[lbo-talk] fly-by-night airlines

Jim Devine jdevine03 at gmail.com
Wed Aug 17 07:17:12 PDT 2005


On 8/17/05, Wojtek Sokolowski <sokol at jhu.edu> wrote:
> Two observations seem to be in order:
> 1. The not-so-well-off are disproportionally paying the price of
> deregulation that put these shadowy operators of aging aircraft in business;

Alaska Airlines (a fly-by-day carrier) had a crash near here a few years ago. It seems that they had cut corners on maintenance because deregulation had meant more competitive pressure.

BTW, the extra burden on the not-so-well-off applies in a lot of kinds of transportation. What about those overloaded ferries that capsize once and awhile in places like the Philipines? I'd bet that no rich people are on those. One reason why the Titanic got so much press is that some rich people died on it.


> 2. Flying on the cheap does not pay; having a better chance of arriving in
> one piece is worth a few extra bucks for the air fare.

hmm... that calculation depends on the probability of crashing on fly-by-night vs. fly-by-day airlines, the difference in air fares, and the value you put on your life. ;-)

-- Jim Devine "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante.



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