinese person's name?

 

 

[Doc]

"Coco" is a racist term?

[The Frankish Reich]

1 hour ago, Doc said:

"Coco" is a racist term?

Not that I know of, but I'm sure Trump knows all manner of 1950s Queens racial slurs that I have never even heard.

[Westside]

30 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

Not that I know of, but I'm sure Trump knows all manner of 1950s Queens racial slurs that I have never even heard.

You mean biden right? He’s the one for segregation. He even said black people would turn the school into a jungle or something racist like that.

[The Frankish Reich]

4 hours ago, The Frankish Reich said:

"Does Coco Chow have anything to do with Joe Biden's Classified Documents being sent and stored in Chinatown?" Trump posted to Truth Social on Monday.

^ What Trump wrote. Not 50 years ago. A couple years ago.

Racist. Now.

[Doc]

12 hours ago, The Frankish Reich said:

Not that I know of, but I'm sure Trump knows all manner of 1950s Queens racial slurs that I have never even heard.

 

It's not.  Now if she had been brown/black, "coco(a)" would have made sense...

[B-Man]

 

Back to the thread:

 

 

  AMERICA’S DUMBEST MAN?

 

By John Hindraker

 

I know, I know. But let’s assume Joe Biden has been given a Lifetime Achievement Award and is no longer eligible.

 

In that case, I think Pete Buttigieg is a contender:

 

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2024/03/americas-dumbest-man.php

[BillStime]

1 hour ago, B-Man said:

By John Hindraker

 

I know, I know. But let’s assume Joe Biden has been given a Lifetime Achievement Award and is no longer eligible.

 

In that case, I think Pete Buttigieg is a contender:

 

Ever question why the 33 goes right through the neighborhood it does?

 

 

[gobilz]

Clown 

[B-Man]

 

 

 

[B-Man]

 

 

THE FEELING IS MUTUAL: 

 

Pete Buttigieg Hates Your Car, but Mostly He Thinks You’re an Idiot.

 

 

 

America's eminently mockable Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, went on national TV on Tuesday to mock Americans who find that electric cars don't suit their transportation needs.

 

 

"Sometimes, when these debates happen," the failed former mayor of South Bend, Ind. told Fox News, "I feel like it's the early 2000s and I'm talking to some people who think that we can just have landline phones forever."

 

https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2024/04/03/pete-buttigieg-hates-your-car-but-mostly-he-thinks-youre-an-idiot-n4927850

 

.

[Gregg]

[All_Pro_Bills]

Pete and several other Biden cabinet secretaries are real life renditions of some member of President Comacho's cabinet in the movie Idiocracy.

[BillStime]

3 minutes ago, All_Pro_Bills said:

Pete and several other Biden cabinet secretaries are real life renditions of some member of President Comacho's cabinet in the movie Idiocracy.

And they are all endorsing Biden for round two.

 

How many from Trump’s cabinet are doing the same thing?

 

lmao

[All_Pro_Bills]

10 minutes ago, BillStime said:

And they are all endorsing Biden for round two.

 

How many from Trump’s cabinet are doing the same thing?

 

lmao

Pure self-interest.  They want to keep their jobs.

Edited April 3 by All_Pro_Bills

[BillStime]

1 minute ago, All_Pro_Bills said:

Pure self-interest.  They want to keep their jobs.

 

HA - why isn't Trump's cabinet endorsing him now?

 

Don't you love when you step right in it?

 

lmao

 

 

[Doc]

2 hours ago, All_Pro_Bills said:

Pete and several other Biden cabinet secretaries are real life renditions of some member of President Comacho's cabinet in the movie Idiocracy.

 

But hey, they haven't resigned!

[All_Pro_Bills]

2 hours ago, BillStime said:

 

HA - why isn't Trump's cabinet endorsing him now?

 

Don't you love when you step right in it?

 

lmao

 

 

Who cares? Former cabinet endorsements?  Nobody can even name 2 or 3 of these people without looking it up.  They're political nobody's.

 

Maybe Trump's former elementary school teachers haven't endorsed him either.  Oh my, big worry!

7 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

But hey, they haven't resigned!

Because the only private sector jobs any member of Biden's administration is qualified for is out house pumper or Horse enciminator.

[BillStime]

52 minutes ago, All_Pro_Bills said:

Who cares?

 

You're the one that stepped into this 💩 - not me... so clearly you care... and you're just panicked, as usual.

[Irv]

Mayor Pete.  Botched Baltimore Harbor.  Six dead.  Nice work.  What a mess.  

[njbuff]

Mayor Booty Juice couldn’t run a hot dog stand, but he’s a h0m0 so it’s aye ok.

Edited April 3 by njbuff

[reddogblitz]

9 hours ago, BillStime said:

 

HA - why isn't Trump's cabinet endorsing him now?

 

Don't you love when you step right in it?

 

lmao

 

 

 

They don't have cabinet jobs to keep.

[ChiGoose]

Sweet

 

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Final Rule Requiring Automatic Refunds of Airline Tickets and Ancillary Service Fees

 

WASHINGTON – The Biden-Harris Administration today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a final rule that requires airlines to promptly provide passengers with automatic cash refunds when owed. The new rule makes it easy for passengers to obtain refunds when airlines cancel or significantly change their flights, significantly delay their checked bags, or fail to provide the extra services they purchased.

 

“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them - without headaches or haggling,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Our new rule sets a new standard to require airlines to promptly provide cash refunds to their passengers.”  

 

****

 

 

Under the rule, passengers are entitled to a refund for:

• Canceled or significantly changed flights: Passengers will be entitled to a refund if their flight is canceled or significantly changed, and they do not accept alternative transportation or travel credits offered. For the first time, the rule defines “significant change.” Significant changes to a flight include departure or arrival times that are more than 3 hours domestically and 6 hours internationally; departures or arrivals from a different airport; increases in the number of connections; instances where passengers are downgraded to a lower class of service; or connections at different airports or flights on different planes that are less accessible or accommodating to a person with a disability.
• Significantly delayed baggage return: Passengers who file a mishandled baggage report will be entitled to a refund of their checked bag fee if it is not delivered within 12 hours of their domestic flight arriving at the gate, or 15-30 hours of their international flight arriving at the gate, depending on the length of the flight.
• Extra services not provided: Passengers will be entitled to a refund for the fee they paid for an extra service — such as Wi-Fi, seat selection, or inflight entertainment — if an airline fails to provide this service.

****

 

The final rule improves the passenger experience by requiring refunds to be:

• Automatic: Airlines must automatically issue refunds without passengers having to explicitly request them or jump through hoops. 
• Prompt: Airlines and ticket agents must issue refunds within seven business days of refunds becoming due for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for other payment methods.
• Cash or original form of payment: Airlines and ticket agents must provide refunds in cash or whatever original payment method the individual used to make the purchase, such as credit card or airline miles. Airlines may not substitute vouchers, travel credits, or other forms of compensation unless the passenger affirmatively chooses to accept alternative compensation.  
• Full amount: Airlines and ticket agents must provide full refunds of the ticket purchase price, minus the value of any portion of transportation already used. The refunds must include all government-imposed taxes and fees and airline-imposed fees, regardless of whether the taxes or fees are refundable to airlines.

[The Frankish Reich]

2 minutes ago, ChiGoose said:

Sweet

 

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Final Rule Requiring Automatic Refunds of Airline Tickets and Ancillary Service Fees

 

WASHINGTON – The Biden-Harris Administration today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a final rule that requires airlines to promptly provide passengers with automatic cash refunds when owed. The new rule makes it easy for passengers to obtain refunds when airlines cancel or significantly change their flights, significantly delay their checked bags, or fail to provide the extra services they purchased.

 

“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them - without headaches or haggling,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Our new rule sets a new standard to require airlines to promptly provide cash refunds to their passengers.”  

 

****

 

 

Under the rule, passengers are entitled to a refund for:

• Canceled or significantly changed flights: Passengers will be entitled to a refund if their flight is canceled or significantly changed, and they do not accept alternative transportation or travel credits offered. For the first time, the rule defines “significant change.” Significant changes to a flight include departure or arrival times that are more than 3 hours domestically and 6 hours internationally; departures or arrivals from a different airport; increases in the number of connections; instances where passengers are downgraded to a lower class of service; or connections at different airports or flights on different planes that are less accessible or accommodating to a person with a disability.
• Significantly delayed baggage return: Passengers who file a mishandled baggage report will be entitled to a refund of their checked bag fee if it is not delivered within 12 hours of their domestic flight arriving at the gate, or 15-30 hours of their international flight arriving at the gate, depending on the length of the flight.
• Extra services not provided: Passengers will be entitled to a refund for the fee they paid for an extra service — such as Wi-Fi, seat selection, or inflight entertainment — if an airline fails to provide this service.

****

 

The final rule improves the passenger experience by requiring refunds to be:

• Automatic: Airlines must automatically issue refunds without passengers having to explicitly request them or jump through hoops. 
• Prompt: Airlines and ticket agents must issue refunds within seven business days of refunds becoming due for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for other payment methods.
• Cash or original form of payment: Airlines and ticket agents must provide refunds in cash or whatever original payment method the individual used to make the purchase, such as credit card or airline miles. Airlines may not substitute vouchers, travel credits, or other forms of compensation unless the passenger affirmatively chooses to accept alternative compensation.  
• Full amount: Airlines and ticket agents must provide full refunds of the ticket purchase price, minus the value of any portion of transportation already used. The refunds must include all government-imposed taxes and fees and airline-imposed fees, regardless of whether the taxes or fees are refundable to airlines.

Small things, but things that matter to a lot of consumers. And by consumers I mean "voters."

[sherpa]

Costs will be adjusted.

The margins are so low it cannot be another way.

 

Always the same under this guy.

Go for the headline that purports to help consumers.

 

In the meantime, don't fix the FAA which is far more the problem in that industry, and always has been.

 

Same old s**t, over and over, but with no objective oversite, never gets fixed and those responsible are never accountable.

[BillStime]

Another win for consumers and travelers who will benefit most but the cult will piss on it because Pete is gay.

 

 

[njbuff]

2 minutes ago, BillStime said:

Another win for consumers and travelers who will benefit most but the cult will piss on it because Pete is gay.

 

 

 

Just because Mayor ButtPlug takes it up the aSS doesn't mean that the airlines are going to take this up the a$$ either.

 

 

[sherpa]

It has nothing to do with his sexual preference.

That is pure nonsense, and there is no cult.

 

It has everything to do with him being a cabinet level staffer running the FAA and failing miserably.

 

These headline grabbing "accomplishments" are so typical of what he has done.

 

But first, what he has not done.

Named appointees who couldn't get through Congressional appointment hearings.

Not simply to a vote, simply couldn't even make it to the vote, as even members of his own parety acknowledged these were incompetent, unqualified applicants thrown up because of gender/race issues.

 

Has caused schedule/service cutbacks becasue the FAA is not suitably manned to handle the load.

 

Presided over the cost of removing the word "man" or any other gender verbage at no benefit to anyone,

 

On his watch, encountered a national groundstop, (the cessation of all air travel), because his systems failed.

Money spent on stupid gender issues could have been spent on updating an antiquated system that fails. 

 

Presides over a government organization with extremely low morale that hate him, as well as the industry it serves.

 

Will save nobody anything.

The costs will simply be moved elsewhere, as an industry with a sub 4% return on capital will have to find other ways to get a return.

You can buy a no risk Treasury that would yield 20% more than putting any capital at risk in this industry.

In short, they should just shut down the industry completely, except you know who makes a fortune off of it?

Yes, the US Gov, which taxes the snot out of your "little guy" tickets.

 

The man is ignorant, smug, hated by those in the department he heads, and completely incompetent.

 

And absolutely none of that reality has anything to do with him being homosexual, which nobody cares about, and never has.

 

[BillStime]

20 minutes ago, sherpa said:

It has nothing to do with his sexual preference.

That is pure nonsense, and there is no cult.

 

It has everything to do with him being a cabinet level staffer running the FAA and failing miserably.

 

These headline grabbing "accomplishments" are so typical of what he has done.

 

But first, what he has not done.

Named appointees who couldn't get through Congressional appointment hearings.

Not simply to a vote, simply couldn't even make it to the vote, as even members of his own parety acknowledged these were incompetent, unqualified applicants thrown up because of gender/race issues.

 

Has caused schedule/service cutbacks becasue the FAA is not suitably manned to handle the load.

 

Presided over the cost of removing the word "man" or any other gender verbage at no benefit to anyone,

 

On his watch, encountered a national groundstop, (the cessation of all air travel), because his systems failed.

Money spent on stupid gender issues could have been spent on updating an antiquated system that fails. 

 

Presides over a government organization with extremely low morale that hate him, as well as the industry it serves.

 

Will save nobody anything.

The costs will simply be moved elsewhere, as an industry with a sub 4% return on capital will have to find other ways to get a return.

You can buy a no risk Treasury that would yield 20% more than putting any capital at risk in this industry.

In short, they should just shut down the industry completely, except you know who makes a fortune off of it?

Yes, the US Gov, which taxes the snot out of your "little guy" tickets.

 

The man is ignorant, smug, hated by those in the department he heads, and completely incompetent.

 

And absolutely none of that reality has anything to do with him being homosexual, which nobody cares about, and never has.

 

 

Can you highlight how Trump improved the FAA?

 

[sherpa]

6 minutes ago, BillStime said:

 

Can you highlight how Trump improved the FAA?

 

 

This is the same old stupid crap that gets on this board all the time.

This has nothing to do with Trump.

He shouldn't be part of the conversation at all.

 

But......the FAA didn't have the failures it has had under this Sect or Trans or FAA Administrator.

It didn't spend time, money and energy doing stupid, non productive gender neutralizing programs, resulting in gross waste of time money and producing culture that hated his appointee.

It didn't result in service decreases becasue of the FAA's inability to staff, nor fine the industry whenever there were hiccups, with the usual massive public relations efforts that this punk is noted for, all the while taking no responsibility for inadequate staffing of national ground stops.

 

It certainly didn't care about the sexual preference, genitalia or color of one's skin in appointing individuals of leadership.

 

 

 

[Doc]

4 hours ago, sherpa said:

Costs will be adjusted.

The margins are so low it cannot be another way.

 

Always the same under this guy.

Go for the headline that purports to help consumers.

 

In the meantime, don't fix the FAA which is far more the problem in that industry, and always has been.

 

Same old s**t, over and over, but with no objective oversite, never gets fixed and those responsible are never accountable.

 

This.  You'll pay more overall than you'll get back.

[BillStime]

6 hours ago, sherpa said:

This is the same old stupid crap that gets on this board all the time.

This has nothing to do with Trump.

He shouldn't be part of the conversation at all.

 

But......the FAA didn't have the failures it has had under this Sect or Trans or FAA Administrator.

It didn't spend time, money and energy doing stupid, non productive gender neutralizing programs, resulting in gross waste of time money and producing culture that hated his appointee.

It didn't result in service decreases becasue of the FAA's inability to staff, nor fine the industry whenever there were hiccups, with the usual massive public relations efforts that this punk is noted for, all the while taking no responsibility for inadequate staffing of national ground stops.

 

It certainly didn't care about the sexual preference, genitalia or color of one's skin in appointing individuals of leadership.

 

Well, much to your chagrin, let's highlight what Trump did to the FAA.

 

Did you know Trump's guy ran the FAA until March 2022?

 

Trump-nominated FAA administrator to resign at end of March

Dickson’s tenure as chief of the FAA was in part dominated by issues involving the Boeing 737 Max

 

Meanwhile, let's see how Trump made the FAA great again!

 

2017 - Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs - look what self-regulate did to Boeing and safety...

2017 - White House endorses plan to remove 30,000 FAA workers from federal payroll

2017 - Trump endorses FAA breakup, with same roadblocks ahead

2017 - Trump tells aviation executives he'll cut regulations and boost infrastructure

2017 - Trump slams 'out of whack' FAA in meeting with airlines

2018 - AP Exclusive: Transport safety rules rolled back under Trump

2018 - Trump thinks his personal pilot should head the FAA

2019 - Boeing 737 Max crashes put spotlight on FAA under Trump

2019 - Did Trump Executive Orders Further Weaken FAA Oversight?

2019 - Air traffic controllers sue over shutdown

2019 - Schumer: FAA weakened by lack of leadership, Trump’s executive orders

2020 - President Trump cuts FAA budget

2020 - Trump Administration Allowed Aviation Companies to Take Bailout Funds and Lay Off Workers - of course he did - not a word out of the cult.

 

And I know you MAGA freaks want to bich about DEI - but hey - check this out - DEI was there during TRUMP's term as well:

 

 

 

 

Why so much turnover during Trumps tenure?

 

Things were just DANDY during Trump's tenure:

 

 

Trump was always concerned about safety:

 

 

Trump was KILLING IT during his tenure:

 

 

[sherpa]

Typical reply motivated by political emotions rather than factual discernment of facts.

 

I will save everyone the trouble of reading a lengthy post addressing the 737 max issue, which I am extremely familiar with.

I will simply address the issue claimed above, suggesting that it was a Trump thing.

 

The 737 max was designed, certified, tested and approved during the Obama Administration.

 

The FAA Administrator at that time was Michael Huerta, who was appointed and served until a short time into the Trump Administration.

Training was also approved under the Huerta tenure/Obama Administration.

 

In other words, anything related to the 737 max was done prior to Trump.

[Doc]

5 hours ago, sherpa said:

Typical reply motivated by political emotions rather than factual discernment of facts.

 

I will save everyone the trouble of reading a lengthy post addressing the 737 max issue, which I am extremely familiar with.

I will simply address the issue claimed above, suggesting that it was a Trump thing.

 

The 737 max was designed, certified, tested and approved during the Obama Administration.

 

The FAA Administrator at that time was Michael Huerta, who was appointed and served until a short time into the Trump Administration.

Training was also approved under the Huerta tenure/Obama Administration.

 

In other words, anything related to the 737 max was done prior to Trump.

 

Boeing's issues are theirs and theirs alone.

[The Frankish Reich]

23 hours ago, sherpa said:

Costs will be adjusted.

The margins are so low it cannot be another way.

Then why have any consumer protection rules at all? Obviously the airlines do not want to refund in full a passenger's fare if a flight is delayed more than 3 hours. If that were the case they'd be doing it already.

 

Remember the old days? Airlines could overbook and not offer a "bumped" passenger with what he thought was a reservation anything other than rebooking on a later flight. Sometimes much later. This, of course, meant that overbooking was all benefit (there are always no-shows) and no cost to the airlines. Airlines adjusted to the new policies requiring them to offer compensation. And ultimately a better solution emerged: a kind of auction to see how much you have to pay to get someone to agree to take a later flight. In other words, a sensible regulation led to an efficient solution. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coase_theorem

 

Why should this be different? If the airline cannot deliver on the contract (to fly me from New York to Miami at 3:00 pm, or at least by 6:00 pm), why shouldn't I have a right to a refund so that I can try to take my business to the adjacent ticketing desk? Or simply go home and take that vacation next week?

Edited April 25 by The Frankish Reich

[sherpa]

52 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

Then why have any consumer protection rules at all? Obviously the airlines do not want to refund in full a passenger's fare if a flight is delayed more than 3 hours. If that were the case they'd be doing it already.

 

Remember the old days? Airlines could overbook and not offer a "bumped" passenger with what he thought was a reservation anything other than rebooking on a later flight. Sometimes much later. This, of course, meant that overbooking was all benefit (there are always no-shows) and no cost to the airlines. Airlines adjusted to the new policies requiring them to offer compensation. And ultimately a better solution emerged: a kind of auction to see how much you have to pay to get someone to agree to take a later flight. In other words, a sensible regulation led to an efficient solution. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coase_theorem

 

Why should this be different? If the airline cannot deliver on the contract (to fly me from New York to Miami at 3:00 pm, or at least by 6:00 pm), why shouldn't I have a right to a refund so that I can try to take my business to the adjacent ticketing desk? Or simply go home and take that vacation next week?

 

The post you have authored in good faith fails to acknowledge the reality of the business.

 

First things first.

Airlines have offered inducements for overbooking since I began my career.

They keep extremely accurate data on this, and use very sophisticated algorithms to decide on each flight every day.

Interestingly, of all the issues in the business, overbooking was the most popular issue among passengers.

It is extremely rare, 1 passenger per 10,000 who is removed without volunteering.

 

Anyway, to the point.

The first thing is to acknowledge that aircraft movements on the ground and in flight, as well as airport status, gate availability and pretty much everything associated with the industry is controlled by the gov.

The result, at least in my 32 year career, is that nearly all delays were the result of the FAA.

Most were reasonable, ie weather and other factors, but they are really not good at optimizing the system.

They do incredibly stupid things.

 

Second, these small fee issues are totally passenger determined. Want to check a bag, that's going to cost something, because it requires labor to do it, move it, load it, unload it and pay for the airport systems to get it back.

Internet service? Much more complicated and expensive to provide it and maintain it on an airplane.

I could go on and on, but you get the point. These things cost money.

 

What you probably don't understand is the price sensitivity of the airline passenger.

I heard a large airline CEO explain that a $1 difference in ticket price listed on one of the popular internet travel sites results in an enormous difference in demand for the ticket.

Ergo, the only way to survive is to have the lowest possible price listed.

That is what created all of these other fees.

Get the lowest ticket price as possible on the sites and you get business.

 

Next, to think that the gov has ever been good at regulating the business aspect of the industry is crazy.

As an example, I was a 777 captain. The Passenger Bill of Rights law they passed provided that if we were in violation of the time issue of not returning to the gate or a few other components of it, the penalties made it cheaper for me to blow all the emergency slides and simply evacuated the airplane.

It's crazy.

 

The legislation passed in 2010 as the result of the Colgan Buffalo crash was ill conceived.

It had no understanding that little commuter airlines are not similar to wide body, long haul international stuff, so it made no sense in many ways.

 

Anyway, I could go on, but the gov wacking industry when you've got something as goofy as our current FAA, which can't support the industry that supposedly funds it is crazy, and the current Sect. of Trans is proof positive, but this administration seems to have an allergy to soliciting business people advice.

Their stupid strategy of trying to convince people they are helping the little guy is a failure and invites potential shortcuts that shouldn't be taken.

 

Open a restaurant.

Have the gov run your parking lot, your employees, your capacity, your ingredients.

Then allow them to shut you down for hours during your busiest times.

Understaff your "regulators" to the point where you can't operate at certain times because they can't staff their end.

Then fine them when the gov can't perform.

You get the point.     

[The Frankish Reich]

2 minutes ago, sherpa said:

 

The post you have authored in good faith fails to acknowledge the reality of the business.

 

First things first.

Airlines have offered inducements for overbooking since I began my career.

They keep extremely accurate data on this, and use very sophisticated algorithms to decide on each flight every day.

Interestingly, of all the issues in the business, overbooking was the most popular issue among passengers.

It is extremely rare, 1 passenger per 10,000 who is removed without volunteering.

 

Anyway, to the point.

The first thing is to acknowledge that aircraft movements on the ground and in flight, as well as airport status, gate availability and pretty much everything associated with the industry is controlled by the gov.

The result, at least in my 32 year career, is that nearly all delays were the result of the FAA.

Most were reasonable, ie weather and other factors, but they are really not good at optimizing the system.

They do incredibly stupid things.

 

Second, these small fee issues are totally passenger determined. Want to check a bag, that's going to cost something, because it requires labor to do it, move it, load it, unload it and pay for the airport systems to get it back.

Internet service? Much more complicated and expensive to provide it and maintain it on an airplane.

I could go on and on, but you get the point. These things cost money.

 

What you probably don't understand is the price sensitivity of the airline passenger.

I heard a large airline CEO explain that a $1 difference in ticket price listed on one of the popular internet travel sites results in an enormous difference in demand for the ticket.

Ergo, the only way to survive is to have the lowest possible price listed.

That is what created all of these other fees.

Get the lowest ticket price as possible on the sites and you get business.

 

Next, to think that the gov has ever been good at regulating the business aspect of the industry is crazy.

As an example, I was a 777 captain. The Passenger Bill of Rights law they passed provided that if we were in violation of the time issue of not returning to the gate or a few other components of it, the penalties made it cheaper for me to blow all the emergency slides and simply evacuated the airplane.

It's crazy.

 

The legislation passed in 2010 as the result of the Colgan Buffalo crash was ill conceived.

It had no understanding that little commuter airlines are not similar to wide body, long haul international stuff, so it made no sense in many ways.

 

Anyway, I could go on, but the gov wacking industry when you've got something as goofy as our current FAA, which can't support the industry that supposedly funds it is crazy, and the current Sect. of Trans is proof positive, but this administration seems to have an allergy to soliciting business people advice.

Their stupid strategy of trying to convince people they are helping the little guy is a failure and invites potential shortcuts that shouldn't be taken.

 

Open a restaurant.

Have the gov run your parking lot, your employees, your capacity, your ingredients.

Then allow them to shut you down for hours during your busiest times.

Understaff your "regulators" to the point where you can't operate at certain times because they can't staff their end.

Then fine them when the gov can't perform.

You get the point.     

I do get it. I grew up in an airline family. It is a highly regulated business.

So I heard all the arguments: overbooking is essential to an airline's survival. An airline seat is the ultimate perishable good. If overbooking (and bumping passengers) isn't allowed, then airlines will have to eat the cost of no-shows, endangering their very survival.

The market was skewed ridiculously in favor of the airlines and against the passenger. So we corrected that. We are now trying to correct some other practices that also give the airlines too much leeway. One of the provisions of the new regs: I didn't even get a refund of my checked bag fee unless my bag was delayed by over 12 hours. Really? The airline failed to get the bag onto my connecting flight and they're still gonna charge me when I arrive at 9:00 pm and my bag follows the next morning at 8:00 am?

Go ahead, keep your various fees, etc. But let's make sure they're clearly disclosed, and that the customer understands what he's being upsold on. It won't kill the airlines any more than deregulation did under Carter, or that The airline passenger bill of rights thing did more recently. It simply restores some order, certainty, and fairness to the process.

[sherpa]

6 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

 

Go ahead, keep your various fees, etc. But let's make sure they're clearly disclosed, and that the customer understands what he's being upsold on. It won't kill the airlines any more than deregulation did under Carter, or that The airline passenger bill of rights thing did more recently. It simply restores some order, certainty, and fairness to the process.

 

It is a highly regulated industry regulated by far less skilled and talented people from the gov.

Carter's deregulation was a bit before my time, but the industry has been in turmoil since then.

Countless bankruptcies.

Not my point.

 

But, I saw the incompetence from the front left seat for years, and the further you get the gov away the better.

 

My favorite FAA story, and I have many.

In 2013 there was some solar airplane travelling cross country. Highly publicized.

It was to land at JFK at 3AM on a Sat. morning. That was agreed to to prevent disruption of traffic, as they planned on shutting down the airspace on its arrival.

 

Anyway, they claimed they had some tear in the fabric of a wing panel, and wanted to change the plan an land at about 11:30pm.

 

I was flying a 777 to Tokyo that night.

Number two for takeoff, they advised they were shutting down the entire New York airspace for two hours so this 35mph thing could land.

 

Scores of international departures on the ground.

There is a rule that a flight that is longer than eight hours needs an extra pilot, an augmented crew.

The eight hours are measured from gate departure to touchdown.

Many airlines, especially European airlines with western European destinations like London or Paris, don't have augmented crews at certain times of the year because the flight times are less.

Anyway, one after another, during taxi they went back to their gates and cancelled because of the eight hour rule.

Thousands of people involved. Thousands of hotel rooms, rebooking etc.

 

In the interim, three airplanes that were to land at LaGuardia, also closed, declared fuel emergencies and landed at JFK.

An absolute cluster****.

 

Goofy thing lands with great media fanfare and JFK re-opens.

That is what you get with these guys.

 

What you get with the current group is understaffed controller operations resulting in schedule cancellations, a NOTAM distribution system that fails and results in a nationwide shutdown of the system.

 

But.....We have spent money time and assets to de-gendered language in the industry, forced employees to watch stupid workplace sensitivity programs, send appointees to Congress who have no knowledge of the system and couldn't/didn't come close to Congressional approval,  and now will tell them how to price the product and fine them.