Originally Posted by
Braniff DC8
PSA, not let them fail??? Braniff, Eastern, Pan Am, TWA. The darlings of deregulation: Air Florida, America West, Midway. ALL GONE! The government will let them fail and Sept 11 was a one off to save jobs. The truth is AA, DAL, UA, AWA and USA were all in big trouble after Sept 11 and any or all of them could have shut down. Some would say they should have to save those that were stronger but that's more opinion. Dinosaurs were chosen for extinction (see the great statement by Jeff Goldbloom in Jurassic park).
I would say that their is a shortage of perhaps those applying for licenses but that can always be taken care of, as it is now, by expats. South Africans and Australians in particular. Thousands would line up for the "American dream. It's a lot safer and cheaper to live in the USA.
The regionals are offering better deals by now for sure. It was as not all that long ago where you had to pay 10,000$ to fly a Beech 1900 at Commutair and all the other regionals for that matter. The flows are great but that's been a long time coming.
The promises of flows and all those bonuses can be taken away anytime.
Sorry to be Debby Downer but I have watched this rodeo for many many years and eventually it goes down hill. Watching all the poor Eastern guys trying to find work in 90/91 was really sad.
I think a lot of the young guys and gals today from the military and the regionals or 135 might not know the history of the airline industry. Like the Kennedy's, interesting and great history but lots and lots of skeletons that were often swept under the rug.
Most of the airlines could care less about you and will dump you on the street, cut your pay and take your pension anytime they want. All these great deals or contracts still have force mejure in them!
Second rant finished.
Those were the old days. There aren't 12airline anymore. There are 3. That's it. If one goes away, competition falls and the American public and businesses pay for it. The government said that they wouldn't let them fail when they allowed AA/US and United/Continental to merge/buyout.
Look at the banks. Look at the auto industry. Look at oil. Steel. Electricity. Telecommunications. There will not be a major airline folding in our livetimes. The senators and congressmen will not allow it to happen.
If we stop service to Butte, then that representative will get voted out. But they need his vote on other bills, so they will subsidize it.
Regionals will fail. Pilots will be on the street. But if an airline falls, so will dozens of politicians. They won't let that happen. Not anymore.
It is important to know the history, but also to know what is currently happening. In the 60s-90s, we were a more free market economy. Competition was good. Now, that is all gone. A few large corporations own everything. Everything is government controlled and regulated. No more "Wild West"
When any of those failed airlines did close, was there another company waiting in the wings to take their place? Yes there was.
That isn't the case anymore. If Delta fails (which it won't), is Allegiant going to pick up the slack? Absolutely not.