????????????
Where is all the MONEY GOING?!!!!!!!!!!!????????
"Delta has small profit for quarter" by Joshua Reed | Associated Press, April 24, 2013
MINNEAPOLIS — Delta Air Lines said government spending cuts and weak demand from vacationers are hurting revenue this month.
What cuts?
Lower fuel prices should help to offset the decline, the airline said on Tuesday.
The world’s second-biggest airline earned $7 million for the quarter that ended March 31....
The first three months of the year are often money-losers for airlines. Delta says this was its best first-quarter operating profit in more than a decade.
Delta’s oil refinery near Philadelphia lost $22 million because of ongoing supply disruptions from Hurricane Sandy and an outage in its gasoline production unit.
Sandy still hasn't been cleaned up, in fact, never was. The media just told you that, and sold you on the Obama is a much more effective manager. Christie got his cut of emergency loot, and that's that.
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"Full planes boost US Airways" by Joshua Freed | Associated Press, April 24, 2013
NEW YORK — Full planes were good to US Airways in the first quarter.
The nation’s fifth-largest airline on Tuesday posted a bigger adjusted profit as it carried more passengers and collected more from them.
Revenue from government travelers dropped 37 percent in March, when federal spending cuts kicked in. But ‘‘leisure demand has remained quite strong thus far in 2013,’’ President Scott Kirby said on a conference call.
The airline earned $44 million...
Wow, that left Delta grounded with a mere $7 million.
Revenue rose....
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"As delays continue, FAA urged to find other places to cut; But agency says furloughs are the only solution" by Scott Mayerowitz | Associated Press, April 24, 2013
NEW YORK — A day after flight delays plagued much of the nation, air travel was smoother Tuesday, but the government warned passengers that the situation could change by the hour as thousands of air-traffic controllers are forced to take furloughs because of budget cuts.
Translation: this government only has enough tax loot for wars, Wall Street, well-connected corporations, and to fund their lavish political lifestyles. That's it.
Meanwhile, airlines and members of Congress urged the Federal Aviation Administration to find other ways to reduce spending. Airlines are worried about the long-term costs late flights will have on their budgets and on passengers.
Look to me like they reported a pretty good profit in the briefs two pages before with sequester, so WTF?!!!!!!!!!
‘‘I just can’t imagine this stays in place for an extended period of time. It’s just such terrible policy,’’ US Airways CEO Doug Parker said. ‘‘We can handle it for a little while, but it can’t continue.’’
How many millions did your airline pull down last quarter? Revenues rose?
I'm just SO SICK of reading SHIT-ASS LIARS in the FUCKING NEWSPAPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The delays are the most visible effect yet of Congress and the White House’s failure to agree on a long-term deficit-reduction plan.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said no one should be surprised by the problem, noting that he warned about it two months ago. His solution: Blame Congress....
Pffft!
Senators John D. Rockefeller IV, a West Virginia Democrat, and John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, sent a letter to LaHood on Monday accusing the FAA of being ‘‘slow and disturbingly limited’’ in response to their questions. They suggested the FAA could divert money from other accounts, such as those devoted to research, commercial space transportation, and modernization of the air-traffic control computers.
Others in Congress urged the Obama administration to postpone the furlough for at least 30 days.
In the past five years, the FAA’s operating budget has grown by 10.4 percent while the number of domestic commercial flights has fallen 13 percent....
The FAA says the numbers aren’t so clear cut. In that time, the government has signed a new, more expensive contract with air traffic controllers, added 400 new aviation safety inspectors, and beefed up its payroll to deploy a new air traffic-control computer system.
Yeah, about that new system: Sunday Globe Special: WTF, FAA?
Hey, at least Lockheed made a good buck or two out of it. You can rest easy on the plane with that knowledge.
So given the budget cuts, FAA officials say they now have no choice but to furlough all 47,000 agency employees — including nearly 15,000 controllers — because salaries make up 70 percent of the agency’s budget. Each employee will lose one day of work every two weeks.
You know, I heard it was FUN to work at the FAA.
But look on the bright side; poor controllers will have more free time to party!
Planes will have to take off and land less frequently, so as not to overload the remaining controllers on duty.
About 400 delays piled up Sunday and another 1,200 Monday that were linked to the furloughs....
Think I give a flying fu....
And these are going to be the guys in charge of the drone program Rand Paul wants to rain down us, that fuck.
Travel has not yet reached the levels the FAA warned about where some airports — like those in Atlanta or New York or Chicago — could see delays of more than three hours. Mother Nature has so far cooperated. ‘‘Bad weather would make this much worse,’’ Parker added.
There’s also potential that passengers will be scared away by fears over delays. Many families are now planning summer vacations and might choose a driving trip instead.
You REAP WHAT YOU SOW, assholes! If the plane companies do NOT WANT TO CALL OUT THE LIES, fuck 'em!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If the FAA staffing shortage persists into the summer, airlines will also have less flexibility to ease passengers’ pain....
Oh, so that is what the exce$$ fees for everything to bags to beer nuts to bowel movements is; easing your pain.
Yeah, they care about "your" pain.
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Those Boston bombers were too-pid. Budget crisis at the airport, and they bombed a road race?
Or is this just a PRELUDE to an EVEN BIGGER EVENT INVOLVING AIRLINES so we will forget all about the pathetic drills-gone-live crap that was put on display this past week?
And about that pain:
"Airlines cut deeper into standard legroom; Seek to help boost profits" by Katie Johnston | Globe Staff, August 20, 2012
“It’s ruined the Southwest flying experience.”
Southwest is one of several airlines squeezing seats closer together in order to pack in more passengers, create rows with extra legroom for people willing to pay more, or both....
It's called EXTORTION, and you and I would be jailed for it. But the planes just fly away into the sunset.
WestJet, out of Canada, is whacking several inches of space to make room for a section of higher-fare seats with extra legroom....
Not only are the cheap seats closer together, there are fewer of them available as some airlines charge extra for window and aisle seats and remove rows to add premium coach sections. This makes it harder for families to find affordable seats together and makes travelers who have paid more reluctant to switch seats. And with airlines operating fewer flights to fill planes and cut costs, the standard economy seat has become a much harder commodity to come by.
“You are getting squeezed in all directions,” said Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst with Atmosphere Research Group.
But they made profits and revenue was up.
Legroom is going the way of checked bags, in-flight meals, and pillows — once-free amenities that now come at a cost.
It's called a DECLINE in the STANDARDS of LIVING due to GREED!
In a
fiercely competitive industry
, this allows airlines to offer
lower base ticket prices
, while
generating new revenue
from
those willing to pay
additional fees.
As if that flopper of a coach seat was some bargain in their shit boxes.
Many passengers say that more legroom is the improvement they want most — 41 percent according to a recent survey by TripAdvisor, a travel-review website based in Newton. But 71 percent said they weren’t willing to pay for extra legroom on domestic flights under four hours.
“It’s kind of ridiculous that you have to pay for the ability to sit comfortably in a seat,” said Susan Mocarski, founder of the startup Providence outerwear company Cleverhood, who flies out of Logan four or five times a month for work and can’t afford to pay for extra legroom. “It just seems like it’s inching up on absolutely intolerable travel.”
It's GONE WAY PAST THAT to OUTRAGEOUS OBSCENITY and IT MUST STOP NOW!!!!!!
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Still, packing people too close together on planes can raise safety concerns....
Rai$e what?
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Yeah, whatever.
Those horrible flights with shitty service were a bargain? I suppose I should feel lucky I made it back alive.
Nothing like arrogance with your airline. F*** 'em and DON'T FLY -- EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NEXT DAY UPDATE: Obama may accept bill ending FAA furloughs
NEXT DAY UPDATE: Obama may accept bill ending FAA furloughs
