You think pilots could do better? I don't think so. The MBA doesn't mean anything, I'll give you that. But flying an airplane has little to do with running a business. Some of these businesses (UA comes to mind) have so much inertia and overhead from a long history of decisions made in differing economic times with differing managements, its like stopping a freight train at this point. There is much more going on behind the scenes than most non business folks realize, not to justify everything.

Its not like running a corner lemonade stand.