Our nation’s airlines are in dire financial straits, and the Transportation Security Agency makes their problems worse. The Dow Jones Transportation Index is down 13% over the last year, and the nation’s two biggest airlines lost more than $3 billion combined in 2001. USAirways, the nation’s sixth largest carrier, entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week. USAirways is a high cost carrier which relies on business travel up and down the East Coast. (Their route map is made up of short distance travel throughout the east coast, with plenty of takeoffs and landings relative to flight miles and utilization of high cost airports.) The economy is suppressing business travel, but so is the hassle (delay, cost, aggravation) of airline security. This has hurt USAirways especially, because their profitable routes are the New York-DC-Boston shuttle which has…
Check this out
Check this out and scroll down to July 2nd — airport screeners are still missing 25% of guns, knives, etc.
Following on the
Following on the heals of SpiritAir, National Airlines is offering $1 flights to Las Vegas on September 11th (with First Class fares from $41-$201). Better hurry…
I’ve been spending my day
I’ve been spending my day answering queries on Norm Mineta and haven’t been blogging with my usual voice or with my usual offers. If you’re new to this site, dig down into the archives because posts on most days include great ways to earn free travel and fly first class…
Old charges are new again.
Old charges are new again. Wall Street Journal reporter Thomas Petzinger’s book on the business of the airline industry carries an interesting story about Norm Mineta (p. 93 of the hardcover). Mineta was a swing vote to deliver airline deregulation in the house. So far, so good — you’d think I’d admire the man! However, it seems he sold his vote to Ted Kennedy is exchange for Kennedy headlining a fundraiser for him in California.
Even TAPPED gets
Even TAPPED gets into the act — linking to Instapundit who links to me on this Mineta thing…
An otherwise excellent
An otherwise excellent USA Today piece on the air traffic control blow-by-blow of September 11, 2001 perpetuates the myth that Norm Mineta was decisive in grounding all the aircraft in the country. The decision had already been made by Monte Belger, the no. 2 official at the FAA. Mineta spreads the myth, but it rings false.
