Comments on: Major airlines rake in $1.9 billion in third-quarter profits, but is the party almost over? http://www.elliott.org/blog/major-airlines-rake-in-19-billion-third-quarter-profits-but-is-the-party-almost-over/ Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott's site. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:25:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Claire Walter http://www.elliott.org/blog/major-airlines-rake-in-19-billion-third-quarter-profits-but-is-the-party-almost-over/comment-page-1/#comment-7247 Claire Walter Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:24:57 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/major-airlines-rake-in-19-billion-third-quarter-profits-but-is-the-party-almost-over/#comment-7247 Darryl - I wish I still Continental in my flying life. I used to live in NJ and flew Continental out of its EWR hub all the time. I moved to CO when DEN was also a Continental hub and flew it all the time too. But then, when commercial operations moved from the old Stapleton to Denver Intl Airport, where Continental initially leased all of convenient Concourse A and opened a big club facility, the airline dropped Denver as a hub -- or Denver made it difficult/impossible for Continental to hub here. Now, the only places Continental flies from Denver are Houston, Cleveland and Newark -- and I hardly ever fly them anymore. I was a Continental loyalist and wish I could have remained one. Claire @ http://travel-babel.blogspot.com Darryl – I wish I still Continental in my flying life. I used to live in NJ and flew Continental out of its EWR hub all the time. I moved to CO when DEN was also a Continental hub and flew it all the time too. But then, when commercial operations moved from the old Stapleton to Denver Intl Airport, where Continental initially leased all of convenient Concourse A and opened a big club facility, the airline dropped Denver as a hub — or Denver made it difficult/impossible for Continental to hub here. Now, the only places Continental flies from Denver are Houston, Cleveland and Newark — and I hardly ever fly them anymore. I was a Continental loyalist and wish I could have remained one.

Claire @ http://travel-babel.blogspot.com

]]> By: Darryl Cohen http://www.elliott.org/blog/major-airlines-rake-in-19-billion-third-quarter-profits-but-is-the-party-almost-over/comment-page-1/#comment-7206 Darryl Cohen Wed, 19 Dec 2007 00:19:56 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/major-airlines-rake-in-19-billion-third-quarter-profits-but-is-the-party-almost-over/#comment-7206 At least give Continental a break. They are doing a great job from pillows to food to good attitudes.I go out of my way to fly Continental & change planes in Houston. Unfortunately my hometown airline just doesn't seem to get it.After Bankruptcy the advertising campaign has been among the best that I recall. Unfortunately that seems to be where it ends.Customer service ,food ,pillows ? Did I say that I live in Atlanta? Darryl At least give Continental a break. They are doing a great job from pillows to food to good attitudes.I go out of my way to fly Continental & change planes in Houston. Unfortunately my hometown airline just doesn’t seem to get it.After Bankruptcy the advertising campaign has been among the best that I recall. Unfortunately that seems to be where it ends.Customer service ,food ,pillows ? Did I say that I live in Atlanta?
Darryl

]]> By: Claire Walter http://www.elliott.org/blog/major-airlines-rake-in-19-billion-third-quarter-profits-but-is-the-party-almost-over/comment-page-1/#comment-7195 Claire Walter Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:51:25 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/major-airlines-rake-in-19-billion-third-quarter-profits-but-is-the-party-almost-over/#comment-7195 Never mind the $1 per leg. Let's think big picture, and IMHO, in the big picturen numbers can be played with to "prove" anything. Allegedly bankrupt airlines have kept flying and allegedly profitable ones probably show black on the ledger sheets now and then in order to appease/please stockholders and seduce Wall Street. Shares go up. Top execs get bonuses -- on top of the bonuses they have been getting for slipping in surchanges while downsizing staff, cutting inflight niceties and trimming routes at will. Perhaps Michael Moore, having recently taken on the venal American medical/insurance industry in "Sicko," will take on the travel industry too. Oh, I can dream, can't I? Claire @ http://travel-babel.blogspot.com Never mind the $1 per leg. Let’s think big picture, and IMHO, in the big picturen numbers can be played with to “prove” anything. Allegedly bankrupt airlines have kept flying and allegedly profitable ones probably show black on the ledger sheets now and then in order to appease/please stockholders and seduce Wall Street. Shares go up. Top execs get bonuses — on top of the bonuses they have been getting for slipping in surchanges while downsizing staff, cutting inflight niceties and trimming routes at will. Perhaps Michael Moore, having recently taken on the venal American medical/insurance industry in “Sicko,” will take on the travel industry too. Oh, I can dream, can’t I?

Claire @ http://travel-babel.blogspot.com

]]> By: Jasper http://www.elliott.org/blog/major-airlines-rake-in-19-billion-third-quarter-profits-but-is-the-party-almost-over/comment-page-1/#comment-7193 Jasper Tue, 18 Dec 2007 12:08:28 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/major-airlines-rake-in-19-billion-third-quarter-profits-but-is-the-party-almost-over/#comment-7193 Quite frankly, I think $1 per leg is way too much. That would raise hundreds of millions for organization that undoubtly would start buy leasing a lavish building on K St in Washington. Nobody wants that. So, let's leave it at a cent per leg. Surely nobody can object against a cent? Furthermore, a dollar would be too much if one of the main peeves of that consumer organization would be to constantly hammer the travell industry about all their fees and surcharges..... Quite frankly, I think $1 per leg is way too much. That would raise hundreds of millions for organization that undoubtly would start buy leasing a lavish building on K St in Washington. Nobody wants that. So, let’s leave it at a cent per leg. Surely nobody can object against a cent? Furthermore, a dollar would be too much if one of the main peeves of that consumer organization would be to constantly hammer the travell industry about all their fees and surcharges…..

]]> By: Jesse http://www.elliott.org/blog/major-airlines-rake-in-19-billion-third-quarter-profits-but-is-the-party-almost-over/comment-page-1/#comment-7192 Jesse Tue, 18 Dec 2007 08:07:51 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/major-airlines-rake-in-19-billion-third-quarter-profits-but-is-the-party-almost-over/#comment-7192 Well, easy it won't be! We need to put enough people out there to bug their reps so that they pass this through congress to make this a law. Airline companies WILL NOT LIKE THIS! If we as consumers do not get together towards a common goal, the government will not do it for us, and the only real way of us being able to do this is by having it go as a law through congress. Maybe a travel blogger we all know can spearhead this project by getting this into the head of the public and people like us can get proposals ready for congress. I wouldn't care about $1 per leg and I would like actually having someone tell congress what WE think (representation) and fight with airlines for OUR rights as consumers. Unfortunately we are at a point in which we depend on flying a little more than we should (if we wanted to put enough pressure on airline companies). Please don't tell anyone who I really am...I don't want to be treated worst than what airlines are already treating me (us). Well, easy it won’t be!

We need to put enough people out there to bug their reps so that they pass this through congress to make this a law. Airline companies WILL NOT LIKE THIS! If we as consumers do not get together towards a common goal, the government will not do it for us, and the only real way of us being able to do this is by having it go as a law through congress.

Maybe a travel blogger we all know can spearhead this project by getting this into the head of the public and people like us can get proposals ready for congress.

I wouldn’t care about $1 per leg and I would like actually having someone tell congress what WE think (representation) and fight with airlines for OUR rights as consumers. Unfortunately we are at a point in which we depend on flying a little more than we should (if we wanted to put enough pressure on airline companies).

Please don’t tell anyone who I really am…I don’t want to be treated worst than what airlines are already treating me (us).

]]> By: David Hook http://www.elliott.org/blog/major-airlines-rake-in-19-billion-third-quarter-profits-but-is-the-party-almost-over/comment-page-1/#comment-7189 David Hook Tue, 18 Dec 2007 04:49:58 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/major-airlines-rake-in-19-billion-third-quarter-profits-but-is-the-party-almost-over/#comment-7189 I like your idea Jesse though it would involve the government actually agreeing to add $1 to each ticket and the airline or ticket agency to collect it to fund an organisation which could/should/would be taking both of those parties to task. I don't see the government or the airlines wanting to help us do that to them. I like your idea Jesse though it would involve the government actually agreeing to add $1 to each ticket and the airline or ticket agency to collect it to fund an organisation which could/should/would be taking both of those parties to task.

I don’t see the government or the airlines wanting to help us do that to them.

]]> By: Kevin Murray http://www.elliott.org/blog/major-airlines-rake-in-19-billion-third-quarter-profits-but-is-the-party-almost-over/comment-page-1/#comment-7184 Kevin Murray Mon, 17 Dec 2007 21:35:12 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/major-airlines-rake-in-19-billion-third-quarter-profits-but-is-the-party-almost-over/#comment-7184 I would not mind paying $1.00 per leg to fund a group like that. I would not mind paying $1.00 per leg to fund a group like that.

]]> By: Jesse http://www.elliott.org/blog/major-airlines-rake-in-19-billion-third-quarter-profits-but-is-the-party-almost-over/comment-page-1/#comment-7180 Jesse Mon, 17 Dec 2007 19:28:46 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/major-airlines-rake-in-19-billion-third-quarter-profits-but-is-the-party-almost-over/#comment-7180 As it has been stated enough times, travel used to be pleasurable (not long ago) and airlines actually cared about the customers and what they had to say. I remember getting bumped to first class for no good reason in the past and nowadays even if the plane is empty, including first class, those who request a class bump will never get it. I would imagine a class bump would be good customer service and airlines do not want to do that. I imagine there ought to be an organization acting on behalf of consumers. A consumer advocacy group run by consumers not by airlines. What if we as consumers were able to get the government to add a $1 fee per ticket for this organization? Funding would be present the organization would not act on behalf of airlines interests or government interests (since the government believes there is nothing wrong with the airline industry). Does anyone mind a $1.00 per leg increase to fund this organization? I sure don't. As it has been stated enough times, travel used to be pleasurable (not long ago) and airlines actually cared about the customers and what they had to say. I remember getting bumped to first class for no good reason in the past and nowadays even if the plane is empty, including first class, those who request a class bump will never get it. I would imagine a class bump would be good customer service and airlines do not want to do that.

I imagine there ought to be an organization acting on behalf of consumers. A consumer advocacy group run by consumers not by airlines. What if we as consumers were able to get the government to add a $1 fee per ticket for this organization? Funding would be present the organization would not act on behalf of airlines interests or government interests (since the government believes there is nothing wrong with the airline industry).

Does anyone mind a $1.00 per leg increase to fund this organization? I sure don’t.

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