http://www.ajc.com/business/airlines...d-1052334.html

Does anyone think recapturing some of these taxes and fees might hurt us in the long run? I'm torn really, I think we needed to do it to avoid our competition from getting a $4-5 million dollar a day revenue advantage from us, but I can see the government trying to rake us over the coals when they eventually sign an FAA budget bill.


Found this statement somewhat perplexing;

"For Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, that amounts to $4 million to $5 million a day in extra revenue, the company said Wednesday."


So if my public school math education serves me any purpose here,


Delta pays approximately $1.642 Billion on a annual basis as their share of tax and fees contributions off of passenger/customers.
($4.5 million X 365 days= $1.642 billion/year)


Trying to research what the FAA's overall budget is on a year to year basis. Seems like we are paying ALOT of money to this agency every year, money that could have helped keep us out of bankruptcy court in the earlier part of this decade.

 

Hypocrisy at it's best. The govt is just ticked someone else's hand is in the cookie jar & they can't do squat about it. Maybe they should focus on our country not defaulting on our loans, or getting the FAA taken care of.


If those morons in Washington could do anything other then fight, they'd be collecting their precious taxes right now!!

 

Sure this is somewhat of a loaded statement, but personally I feel as the MOST successful/profitable companies in our country are the ones that have the least amount of taxes/fees imposed on them.

 

This goes back to a topic we have touched on in the past. Its possible that major airlines are no longer intended to make money for their stockholders. They are public utilities. Delta is a cash cow for other interests and is never really going to be profitable for any length of time. The only people really making "profit" from delta range from bondholders and credit card companies to peanut vendors to hotels and tax collectors. The institutional stockholders of Delta are nothing but place holders and the average investors are sacrificial lambs.
Management gives lip service to making profits for stockholders but they know the system is rigged. They have their hand in the stream. They get their million dollar salaries.
That may be why SWA never used their enormous fuel hedge windfall of the last few years to generate huge profit. Instead they used it to cut fares and try to drive down profitability in the entire industry and maybe put some people out of business.
We need top keep this in mind during negotiations. It is a mistake to think Delta needs to be profitable to pay us what we deserve. We need to view our salaries as a fixed cost to the airline just like rent or maintenance.

 

I don't disagree with that. Look at the oil companies. But my point is they need to be focused on ONE thing right now. The clock is ticking.

 

I've seen plenty of pilots that would have trouble getting in that hole. (sts)

 

ACL must have gotten his on-line trading working.

 

The fact it has gotten to this point already is a disgrace in ever sense of the word. If a budget is not signed by the deadline this will be the first economic crisis created entirely by the bureaucracy down in Washington.

As for the taxes and fees are industry sustains to the federal coffers, I would really like to see an exact annual budget for the FAA on an annual basis.

I mean we pay $1.642 Billion every from our ticket sales, and that seems really big numbers. I understand the agency cannot sustain itself to run and needs revenue coming in for various projects and needs, but collecting $1.642 Billion off the hard work of our employs seems exploitative to me.

 

Yes,yes I did

 

Check, agreed! It is something to think about

BTW, anyone going to the MEC road show today in ATL?