Doublecrap? Supercrap?
QuoteAmerican and US Airways to combine as world's largest airline
By Tim Fernholz — 9 hours ago
It was the deal that everyone expected: Bankrupt American Airlines will merge with US Airways, uniting the fourth and fifth largest airlines in the US and creating the world's largest airline; their combined passenger traffic last year was some 170 million people.
That's more people in the air in a single year than the entire population of Nigeria.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the merger being finalized with support from American's lenders will create a $10 billion company led by US Airways CEO Doug Parker, if approved by a bankruptcy judge and anti-trust regulators. Other details remain to be sorted out, including the role of American's CEO, Tom Horton—who was Parker's cubicle-mate when the two were colleagues at American earlier in their careers.
US Airways has been wooing American since Nov. 2011, when American became the last of the United States' big four airlines to enter bankruptcy due to the challenges of aging technology, growing pension obligations and competition. Two of those airlines have merged with smaller rivals; two years ago, United and Continental combined in a merger that is still rough around the edges, while the Southwest-AirTran merger in 2009 has been smoother sailing.
Though unions representing American's workers have supported a merger, the airline's management had been resisting a deal, perhaps because of the long history of airline CEOs striking it rich by shepherding their companies through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.
Analysts say this consolidation will be a good thing for an industry that has struggled for profitability amid price-cutting competition. Now, with fewer players, fares are going up. It's good news for airline investors, bad for airline passengers, but the silver lining is that with less competition on the price front, airlines will have a greater incentive to invest in customer service and a more pleasant flight experience.
The new company would supplant United as the world's largest airline; outside of the United States, the only airline within striking distance is fast-growing Emirates, which was forecast to be the world's second-largest carrier before news of the American-US Airways tie-up.
the same as every other airlines: except they'll try and one-up the others, or not, with extra amenities
i've never flown them before. i like frontier, because if you have two bags to check you actually save money by selecting their special middle-package - and receive free TV to watch during the flight. the consequence, of course, is having a lion or chimpanzee on the tail of your plane :(
I always fly United American Northwest-Southwest Pan-American Continental Republic US Airways. :cool:
I'll just rent a car, thanks.
Oh, I thought this was going to be Cal's nutritional advice for the day thread. :P
It's equal to two craps. :smarty:
Might have bought this is it was United + US Airways. American isn't particularly good but of those "main" carriers (thinking things like Delta), I think it is a bit better.
My flight to Brazil is on American. :ph34r:
Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 07, 2013, 09:08:04 AM
I'll just rent a car, thanks.
We don't all have unlimited time on our hands.
Don't pay Yugo prices and expect Rolls Royce quality.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 07, 2013, 10:16:04 AM
Don't pay Yugo prices and expect Rolls Royce quality.
I flown business class on American a handful of times now and hrmph.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 07, 2013, 10:16:04 AM
Don't pay Yugo prices and expect Rolls Royce quality.
"Today's airplanes are like Greyhound buses" is a common refrain/harrumph. And it's pretty much true: more amenities, but more cramped. Plus a significantly more middle class demographic. And therefore more petty squabbles, passive-aggressive politeness, and tepid conversation versus the lumping-it resignation, raw intimidation, and loud cellphone conversation paradigm of the long distance bus.
But my question is, why is this a bad thing? A Peter Pan coach shooting through the air and delivering you from New York to LA in, what, 5 hours? Or the other way to London in another hour or something? That sounds pretty damn good. Especially if the price is right.
Quote from: Capetan Mihali on February 07, 2013, 11:37:14 AM
"Today's airplanes are like Greyhound buses" is a common refrain/harrumph. And it's pretty much true: more amenities, but more cramped. Plus a significantly more middle class demographic. And therefore more petty squabbles, passive-aggressive politeness, and tepid conversation versus the lumping-it resignation, raw intimidation, and loud cellphone conversation paradigm of the long distance bus.
But my question is, why is this a bad thing? A Peter Pan coach shooting through the air and delivering you from New York to LA in, what, 5 hours? Or the other way to London in another hour or something? That sounds pretty damn good. Especially if the price is right.
I agree. Folks who bitch about crappy air travel should shell out for the business or first class seats.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 07, 2013, 11:44:14 AM
Quote from: Capetan Mihali on February 07, 2013, 11:37:14 AM
"Today's airplanes are like Greyhound buses" is a common refrain/harrumph. And it's pretty much true: more amenities, but more cramped. Plus a significantly more middle class demographic. And therefore more petty squabbles, passive-aggressive politeness, and tepid conversation versus the lumping-it resignation, raw intimidation, and loud cellphone conversation paradigm of the long distance bus.
But my question is, why is this a bad thing? A Peter Pan coach shooting through the air and delivering you from New York to LA in, what, 5 hours? Or the other way to London in another hour or something? That sounds pretty damn good. Especially if the price is right.
I agree. Folks who bitch about crappy air travel should shell out for the business or first class seats.
I already pointed out my issue with American vis-a-vis business.
Also, because it doesn't have to be crappy. Virgin America has lot of sales and is pretty cheap (though doesn't go everywhere) - and is consistently better than any of the airlines listed so far in this thread.
Quote from: garbon on February 07, 2013, 11:58:17 AM
I already pointed out my issue with American vis-a-vis business.
Your issue is hrrmph?
The first time I flew American I was outraged that my ticket didn't include free booze :mad:
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 07, 2013, 12:03:52 PM
Quote from: garbon on February 07, 2013, 11:58:17 AM
I already pointed out my issue with American vis-a-vis business.
Your issue is hrrmph?
It is crappy business class. Apart from a little bit extra room, it's really not great and definitely not an improvement in experience that justifies the increase in price tag.
Quote from: garbon on February 07, 2013, 12:07:37 PM
It is crappy business class. Apart from a little bit extra room, it's really not great and definitely not an improvement in experience that justifies the increase in price tag.
Then you have the choice of riding the Yugo with everyone else and not bitching about it.
Difference between the plane and a bus is the bus you can get off anytime you want.
Bitching about his Yugo is garbon's god-given right.
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on February 07, 2013, 12:24:23 PM
Bitching about his Yugo is garbon's god-given right.
Not riding the Yugo is grabon's grab-godly right. Bitching about a Yugo not being a Rolls Royce is a sign of congitive dissonance.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 07, 2013, 12:28:39 PM
Not riding the Yugo is grabon's grab-godly right.
Also true. He has a lot of rights.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 07, 2013, 12:15:11 PM
Quote from: garbon on February 07, 2013, 12:07:37 PM
It is crappy business class. Apart from a little bit extra room, it's really not great and definitely not an improvement in experience that justifies the increase in price tag.
Then you have the choice of riding the Yugo with everyone else and not bitching about it.
I don't get to bitch because American offers substandard flights across the board? :huh:
And no, I'll just mainly to flying Virgin America when I get my own choice as there I can get a cheap flight that isn't "a Yugo".
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on February 07, 2013, 12:24:23 PM
Difference between the plane and a bus is the bus you can get off anytime you want.
The other difference is that you never make it to Cuba in a hijacked bus.
Quote from: Barrister on February 07, 2013, 10:10:40 AM
My flight to Brazil is on American. :ph34r:
Have fun sitting through all of the "maintenance issues".
The problem with crappy airline seating is that too many USAians like being cattle, and vote with their dollars in such as way by trying to squeeze down every penny from the airline tickets. And the gap to step up from coach to business/first class is usually like going from gutter cleaners to Warren Buffet.
If it meant getting a good amount of leg room and better seats, I'd easily tack on $100-200 more for a flight. But an extra $1k+ for first class? Nah.
Which is why I fly first class. Away from the scum.
Or in one case, private jet.
Quote from: Tonitrus on February 07, 2013, 07:24:20 PM
The problem with crappy airline seating is that too many USAians like being cattle, and vote with their dollars in such as way by trying to squeeze down every penny from the airline tickets. And the gap to step up from coach to business/first class is usually like going from gutter cleaners to Warren Buffet.
If it meant getting a good amount of leg room and better seats, I'd easily tack on $100-200 more for a flight. But an extra $1k+ for first class? Nah.
I don't know I mean we are talking all the time about people having difficulty making ends meet. Do people actually have several hundred dollars to tack onto a plane ticket post-baggage fees?
Quote from: Tonitrus on February 07, 2013, 07:24:20 PM
The problem with crappy airline seating is that too many USAians like being cattle, and vote with their dollars in such as way by trying to squeeze down every penny from the airline tickets. And the gap to step up from coach to business/first class is usually like going from gutter cleaners to Warren Buffet.
If it meant getting a good amount of leg room and better seats, I'd easily tack on $100-200 more for a flight. But an extra $1k+ for first class? Nah.
If the flight isn't very long (say less than 4 hours), the price I would pay to get into business class is extremely low. Maybe $20 or so. I have some frequent flyer status so I get upgraded on some domestic flights, and really the only tangible benefit I see is that I get on and off the plane first and my bags won't be checked because there isn't overhead space left.
Long haul international flights are a different ball game. Sitting in coach seats for that long would in other contexts would constitute torture. When I travel for business I get to be in business class on those flights, and the lay flat seats make all the difference. I've actually taken overnight international flights that land ~6am and gone to work that day without missing a beat--and no one at the office is the wiser. I can sleep about as well as in a normal bed. However, the cost is so much more, I would be hesitant to ever pay it out of pocket. I think of it like this: if someone was going to be pay myself and my wife $6k to be uncomfortable sleeping for a night or two, I'd be inclined to take that offer.
Quote from: garbon on February 07, 2013, 12:07:37 PM
It is crappy business class. Apart from a little bit extra room, it's really not great and definitely not an improvement in experience that justifies the increase in price tag.
I was on an American flight recently that was long haul but business class had seats that reclined only as far as they do on domestic flights and didn't have an entertainment system. If anyone actually paid for those seats, they would probably be really pissed.
American announced they were going to modernize all their planes by some future date (2014?) a year or two ago, I don't know whether bankruptcy is going to halt that. I hope not because their product does seem to suck on a lot of routes.
Well apparently the merged airline will fly with the American name, not US Airways.
Quote from: alfred russel on February 07, 2013, 09:54:56 PM
I was on an American flight recently that was long haul but business class had seats that reclined only as far as they do on domestic flights and didn't have an entertainment system. If anyone actually paid for those seats, they would probably be really pissed.
Thankfully my American to Spain did have seats that took you fairly close to flat (actually was akin to Minbari beds) +entertainment but still yeah not great.
Quote from: alfred russel on February 07, 2013, 09:54:56 PM
American announced they were going to modernize all their planes by some future date (2014?) a year or two ago, I don't know whether bankruptcy is going to halt that. I hope not because their product does seem to suck on a lot of routes.
Yeah supposedly they took stock of a few of them end of last year and were supposed to start flying this year. They'll definitely need that to happen if they want to be competitive. Everyone was sad for me that my Spanish leg was going to be on American. Made British Air look light years ahead on the way back.
Quote from: DGuller on February 07, 2013, 09:55:12 AM
It's equal to two craps. :smarty:
Or one larger crap, like adding one puddle to another puddle.