FWIW

U.S. forecast: Expect oil to stay cheap for awhile | The Columbian


Being that our industry is so prone to demonstrating cycles, if the above proves to be true, I suspect that it wont take very long, maybe mid-summer, until the Denver ramp and all of the other APU manament task force employees are subject to realistic measures of the value they contribute, like anyone in any business. Am I saying we shouldn't bother to save fuel from the cockpit? Absolutely not. The cost of savings, compared to what will be save however, will require a ton more training and management than we have ever seen at either legacy before. I welcome the day, but it means our managers need to commit to a big bill for the wages of these folks and an even longer boring time of actually reeducating and ultimately managing the ground staff. At some point the APU burn is cheaper than changing the norm at so many of our stations.

I'm betting (read buying DAL stock) that the first 2 quarters of 2015 will be a grand slam for our industry's profits no matter what management does. I'll also take a stab and say that APUs will still run all night while Mx has the airplane at the hangar. Lastly, if fuel prices stay low, many if not all of those folks you see scurrying about with clipboards and stop watches and a yellow vest that says "APU Team" will be back out on the ramp throwing bags by Presidents Day weekend.