I saw someone complaining about passenger rights and the aviation industry and have to agree ... that the aviation industry is a problem. For years I've been on more flights than I can count between Seattle and Anchorage that were basically empty. I flew a lot for my job, which usually meant at odd hours. I've even been on a flight from SEA-TAC to ANC where I was one of 4 passengers. I am not kidding. There was more staff on board that flight than there were passengers.
I thought of this the other day because I heard on the news that airlines in general are more likely to cancel empty flights and re-book passengers to keep planes closer to capacity ... and customers are complaining.
Well, good for them!
The airlines that is.
That is the way the airline industry always should have been.
Doesn't it just seem idiotic that Uncle Sam tells my car manufacturer what kind of mpg they need to provide me ... and yet allow planes to take off with 4 passengers?
Basically it boils down to the powers that be have insisted on creating cars that are smaller, lighter and less safe. It is more than just a little irritating when the powers that be tell me I need to wear seatbelts in cars that they insisted on creating less safe.
Why? So I could burn 1000 or even 2000 less gallons over a 15 year period?
Sounds great. Save gas. Save the planet.
BUT!
There are no regulations stopping an airline from taking off with only 4 people on board and burning more fuel in one flight that I will in 15 years.
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That is a very good point. I never thought about that before.
ReplyDeleteI should add that I have seen some good decisions...
ReplyDeleteAlaska Airlines had solutions to the problems of flying empty planes out to smaller communities in rural areas. AKAir has 737s that they've configured for cargo and passengers. They have room for a handful of passengers in back and then slide "igloos" (cargo compartments designed for plane interior) into the front.
But mostly, it seems like such an idiotic notion that airlines ever decided they needed to fly 10 planes to a destination just because they were scheduled when only 7 were needed.