How United Airlines Went from “Friendly Skies” to Throwing People Off Flights
1–10 of 89 posts
Re: How United Airlines Went from “Friendly Skies” to Throwing People Off Flights
#2If we as consumers are voting with our wallets, in most cases we're the ones who have accepted the new norm as acceptable in the spirit of chasing ever lower fares. Consider the success of airlines like Ryanair which charges for every possible amenity and slight convenience.
United Airlines has largely been the laggard in the industry in the past 5 years even though their stock price has risen 200%, that is 50% less than their peers like Delta and Alaska Air group who have risen closer to 400% in the same time period. If flying the friendly skies took them into bankruptcy, what could they have done that would've kept them afloat while maintaining a "regulated" carrier status?
Re: How United Airlines Went from “Friendly Skies” to Throwing People Off Flights
#3If we as consumers are voting with our wallets, in most cases we're the ones who have accepted the new norm as acceptable in the spirit of chasing ever lower fares. Consider the success of airlines like Ryanair which charges for every possible amenity and slight convenience. United Airlines has largely been the laggard in the industry in the past 5 years even though their stock price has risen 200%, that is 50% less…
This is the thing that always bothers me. By _far_, when (at least US domestic) travelers book flights, their main and often only consideration is ticket price.
People claim to be annoyed by baggage fees, not being able to select their seat ahead of time, no or limited food, paid in-flight entertainment, overselling, etc., but they refuse to vote with their wallets and pay more for better service.
We've made this bed, and now we're apparently pissed that we have to lie in it.
Re: How United Airlines Went from “Friendly Skies” to Throwing People Off Flights
#4I noticed the author's name is Tim Wu. Is he the same person as the net neutrality guy[1]?
Re: How United Airlines Went from “Friendly Skies” to Throwing People Off Flights
#5If we as consumers are voting with our wallets, in most cases we're the ones who have accepted the new norm as acceptable in the spirit of chasing ever lower fares. Consider the success of airlines like Ryanair which charges for every possible amenity and slight convenience. United Airlines has largely been the laggard in the industry in the past 5 years even though their stock price has risen 200%, that is 50% less…
> If we as consumers are voting with our wallets
The article discusses how the Justice department approved a series of mergers between the major carriers that significantly reduced consumer choice.
It's funny that this "vote with your wallet", "capitalism at work" rhetoric never finds fault with these near-monopolies. You can't have it both ways: either the justice department needs to do its job splitting up big business to preserve competition and consumer choice, or we need to regulate the market so that consumers are treated fairly despite their lack of choice.
Re: How United Airlines Went from “Friendly Skies” to Throwing People Off Flights
#6I noticed the author's name is Tim Wu. Is he the same person as the net neutrality guy[1]? [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Wu
Ok, Yes he is!
https://twitter.com/superwuster/status/852493310270853122
Re: How United Airlines Went from “Friendly Skies” to Throwing People Off Flights
#7If we as consumers are voting with our wallets, in most cases we're the ones who have accepted the new norm as acceptable in the spirit of chasing ever lower fares. Consider the success of airlines like Ryanair which charges for every possible amenity and slight convenience. United Airlines has largely been the laggard in the industry in the past 5 years even though their stock price has risen 200%, that is 50% less…
like Ryanair which charges for every possible amenity and slight convenience.
I think the "new norm" of low-cast airfare we like is the price discrimination - not the violence.
Re: How United Airlines Went from “Friendly Skies” to Throwing People Off Flights
#8If we as consumers are voting with our wallets, in most cases we're the ones who have accepted the new norm as acceptable in the spirit of chasing ever lower fares. Consider the success of airlines like Ryanair which charges for every possible amenity and slight convenience. United Airlines has largely been the laggard in the industry in the past 5 years even though their stock price has risen 200%, that is 50% less…
This is the thing that always bothers me. By _far_, when (at least US domestic) travelers book flights, their main and often only consideration is ticket price. People claim to be annoyed by baggage fees, not being able to select their seat ahead of time, no or limited food, paid in-flight entertainment, overselling, etc., but they refuse to vote with their wallets and pay more for better service. We've made this bed…
United also threw off a $1000 ticket first-classer this week:
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2017/04/11/another-passenger-...
They alienate those who are not considering the ticket price too.
Re: How United Airlines Went from “Friendly Skies” to Throwing People Off Flights
#9If we as consumers are voting with our wallets, in most cases we're the ones who have accepted the new norm as acceptable in the spirit of chasing ever lower fares. Consider the success of airlines like Ryanair which charges for every possible amenity and slight convenience. United Airlines has largely been the laggard in the industry in the past 5 years even though their stock price has risen 200%, that is 50% less…
> If we as consumers are voting with our wallets The article discusses how the Justice department approved a series of mergers between the major carriers that significantly reduced consumer choice. It's funny that this "vote with your wallet", "capitalism at work" rhetoric never finds fault with these near-monopolies. You can't have it both ways: either the justice department needs to do its job splitting up big busi…
You can't talk about busting up near-monopolies without first considering the market environment which created those near-monopolies. I don't see too many people asking how we got here in the first place. Without those questions (for which I have no answers) we're doomed to end right back up here.
Re: How United Airlines Went from “Friendly Skies” to Throwing People Off Flights
#10If we as consumers are voting with our wallets, in most cases we're the ones who have accepted the new norm as acceptable in the spirit of chasing ever lower fares. Consider the success of airlines like Ryanair which charges for every possible amenity and slight convenience. United Airlines has largely been the laggard in the industry in the past 5 years even though their stock price has risen 200%, that is 50% less…
As per Matt Levine's newsletter on Bloomberg:
" ... According to Bloomberg, four of United's top five shareholders are also top-five holders of American. Three of them are also top-five holders of Delta Air Lines Inc. United's top 10 holders own about 49.8 percent of United Stock between them -- and about 51.6 percent of American and 37.6 percent of Delta. American was up 3.8 percent yesterday. ... "
As you can see, boycotting does not necessarily improve things. Just shifts them around a bit.