Re-regulate the airlines? Heck, yes

Deregulation in the airlines was a consumer firendly move. I am opposed to re regulation.

Socialism doesn't help customer service; it hurts it, and since the main gripes in your "solutions" are customer-service oriented, then the only thing you should advocate is control of predatory pricing and airline mergers which reduce the number of competing airlines. Everything else will be sorted out by the flying public. The free market will pick which airline offers the best service for the best price.

One more “re-regulation” that would greatly help the airline industry would be to allow workers to opt out of joining unions and act as free agents. The airline unions (also a socialist concept) are, in large part, to blame for lower profits for the airlines. Labor is, by far, the most expensive part of running an airline. Labor costs far exceed the prices of the aircraft or fuel. They negotiate contracts based on greed, not the health of the business. Each union wants to one-up the contract signed by the competitor airline's union. With union rules governing labor costs, the airlines have to go bankrupt, or nearly so, before they can adjust the cost of labor to match their profits. Also, the restrictive labor union agreements contribute to employee dis-satisfaction, which hurts the customer directly; we've all felt the brunt of a disgruntled gate agent or flight attendant. Labor unions enforce strict seniority pay-scales that only reward how long you have occupied a position, not the quality of your work. If you are dissatisfied at your job for whatever reason, your options are: 1) Go to a competitor airline and start at the bottom of the pay-scale again, regardless of your experience, 2) Leave the airline industry, or 3) Stay on in the current unsatisfying situation and gripe and hope the union can help you. Those employees who’ve chosen the first option are unhappy at their new airline even though they may have found a better work environment, because they have taken a cut in pay, thanks to the union. Those employees choosing the third option are obviously unhappy because they are still in a dissatisfying job situation hoping that the snail’s-pace union grievance process will resolve their problem.  Unions foster an extreme sense of entitlement where you are conditioned to expect to be compensated simply because you exist, not because you have earned it. Unions all started out very nobly, to protect low-skilled workers with low professional mobility in monopolistic industry circumstances, but now they are representing highly skilled employees with the ability to move very fluidly through the industry if not for union restrictions.

I already avoid flying unless I have no choice at all.

The price you see is the price you pay. I am all in favor of that one.

Something has got to be done to get the airlines back under control.  If that means re-regulation, so be it. 

Some journalist writes an article like this every time his bags get lost and every time he gets stuck on the tarmac.  "I'll show you, big corporation!", the journalist silently screams.

Price regulation is a bad idea.  Predatory pricing can and should be enforced under antitrust rules.  Guarantees such as price transparency, fully insured baggage, and delay compensation are good idea and would need to be legislated, but having the government regulate all operations will only raise prices and decrease available service nationwide.

/A democrat who believes in smart capitalism balanced by smart, moderate socialism.

I feel that both the airlines and banks should be regulated!!! I really do not understand the pay of executives period. Some should take the route of some of our state governor's and mayor's of cities...stop with the outrageous pay and bonuses!! Someone should give some Humanity rules to airline passengers at some of these small airports!

For now, I avoid airline travel as much as I can from my local airport!!

Market solves all !!!

Pathetic,considering the state of the industry.

8 years of PATHETIC failure.........thankfully over with.

Socialism? That's what Rush Limbaugholics say about traffic lights!

there is a reason why the cost to fly has never been cheaper and many many more americans can afford to fly. it isn't regulation.

I absolutely agree!!!  The trashing of our airline system is only one of the many, many problems caused by conservatives and their ilk.  We've been sold a really BAD bill of goods with the concept of the "free market place" and deregulation.  It should be obvious to even the most foolish of citizens that this model does not work.  I don't think that regulating the industries vital to the functioning of our country is socialist -- it's simply common sense.   Buying into the concept of deregulation has culminated in this current administration and it's cronies perpetrating the largest heist of the American public's money ever seen.    I'm hoping that the lessons we are learning now will stay with our children and their children's children so that it never happens again.  

I've pretty much quit flying...only a couple of trips since 9/11/2001.  I quit not because of any fears, but just decided the TSA procedures were one burden too many on top of what had already become a miserable way to get from Point A to Point B.

If you're completely against re-regulating the airline industry, then maybe you don't remember what a pleasant experience flying was prior to the late 1970's or whenever all this de-reg crap started.  If you bought a ticket, you were going to get there with minimal problems.  Transportation, communications, utility power...these are vital components of national infrastructure that should be secure and in first class working order for all, over and above the profit motive (which seems to have left the scene anyway).

What a shame we killed the trains over the past half-century instead of improving them.

Enough about regulation. How about Accountialibility? Right now there is none and we as consumers have NO RIGHTS. We are at the mercy of the Airlines. The airlines can and will do everything they can to increase prices, lower our expectations and nickel and dime us to death. I am in favor of a Passenger Bill of Rights OR we can just Sue them in Court.

2007 was the 34th consecutive profitable year for Southwest Airlines. 

In 2008, Forbes named Southwest "America's Most Reliable Airline"  They don't need a government bailout, handout, nor do they need the government propping up poor companies who reward bad management again and again, while letting their airlines fail.

Most US airlines have more problems than a math book.  Southwest is the exception.  That have a sound business model that works.  Imagine that.  A company who sells a service for a profit with outstanding service compared to the rest of their industry and to other industries.

Southwest is one of America's most admired companies, and consistently rated as a great place to work.  Why can't the other airlines achieve these results?  That's the million dollar question, but de-regulation isn't the answer.

We don't need deregulation.

Our government, bank and customers need unprofitable airlines to go out of business.  That's right Chapter 7, not Chapter 11.

If your company isn't profitable, cease operations.  It's a very simple concept.

The problem in this country is that there is such a culture of greed and selfishness permeating our society that no regulation doesn't work.  Big corporations, CEOs, management, you name it, all take advantage of no regulation.  The federal government needs to act as our watch dog....we have no other option.

How I miss lobster in First Class, steak in tourist, lots of leg room, service rather than abuse from the flight attendants, on time departures and arrivals, not having to fly in little toy airplanes with little boy pilots, in flight announcements, courtesy from agents, free hotels if you cancel, courtesy cocktails, current magazines and newspapers, pillows, blankets, and the list goes on and on!  Reregulate by all means!  The dog catchers treats his strays better than the airlines treat us!  Oh, for the good old days! 

Ready when you are? I'm ready for regulation of Delta after watching my luggage somehow make it onto the long-booked Atlanta-to-Portland leg of a San Antonio to Portland itinerary. I was left stunned before a just-closed boarding door along with two other San Antonio-to-Portland passengers who were trying to get home and, after all, were on time for the final flight leg. Instead, we are on a flight to Detroit. Great. Airline regulation? Heck yes.

Passengers may grumble about legroom, but what they really want are low fares.  Airlines would be happy to expand business class, but only a small percentage of passengers are willing to pay anything extra for comfort.

This is as it should be – saving $100 is a big deal to most people, and 3 hours in a small seat is worth it.  Minimum fares would force people of moderate means to subsidize the comfort of wealthy travelers.  They would also mean empty airplane seats, a terrible waste of valuable resources.

Yes, airlines profits are low.  Why is that a bad thing?  Competition is supposed to produce profits that are just barely enough to keep goods and services flowing.  Higher profits are wasteful and unjust.

Passengers may grumble about legroom, but what they really want are low fares.  Airlines would be happy to expand business class, but only a small percentage of passengers are willing to pay anything extra for comfort.

This is as it should be – saving $100 is a big deal to most people, and 3 hours in a small seat is worth it.  Minimum fares would force people of moderate means to subsidize the comfort of wealthy travelers.  They would also mean empty airplane seats, a terrible waste of valuable resources.

Yes, airlines profits are low.  Why is that a bad thing?  Competition is supposed to produce profits that are just barely enough to keep goods and services flowing.  Higher profits are wasteful and unjust.

I have not flown in years but I remember that they were so nice back then. They treated me like I was their boss and in a way we really are. Without the customers there would be no reason for them to show up to work. I have taken the trains and I like them but the rails are in bad need of repair. We need rules because without rules, greed will win.

At this point in the evolution of travel, the absolute worst way to go is by commercial air.  The system is broken, the product is barely acceptable at all, the physical discomfort of air travel is probably chronically dangerous to ones health, is  it is arguably unsafe in many cases and users cannot feel anything other than being ripped off with "nonsense" fees.  The ONLY reason I fly is time and long distance and the inability of our transportation system to have any other means for scheduled travel (even though airline schedules are at best, only a general guideline).

I am a "prestige flyer" on two airlines so I know what I am talking about.  Many carriers outside of US are more acceptable but unfortunately most have model led themselves after the US carriers.  

I  say regulate them now and let's move forward (rather than the constant march backwards we are doing now). 

Maybe some of you think the deregulation is good for the prices but, to those of us in smaller cities, deregulation sucks.

I can go from Atlanta GA to Las Vegas for $229.99 round trip: the problem is I live in Lynchburg VA and the ticket to get to Atlanta is $749.00. New York to London is $329.99 round trip but Lynchburg VA to New York is $679.00 and I have to go through either Atlanta or Charlotte NC to get there. From Lynchburg to Denver cost $1,299.00, most of it being to get to and from Atlanta or Charlotte.

Add this to the joy of being treated like cargo, spending several hours waiting in terminals where the food is overpriced and nasty at best, and the chances of ever seeing your luggage again is comparable to seeing a blizzard in Miami in June and you know why so many of us prefer to either drive or stay home.

With regards to the idea of regulating the airlines, that would only serve to make air travel more expensive, which would hurt consumers, not just the airlines themselves. In particular, setting a minimum price above the free market clearing price under deregulation would only create an excess of supply relative to demand for air travel. What does this mean? This means that if you're wealthy and can afford paying for the artificially inflated costs of air travel under re-regulation, you will make out quite fine, because now you will be able to travel without as many people cramping up the plane. However, if you are poor, or of a modest financial status, the increased prices under regulation could completely cripple you, particularly under these tight economic times. So, please realize, if you are wealthy enough to travel comfortably, that re-regulation of the airlines will only make your air travel more comfortable to the extent that by doing so, relatively poor people will be discriminated against by the higher costs of travel. Finally, just a thought...I agree that these corporations tend to be quite greedy and generally are concerned only with maximizing their own profits, as opposed to acting in a benevolent or altruistic nature. The problem, however, is that these companies are only greedy to the extent that the individuals who comprise them are greedy. So, why then, would similar individuals who choose to work in government be, by definition, any more benevolent? In my opinion, governments, like businesses, are motivated primarily by advancing their own self-interests; and in the case of government, this means consolidating benefits while diversifying much greater costs. If re-regulation of the airlines passes, the relatively wealthy may benefit in any number of ways, such as increased luxuries, but this would come at the cost of harming the less affluent. In other words, regulation of the airlines would harm those who can least afford to be harmed, and government, therefore, should not do it.

Let's go back to 1972?  When flying was wonderful?  I have a few friends who would love that... they miss smoking on flights.  I've been flying too long and have too good a memory to buy into any rollback talk.  Most people don't know how good it used to be because only the "wealthy" could afford to fly back then.  I hate flying Southwest, but I do because it's cheap.  I fly Continental for business because I'm not paying.  The good old days were mostly just old... not that good.

Great, another Liberal SOCIALIST article..

I'm disappointed that this article wasn't well thought-out or researched. It seems to be a slapped-together complaint list compiled from notes taken on an in-flight napkin. As an airline industry insider, here are my thoughts:

Socialism doesn't help customer service; it hurts it, and since the main gripes in your "solutions" are customer-service oriented, then the only thing you should advocate is control of predatory pricing and airline mergers, which reduce the number of competing airlines. Everything else will be sorted out by the flying public. The free market will pick which airline offers the best service for the best price.

One more “re-regulation” that would greatly help the airline industry would be to allow workers to opt out of joining unions and act as free agents. The airline unions (also a socialist concept) are, in large part, to blame for lower profits for the airlines. Labor is, by far, the most expensive part of running an airline. Labor costs far exceed the prices of the aircraft or fuel. They negotiate contracts based on greed, not the health of the business. Each union wants to one-up the contract signed by the competitor airline's union. With union rules governing labor costs, the airlines have to go bankrupt, or nearly so, before they can adjust the cost of labor to match their profits. Also, the restrictive labor union agreements contribute to employee dis-satisfaction, which hurts the customer directly; we've all felt the brunt of a disgruntled gate agent or flight attendant. Labor unions enforce strict seniority pay-scales that only reward how long you have occupied a position, not the quality of your work. If you are dissatisfied at your job for whatever reason, your options are: 1) Go to a competitor airline and start at the bottom of the pay-scale again, regardless of your experience, 2) Leave the airline industry, or 3) Stay on in the current unsatisfying situation and gripe and hope the union can help you. Those employees who’ve chosen the first option are unhappy at their new airline even though they may have found a better work environment, because they have taken a cut in pay, thanks to the union. Those employees choosing the third option are obviously unhappy because they are still in a dissatisfying job situation hoping that the snail’s-pace union grievance process will resolve their problem.  Unions foster an extreme sense of entitlement where you are conditioned to expect to be compensated simply because you exist, not because you have earned it. Unions all started out very nobly, to protect low-skilled workers with low professional mobility in monopolistic industry circumstances, but now they are representing highly skilled employees with the ability to move very fluidly through the industry if not for union restrictions.