Aviation Marketing Intelligence

I don’t know why Andy Rooney bugs me so much, but a recent airline bashing piece finally brought my Rooney focus into better and more obvious light.

Andy is upset about the airlines - so are we, we get that. The problem of running an efficient, profitable, and “expectation exceeding” airline is not an easy one to solve. The problem with rants of this sort is that as old as Andy is, he is beginning to suffer from simple amnesia.

There was a time when airfares were out of reach to the ordinary citizen. Only the upper echelon of business and society flew and they flew in big, wide, comfortable (albeit slightly less fuel efficient) flying boats, pressurized piston airliners, turboprops, and eventually the venerable jet airliner such as the Boeing 707. These were the days… evidently, for Andy anyway.

But alas progress brings pain like delays, smaller seats, and yes, not so thin flight attendants. (Are flight attendants really “bigger” today than yesterday? And is this part of Andy’s ire?

The real ridiculous element of this opinion piece is the notion of protesting by not going anywhere. I am sure if we had a good concerted effort and a descent financial incentive to stay home, this goal could be achieved. But the airlines exist to service a need and the train wreck we have before us today in terms of on time performance, constant financial problems, and general crappy service should be viewed in the proper context:

How important is safety to you? The airlines are ridiculously safe. You might be at more risk staying home and getting robbed than jumping on an airliner to Nairobi. (Yes, Andy.. we can go to Nairobi inexpensively now, thanks to these creeps called the airlines.)

Twenty or 50 years ago, safety statistics were wildly different for a combination of reasons, but the most important one? Evolution. It tends to deliver something slightly better than the predecessor. This is neither good nor bad, just one of those guys like Andy, learn to accept!

For what demographic do you speak? You can go from Tampa to New Orleans for less than a typical sushi splurge or from Manchester, NH to Phoenix, AZ for less than the price of that ridiculously expensive seat at the Giant’s games you love so. That is cheap.

Even the socialistic Europeans have been bitten by the bug. (Marseilles to Dublin for a Pint? No problem… warning.. the pints may cost more than the airfare on Easyjet or Ryanair.) These fares are much cheaper than what the offering was in the era of emaciated flight attendants. That is why the unwashed masses are jamming airline hubs and hamming it up with crying babies and tank tops. It is because travel is for everyone, not just cantankerous legacy CBS correspondents. You don’t need to travel in a suit anymore and that is just a fact - not good or bad, just something to accept.

What is the purpose of your rant? Do you realize how much joy the low cost and convenience of much of the modern era of air travel brings? Yes - it is misery on some days, many days, we’ve all been there, but let’s keep it in context. It costs less, you can go more often, your safety is virtually guaranteed, and anyone living in the US that can afford a bus ticket, can usually cough up a ticket for Southwest.

I like the airlines, warts and all.

Btw, this was the beginning of my realization that Andy may have indeed lost touch with the rest of the herd.

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