Article

2022-07-30 -Signs, Portents, and the Weather-

Airlines Will Cut Back to Avoid a "Meltdown"

[Dallas Morning News] After ~~nearly~~ passing through the busiest stretch of the summer travel season, airlines are pulling back schedules and international airports are adding passenger limits in hopes of avoiding a total meltdown heading into ~~the rest of the busy summer travel season~~ the fall.

In the last few weeks, Fort Worth-based American Airlines cut thousands of flights over the next three months after Chicago-based United Airlines said it is putting growth on hold into 2023. This week United cut another 3,900 flights from its October plans.

The airlines need to capitalize on high ticket prices to make up for more than $37 billion in losses over the last two and a half years, even with $50 billion in government aid. Even so, airline executives are deciding that restraint is now the only option, even with strong customer demand.

Several factors are contributing to those decisions. Carriers and airports face labor shortages, heightened by logjams in training. Outbreaks and new variants of COVID-19 are emerging. Supply chain issues and airplane delivery delays loom, which particularly affect the rebounding international travel market.
Most of those factors have covid in common.
Some of Europe’s biggest airports in London, Frankfurt and Amsterdam are adding capacity caps that are straining the international travel system at some of its most critical connecting points.

Meanwhile, a pilot shortage that has loomed over airlines for more than a decade likely won’t resolve itself for two or three years. Labor unions say workers are fed up with long hours, forced overtime and rebooked flights even as they fight for higher pay to make up for historic inflation.
Related to pilot reductions due to covid vaccine mandates. Sensing a theme?

The biggest logjam in the airline industry right now is in training. American and Southwest have each hired more than 10,000 employees during the last year. But it takes weeks or months of training before those new hires are ready to work. And it takes months or years before they’re running at full speed, said Kenneth Quinn, a former counsel for the Federal Aviation Administration.

For airlines and airports, the staffing shortage has spread from restaurant workers and janitors to baggage handlers and ticket agents.

Isom said it could be two or three years before one labor shortage is worked out — the need for regional airline pilots. The training pipeline for pilots is long and expensive, leading airlines to fight for the limited number of pilots already certified.

For airline travelers, the mix of labor shortages, high fuel prices and strong demand mean ticket prices will remain stubbornly high and flights will continue to be scarce, Grant said. "That means maybe less production coming online." "It also means the consumer is going to have to be willing to pay more."
Pay more for less - another measure of Joeflation.

Posted by Bobby 2022-07-30 09:19|| || Front Page|| [11134 views ] Top

#1 Fewer flights means more overbooking, more passengers bumped. If you get bumped from your flight, the entire point of flying to save time is mooted, unless you are traveling overseas, in which case you have no choice anyway.

Posted by M. Murcek 2022-07-30 10:19|| 2022-07-30 10:19|| Front Page Top

#2 In my lifetime flying coach has gone from pleasant and comfortable, to an ordeal of physical discomfort coupled with massive inconvenience and expense both before and after. Now we have devolved to unreliable and downright insulting. Look at the massive unclaimed baggage displays at major airports, and remember, every single bag has the name, address and contact information of the owner. The airline simply ignored bothering to even send a simple notification, since most of the bags were sent as checked baggage to the wrong location, and notification would require additional handling and workload. Customer service is an alien concept to United, American and even Delta.

Posted by NoMoreBS 2022-07-30 11:40|| 2022-07-30 11:40|| Front Page Top

#3 Delta Airlines has been at the vanguard of tawdry service for many years.

Posted by Besoeker 2022-07-30 12:15|| 2022-07-30 12:15|| Front Page Top

#4 Meanwhile, a pilot shortage that has loomed over airlines for more than a decade likely won’t resolve itself for two or three years. Labor unions say workers are fed up with long hours, forced overtime and rebooked flights even as they fight for higher pay to make up for historic inflation.

Yeah, that's a line of Bull-Shit. Admitting the obvious to cover the truth.

Posted by swksvolFF 2022-07-30 12:45|| 2022-07-30 12:45|| Front Page Top

#5 ‘Hunger Games’ or ‘Atlas Shrugged’

Posted by Glenmore 2022-07-30 15:45|| 2022-07-30 15:45|| Front Page Top

#6 I can't hardly bring myself to go into town.

Posted by Skidmark 2022-07-30 23:56|| 2022-07-30 23:56|| Front Page Top

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