Re: The current state of the airline industry.
Posted by:
scottinmaine
(162.94.28.---)
Date: October 27, 2004 06:19PM
this thread is getting a little out of hand. Frankly, I think that both Randy and Steve need to chill out. The reality is that Piedmont was a wonderful company with wonderful employees. As a former Piedmonster, I can attest to the esprit de corps that we all shared. In large measure, Delta enjoyed the very same environment -- perhaps to an even greater extent in the 1970s and through the early 1980s.
Please take a moment to reflect on Delta's health right now. There are still thousands of the very same employees out there on DL's front line doing their best, but the current business model for air travel just 'aint what it used to be. Consumers have spoken in droves that the airline offering them the lowest fare will get their business. DL, AA, CO, US, UA, etc, weren't counting on that little surprise until the realities of post 9/11 became clear. Now, they are all struggling along to do the best they can to stay afloat.
Steve, it is preposterous for you to offer your "predictions" about just which regional jets PI would have bought by now and in what quantities. What purpose does that serve? And, although I vote conservatively, I am not pleased with your remark about Kerry. That was out of line and I'm betting you know it. I expected more from my fellow Piedmont employees.
Randy, you seem to be playing a broken record about NWA -- or NWO as most of us on this board knew it. I'm betting that you know that Northwest is probably the least noticed carrier in all of the North American skies. Perhaps that is by design, so that their competitors essentially ignore them. NW maintains precious little PR staff (and has over the recent decades) and until most recently, operated three of the most miserable hubs in the US. DTW is a delightful facility that NW employees should be exceedingly proud of, but to suggest that NWlink lift out of Erie is a model for anything significant is perplexing.
Perhaps you were simply trying to demonstrate that other airlines are finding it fairly easy these days to invade traditional trading areas of other legacy carriers with smaller RJs on the scene. Well, that's true, but that's been true for twenty years, hasn't it? When the new generation of regional turboprop aircraft came on the scene (think Dash8s, EMB -Banderantes, etc) airlines like Comair and ASA raced into action and grew to be hugely successful carriers in a very short period of time -- in both cases invading significant portions of geography formerly unavailable to DL (Great Lakes and the mid-south). Right?!?!? So what's with Erie and NW?
In short, I feel the need to say that I loved PI and I enjoy infrequent stops by this wonderful webpage. I very much dislike the inane postings from time to time and I suppose I should just stay away from the forums (should be fora) page altogether. But, I keep coming back to read the wonderful tales and to read, alas, the obits of my old pals. PLEASE help keep the warm and thoughtful spirit of PI alive, if no place else, then at least here, folks.
Let's make this a model of how good a historical society webpage CAN be.