THE RISE AND FALL OF THE AIRLINES EMPIRE

It all really started by the necessity of business transactions which required faster transportation of documents from one city to another. Banks were one of the most interested companies with this way of making business. There are many historians that you can find on the Internet, giving us a full account of the people, airplanes and reasons. This is not the reason for my blog. I only want to talk about two major differences in the airline industry. One, the glamorous years of commercial aviation of which I will talk about at the end of this blog, which reached its peak in the 80s until a movie star by the name of Ronald Reagan, who became President of our country, decided to open up the skies with a "Deregulation" law, allowing anyone to form his airline and obtain flying "slots" (that is what it is called when you apply to fly from one point to another during certain days and hours). Right after that, the proliferation of new airlines, with routes already served by the old ones, created a huge competitive market, which was good for the passengers by being able to shop for air fares, but totally ill-fated for the airlines, mainly the old ones. These airlines had to change their commercial philosophy and began applying for newer routes and additional slots in their already existing routes. The over saturation of flights and airplanes, covering the same routes, made the competition even tighter and airfares plummeted, commissions to travel agents, tour operators, incentive corporations, and any one who could form a group increased to the point where airlines needed to operate at full capacity to break even. That was the mess caused by Reagan, supposedly one of the best presidents this country had. Perhaps mainly because of that famous phrase "Tear down this wall " to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, referring to the Berlin wall dividing Germany into East (communist) and West (democratic). I, honestly do not recall other major accomplishments. But, then again, I may be bias. (Today, most of the Travel Agencies have disappeared, as they could not operate with zero commissions from the airlines).
Reagan, In addition to causing the airlines hit bottom today, that is about 20 years later, broke PATCO (Professional Air Traffic Controllers), an independent trade union organized in 1968, but under Federal Legislation, which forbade them to go on strike (although the U.S. Post Office, under same regulations went on strike and the workers were not fired as in PATCO, by Mr. Reagan). Traffic control suffered the consequences by the massive firing and more airlines, more planes and many more flights were and still are crossing the skies with less traffic controllers watching and supervising.
Both Airlines' insane competitive war, and firing of the traffic controllers were two big screw ups by Mr. Reagan, in spite of all the accolades he has been favored with.
How long could that commercial transportation industry survive without making drastic changes? Well, in my calculation I figure about 8 to 10 years ago. Between 1996 and 1998, commercial aviation as we knew it, began phase one of a complete turnaround to save their butts. Unfortunately saving themselves meant big layoffs, innumerable and absurd measures that violated the basic principal of their existence...CUSTOMER SERVICE. The airlines gradual digression has taken us to a current NON-CUSTOMER SERVICE. Airlines don't serve food anymore, unless flights are 5 hours or longer (some lower the bar at 4 hours). They have eliminated pillows and blankets. They have reduced the size of carry-ons you can take on board to place above your seat.
They are charging for more than one checked bag. They are charging for soft drinks, wine and beer. They make you pay more for a window or aisle seat. They have imposed an extra fee for long flights. They have removed in-flight movies But that is not all...
they want you to book your flights through the Internet so they can further reduce their reservations department staff, almost non existent today. Lately, some of them, have reconsidered to bring back pillows and blankets for a charge of $7.00 Oh, yes, you may take them home to beautify your house or to use on your sofa when you have a fight with your spouse. How considerate of these airlines! What's next? A surcharge if you are a fat ass and block the aisles as you walk to the toilet? A rental fee for seat belts? A surcharge if you bring your own sandwich? A coin operated toilet room? A "gratification fee" to allow you to kiss the stewardess? Ah, but some of them will give you a $ 5 discount coupon for "Bed, Bath and Beyond" for going through all the suffering imposed!
It is really so pathetic that perhaps what airlines should do today is to call themselves Sky Buses, remove all the logos and fuselage paint and instead sell the space to advertisers. Can you imagine how much money they will make? We the passengers could be considered as the product supporters for being inside, but, of course, without pay. Maybe we could earn more discount coupons towards the advertised product. I can imagine a "Frequent Flyer" deciding where to store in his house one thousand cans of coke, for instance. No more crew members, maybe just one called "collector", as in the old tramway or railroad times, to verify if we carry some sort of a ticket, or we chose to pay on board. Also, why 3 cockpit members? One pilot and the co-pilot will suffice. Co-pilots should pass a training to be as well flight engineers. That will reduce the cockpit cost to at least 30 percent. Another way of saving money could be eliminating all that non-sense paper and plastified instructions paraphernalia they place in the back of your seat. Who needs them anyway, if we are just cattle? I bet that would reduce the weight of the airplane by more or less 500 pounds, multiply by the entire fleet it could represent millions of dollars saved in fuel a year.

I believe you got the picture of the airlines future. Bottom line, we the passengers may even end up loading our own luggage in the belly compartments or another additional charge might be imposed so the airlines can offset the payroll of their ramp crew.

This, my friends, as McBush would say, is my vision of today's commercial aviation. It is based on actual facts plus my own suggestions.

Do you remember when men used to wear suits and ties and women big hats, high heels, and furs on their flights? How about when airlines used to take Polaroid pictures of passengers and hand toiletry pouches to everyone? Or when they offered you a choice of chicken, pasta, or red meat for your meal? Surely you recall when you could drink all the beer
and orange juice or sodas you desired for free! Some Super Constellation aircrafts offered sleep-in accommodations for first class passengers, but maybe you don't remember that because you may think a Super Constellation was a bunch of stars discovered by some astrologist much before your time, The good times of the airline industry were the glamorous years, the era when working for an airline was considered a privilege; the time when a passenger was pampered with dignity and elegance; the years when overbookings, long delayes and going to an airport was a pleasure. Airlines used to take you to a restaurant and foot the bill, to a hotel and pay for the overnight and pick you up to bring you back to the next morning flight if these delays were considerably long. If you could not be boarded for normal overbooking your ticket would be endorsed to another airline, and there were no penalties imposed if you had to make date or flight changes.
There are so many more differences between yesterday's commercial aviation and today's, that I wouldn't even call it commercial aviation anymore, "commercial frustration" suits better instead, because of the way we are treated and insulted by this deplorable deterioration
of the airlines and total lack of customer service.

If I haven't made my point it means that you are afraid of flying and never boarded an airplane. Otherwise, you certainly feel about this subject the same way I do, especially if you are old enough to remember and compare.
Will it ever improve? I don't think so, unless we find other ways and alternatives to fuel, which is the excuse all airlines give you today in order to justify their deficiencies and new measures to save money, so their CEOs can continue getting a fat check every month and millions in stock options when they retire or are fired.
Take it from me, I made a 34 year career working for some of these airlines. I was one of the lucky ones who lived through the glamorous years of the airline industry and quit 16 years ago when I realized the future of the airlines industry was bleaker than that of the extinct species shoe-shine boys.