The current state of the airline industry Options

[Oasis]

1) Taxes are a necessity in order to build roads, have schools, subsidize health care, etc. I have no problem with paying taxes. I just wish our gov't would spend less money on bureaucratic bullshit.

2) Inept gov't? Umm... Yeah, I mean, our gov't (between state and federal taxes) is making almost $1.00 on the gallon, but is it really their fault that gas prices are so high. Plain and simple: No.

3) The airline industry will not fail. It's too important to our economy. All we are going to see is major mergers and small airlines going out of business. You're being over dramatic.

4) Airlines are doing everything in their power to not inflate ticket prices. In doing so, they are jacking up the cost of everything else. I think this is a dumb move, but I guess if you travel light and don't have any special needs, you come out on top. Still, I think increasing ticket prices is better than having to pay so much more for an extra bag. Most people travel with 2 bags.

5) Of course the consumer is going to have to pay... we are the ones using the products. That's a stupid thing to say.

Honestly, I guess what I am saying is that I don't appreciate your semi-anarchist comment. I think it's motivated by pure irritation and there is no logic behind it at all. Not to be rude, I'm just saying...

Anarchist? Gimme a fucking break. I'm not Austin. Try realistic.

Oh, and the airlines are jacking up the ticket prices. You were joking, right?

[Mommy]

Anarchist? Gimme a fucking break. I'm not Austin. Try realistic.

Oh, and the airlines are jacking up the ticket prices. You were joking, right?

Do you ever fly? Prices are going up, but not at the rate you would think with how high gas prices are. They are compensating in other areas to keep prices competitive to lure customers.

Yeah, saying you aren't gonna/don't want to pay taxes is anarchist IMO. Also, blaming the gov't for every single thing that goes wrong is too. Consumers just need to wait out this rough time. I think gas prices are gonna fall soon, but that's just my prediction. I don't see them going below $2.87 but I do think we could see $2.99 prices again soon... Give it 3 months.

[impala454]

yup, everything is the government's fault... Will you're starting to sound like a liberal hippie

and if you're going to do the stupid liberal A -> B -> C -> D -> GOVERNMENT correlations, you might as well finish it off:

A->B->C->D->GOVT->ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE

[cmac]

i just got a flight from denver -> texas -> las vegas -> san diego -> denver leaving aug 1st for $350
I don't understand all this prices are rising talk.

[Mommy]

I think prices are still fairly decent. I was looking up last minute flights for my mom since I thought I was going into labor the other day, and it was only $187 each way, buying the day before it left. That's pretty reasonable for not buying 2 weeks in advance.

[Oasis]

yup, everything is the government's fault... Will you're starting to sound like a liberal hippie

and if you're going to do the stupid liberal A -> B -> C -> D -> GOVERNMENT correlations, you might as well finish it off:

A->B->C->D->GOVT->ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE

I'm probably just about as conservative as you. The only difference between me and you is I'm not an ignorant dumbass who thinks nothing is wrong with this country. Seriously, you've gone as far as saying you haven't noticed an increase in the price of groceries....seriously? Are you that closed minded that you'd actually lie to yourself to prove a point, or do you just not go grocery shopping?

I love how people argue that it's our fault because we elect these dumbfucks in to office. Really? When this guy was running and I voted for him, He never mentioned he wanted to push a law requiring a two year wait for divorce (but only two months if the husband is physically abusive!). No, I don't remember that ever being part of his re-election platform. If he had mentioned that I wouldn't have voted for his retarded ass. And no, I didn't actually vote for him because he's from Pampa, I'm trying to show you an example (because I know you'll read through and nitpick and try to find something miniscule and off topic to disprove my point, like you always do).

This is how it works, Chuck. Candidates run on very vague, feel good platforms in an attempt to gain public support and get elected. Once they get elected, they're given free reign to do whatever the hell they want and try to push through absolutely ridiculous laws, and we can't do a damn thing about it until re-election four years later. Let's be realistic here, short of committing homicide, an elected official isn't getting kicked out of office. We're stuck with him and his idiotic ideas for four years, and we have to suffer the consequences.

You're just like Cathryn, and it's hilarious because you don't even realize it. Y'all just happen to be on the polar opposite ends of the political spectrum. You keep screaming "nothing's wrong!" while she keeps screaming "everything's wrong!" To any rational person, it's obvious that neither of those views are even remotely close to reality. Both of y'all are ignorant in your own special way.

A liberal hippie, I'm certainly not. A realist, I am.

[Mommy]

The problem arises when you can't disprove any of the arguments against your original post. You obviously know NOTHING about the airline industry based on your initial post today.

Really the prices that have risen at the grocery store are bread prices. Everything else is just a few cents here and a few cents there. I went shopping yesterday and got everything I needed for under $5. I thought it was going to be closer to $8. Bread is expensive but there is a worldwide shortage of wheat or some shit that is driving prices up. Corn can be pricey because of its use as an alternative fuel. It also doesn't help that there was mass flooding in the Midwest where we get a lot of our corn and wheat crop from. (Again, are you gonna blame the government for the floods in Iowa?) I can still get a bag of boneless chicken breast for under $10, the same price it was last year. I can still buy cake mix for $.99. I mean, I more notice prices changing at fast food restaurants. My husband and I decided to boycott McDonalds for a while since their prices are going through the roof. It's the same price for us to eat at Chick Fil A now.

And seriously, if you didn't vote for the guy because he isn't in your district, why even bitch about it? Citizens do have a right to petition a law to go to vote or petition to have a government official removed from office. People are lazy. I blame people. That, and we live in such a bipartisan country that it's very rare that both Republicans AND Democrats have an equal distaste for an official. It's kinda necessary to have the support of both sides when working to remove someone from office. Besides, I see what he did as a typical Republican move. Plus, it's not always four years. Senators serve 6 year terms I believe. Some officials only serve 2 year terms. Just thought I would add that since your rant is mostly nonsense anyway.

You certainly have been having awfully liberally slanted/non-conservative viewpoints lately. He's not the only one to notice it...hence why I said you were acting somewhat like an anarchist.

[Oasis]

I admit I think a LOT of shit needs to be changed with the government. I think someone is going to rise up and take down certain corrupt elected officials...and of course the government will write it him off as a terrorist and tell everyone so. Only difference between this time and previous times (McVeigh, etc) is that I think people will actually listen to what the guy has to say and maybe, just maybe, agree with him. I keep reading more and more stories about these corrupt government assholes who misappropriate public funds, lie, cheat and steal, etc....and all they're given is a proverbial slap on the wrist. If an American citizen did those things we'd be in prison. That's the thing that bothers me - elected officials answer to no one for their indiscretions. Do you really think their fellow government cronies they're in cahoots with are really going to take them down for the good of the American population? Of course not. Who should be holding them accountable? Us. Of course everyone is a chickenshit and uses the convenient excuse that it's our fault because we elected them in to office. Doesn't fly with me. I'll only hold myself accountable for electing an official in to office if I know exactly what he's going to be doing for the next four years. Of course that's impossible. Using my Chisum example, even in the bible belt of Texas, do you think he would have been elected if he ran on a platform that supported a two month waiting period for battered wives to get a divorce? People in West Texas are pretty ignorant but they're not completely retarded. He would have lost the election in a landslide. That's my point. We elect people people then have to wait four years while they pass through ridiculous laws and fuck up god knows what else and we can't do anything to remedy it. WE should start holding them accountable. Be it through violence or something else. Teach these fuckers a lesson that they do have someone to answer to and they can't get away with whatever they want.

Call me whatever you want. Anarchist is fine. A lot of my views probably are anarchistic. The only difference is my way of fixing things and what I want to see done is completely opposite of what "normal" anarchists want. The only thing we have in common is we both want change.

[Mommy]

If you are in any way shape of form saying that what Timothy McVeigh did was valiant, you sir need mental help. Killing people does not solve problems. That man was a terrorist. He killed over a hundred people, some of which were children in a day care there. Terrorist actions do not make people listen. You know what was so great about the movie V for Vendetta? It proved that points can be made without killing anyone. Yeah, the dude blew up the building or whatever (which I also don't condone because our tax dollars pay for government buildings) but no one died. NO ONE WILL EVER LISTEN TO SOMEONE WHO MURDERS INNOCENT PEOPLE. The government has a lot of paper pushers who simply work for the government and are innocent parties. You have a very extreme viewpoint that only loony people would agree with.

Also, a two month waiting period for a divorce for a battered woman isn't really that bad. A lot of areas have 6 month waiting periods. Additionally, she doesn't have to be living with the guy or near the guy during the time frame. In fact, she can even have a restraining order against her "husband." It takes time for divorces to go through. I mean, getting married took a bit too. It's a week process, if not longer. The only reason I was able to get married within 2 days is because my husband is active duty military. In most cases, you have to secure a marriage license at least a week before the wedding or something like that. I guarantee if that is the guy's most backward viewpoint, I still would have voted for him, mainly because I don't live in some delusional world where things get done over night.

[Oasis]

Timothy McVeigh was a coward who killed over a hundred innocent people. In no way would I ever say he's valiant and he deserves the electric chair

[impala454]

I'm probably just about as conservative as you. The only difference between me and you is I'm not an ignorant dumbass ...

and i'm done

your posts have been so quick and easy lately!

[Hartmann]

Anyone been to an airport recently? It's enraging as fuck. I had to go there to pick up my brother-in-law. He is only 14, so I had to get a pass to go through security to pick him up from the gate (even though the kid is 6 feet tall and looks and acts 18).

First, I had to go to the ticket counter before security. He flew United. They had 1 person working the counters. Every single person needed assistance with the supposed automated check-in, so the one employee is assisting 5 lines at one time. It took me 20 minutes or so to get through that mess and there were only like 5 or 6 people in front of me. Plus, the employees are so overloaded with work that they are pissy as hell. I needed to talk to them because I wasn't checking in. I needed a security pass. They kept telling me to go to the automated thing. Finally, I was like "Look. All I am doing is picking up a minor. I don't have a flight." Finally, they helped me. I got through that then headed to security.

The lines were long at security ,but it was right before 4th of July weekend so that was expected. Only took about 10 minutes to get through that. Everyone knows security is annoying as shit, but when it's the easiest part of the airport experience, there is a problem. It was the easiest part. (Then again, I know the rules and don't pittle pattle around). So I get through security and head to the gate.

United had like 5 or 6 gates all with passengers waiting for planes. They had 1 fucking person working all 6 gates. I didn't know what I was supposed to do to pick him up so I got in line to talk to her. Not only was she handling passengers from all 6 gates, but she was also having to report on delays, keep in contact with the flight crew of incoming flights, make announcements over the intercom when flights were landing, tell passengers what sections were boarding, and god knows what else. I stood there for like 20-30 minutes. There were only 3 people in front of me, and all they needed was seat assignments but she was so busy that she had to keep cutting them off.

Finally, I saw my brother-in-law so I just walked over to the dude he was with and signed a paper and we left. Still, my mother-in-law had to pay $200 extra (on top of the airline ticket) just for the service of having someone walk a 14 year old on and off a plane. That's fucking ridiculous. I'm sorry. I want to support airlines, but when they make it this fucking inconvenient, I would rather drive if the distance is within 10 hours.

If your bag weighs more than 50 pounds, they charge you an extra $100. If you have extra bags, it's $25 for the first bag and then something like $100 for every bag after that. Is fuel really that fucking expensive!?!?!

$200 to have someone walk their kid around? What airline was this?

[Mommy]

$200 to have someone walk their kid around? What airline was this?

United, and they never even left the gate. I met the employee at the gate both times. In fact, they were supposed to physically walk with him on the plane, and they didn't. Their policy is they charge $99 each way for unattended minors. Although, I did just remember that they had to chaperon him to the gate for his connecting flight.
http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,1052,00.html
That's the link that says the price.

[Spectatrix]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5880641.html

what a buncha f'n losers. I don't know how much I believe that they'd save $10 million by shaving 500 lbs off of a 80,000 lb aircraft.

Missed this last month, but they're also charging $2 for the previously free drinks (water, soda, juice): http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/...&id=8771187

[impala454]

geez... F that. I'm glad I don't use air travel much. (or when I do I use Southwest)