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Why Airlines Want to Make You Suffer

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This fall, JetBlue airline finally threw in the towel. For years, the company was among the last holdouts in the face of an industry trend toward smaller seats, higher fees, and other forms of unpleasantness. JetBlue distinguished itself by providing decent, fee-free service for everyone, an approach that seemed to be working: passengers liked the airline, and it made a consistent profit. (www.newyorker.com) Ещё...

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mldavis2
Mike Davis 6
Fortunately, I'm retired and time is less of a factor than a few years ago. I refuse to fly within the domestic U.S. these days, and prefer to drive. I have more legroom, effectively unlimited baggage storage, discretionary restroom choice, choice of seatmate, and few if any weather delays. I wonder how much revenue the airlines are losing from people who have just given up flying? I now avoid flying whenever possible.
pjshield
pjshield 4
Right there with you, Mike. I'm doing the same and that's after retiring from an airline after 32 years of service.
eddyandy
eddyandy 1
I too have given up flying because of the hassle and treatment. If I can't drive there, I don't have to be there!
vtrracing
Vtr Racing 1
I dont fly much but its not because of legroom. Service is just about non existant. TSA is a hassle and the info they want from you is really non of their business. So I drive mostly.
joelwiley
joel wiley 3
I tend to disagree with the author's premise as outlined in the headline. IMO the airlines do not want you to suffer, it is just that they don't care and you don't matter. What matters is the return on stockholder equity. Passengers are just self-loading cargo.
MikeMohle
Mike Mohle 2
I try to stick with SWA for domestic when possible (every other week), and then drive rest of the way if the destination is not serviced by them. They are consistent, seats sizes are the same, no fees for 2 bags, and the employees seem to like working there + those giant bags of peanuts! The other airlines are awful pretty much all the time, and the employees seem to hate their jobs, from gate agents on up the line.
Muchits
Muchits 2
To say that airlines have no incentive to board planes faster is one of the most uninformed statements I've ever heard! Every minute an plane is on the ground, it is losing money. Therefore airlines have huge incentives to board planes as quickly and efficiently as possible. The New Yorker clearly lacks a real understanding of the airline industry.
mpradel
Marcus Pradel 1
Airports are just as limited by gate space as runway/approach timeslots. Loading much faster wouldn't speed up revenue enough to get an extra flight out of the crew whom are now '117' limited. Plus, their clocks are not running on the ground anyway.
Muchits
Muchits 1
The cost doesn't come from the crew cost, it comes from the overall cost to maintain and operate each aircraft (the fixed cost).
mldavis2
Mike Davis 2
I don't mind the TSA hassle. What I can't (and won't) tolerate is the decreasing legroom. I am 6'4" tall with long legs. I can sit in a United 757 seat in steerage with my butt against the seatback and my knees touching the seatframe in front of me. I get bruised kneecaps from people in front of me trying to recline the seatback. I have given up flying domestically which hasn't cost the airlines much - perhaps 10 ticket prices a year.
mldavis2
Mike Davis 1
I understand. Either the CEO's of these airlines always fly first class, or they are 5'0" midgets sitting in steerage. Best economy class seating I've seen in recent years was on an Emirates 777 and that wasn't all that great.
mariescreations
Jerry Rader 1
A point comes to mind regarding the increase in the number of seats and passengers - have they received FAA approval by performing airplane evacuation tests? As I believe, the airplane must meet certain requirements involving the amount of time it takes to empty in the event of an emergency evacuation based on the number of passengers versus the number of emergency exits. I doubt the number of emergency exits are increased in proportion to the number of additional seats on these cattle cars of the air.
vtrracing
Vtr Racing 1
Yes they do. No they havent. Example, the SP80 went from 139 when it was entered into service now it is at 140....A WHOPPING 1 seat.
sgbelverta
sharon bias 1
If we don't get some new pilots in the pipeline, it will be a moot point because there won't be any flights.
howard1110
Howard Marks 1
I only fly Southwest from one of the three Washington area airports (DCA, IAD or BWI) because of friendly crews, the absence of outrageously high change fees and the ability to check two bags free. Recently, my wife and I flew from DCA to SFO on Southwest via ATL instead of nonstop on one of the legacy carriers. We had a wonderful experience aboard even though we could have saved 90-110 minutes flying nonstop. Don't complain about high fees, switch to Southwest.
mldavis2
Mike Davis 1
I have to agree that Southwest is my airline of choice - WHEN I must fly. But SW is also crowding seats another inch or two to stuff another row in. Other than leg room, they are the best I've flown for domestic flights.
ToddBaldwin3
ToddBaldwin3 1
It's the sardine can seating that makes me dread going home on leave from overseas. It's almost to a point that I don't want to fly back.
vtrracing
Vtr Racing -1
This kind of journalism from the New Yorker is not surprising.

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