Originally Posted by grumman
Isn't it just as silly for box haulers to compare their "two-week profit" to an airline's quarterly earnings? There is no comparison - which is why I TIC suggested you go have a brown and purple reach-around somewhere else. After all - this thread is about SWA earnings and fuel hedges.
You fly airplanes - yes largest widebody fleet in the world too - glad to hear it. But besides that, we are in a different business. To quote you from your earlier post - Cargo earnings - "yawn". Airline earnings - we (airline guys) all care. In case you haven't noticed, quite a few airlines are bankrupt, including one I used to work at, beacuse we had no earnings. So, I beg to differ on your views on whether airine profits matter to line pilots.
We don't have the luxury of cargo's competitive environment. We would all love to have cargo's pricing power and signficantly less concern about cost control. Who do you think is more easily able to pass along fuel costs to the consumer - airlines or freight?
So, if you want to pat yourself on the back for your corporate profit that dwarfs us poor people-haulers - go ahead. My FDX and UPS buds hang their head in shame for you. They all at least acknowledge that the dice rolled their way, many were turned down at airlines or could not get an interview, and they used to ***** about the freight life pre-911. Well, they now count themselves as being very fortunate. I know none of them would be on here disparaging airline profits - or lack of - with a boastfull "yawn."
Yo grumman, somehow you have read me wrong. I just don't think there is anything a line pilot can do about corporate profits or losses, so why bicker about it. Worry about it but no need to argue, and in this post guys were arguing.
I'd love airlines to be profitable and I hope they all are, I'm not sure where you read me disparaging airline porfits. We pass fuel cost on and so should the airlines but that has nothing to do with the line pilots. Maybe you were in Managment and had some control over that and you should have passed the cost on. I had my time hauling people 90 to 95 and never looked back or thought I was missing out when I went to FedEx ... not a day. My prediction in 1995 was that when the commuters starting getting jets it would be the undoing of the airline business that we (guys I knew) wanted. Sorry to say I was right. 9-11 sped up the process but the all mighty buck would have done the same. It will all trun around and/or change and I know I'm lucky right now, but next year .. who knows?
By the way, I don't pat myself on the back for corporate profit or loss because I have no control over that. I just go from point A to point B and home when I can to see my kids. I'd be happy doing anything and have been. You seem angry if I caused that then hay I'm sorry.