farmdoc's blog post number 368

A year ago, Qantas was among the most profitable airlines in the world. Last week Qantas predicted it’ll lose A$180M in the first half of 2009; and a leading Australian aviation expert has claimed Qantas will not exist in its current form if the downturn that’s crippling the industry lasts another six months. The message? If Qantas is in deep strife, world aviation is too. If I ran an airline, I’d want to get as many bums on seats as possible – not fiddle round with marginal fees and surcharges. These imposts are mostly small, and they’re apt to disaffect existing and future passengers. That is, as an hypothetical airline CEO in 2009, I’d seek to maximise my airline’s passenger-friendliness. Whilst I’m no airline guru (but I hereby disclose Sweetheart Vivienne and I own 118 Qantas shares, currently worth A$234), I didn’t understand why Ryanair said it wanted to charge for using its aeroplane toilets. (To my knowledge it hasn’t yet begun doing so.) Neither can I comprehend why United Airlines is dealing so harshly with obese passengers. Naturally, Ryanair’s thinking of something similar. It’s true heavier travellers cause planes to use more fuel, but the increment is minor, and airlines are cutting or removing fuel surcharges. All this’s yet another example of: The older I get, the less I understand how the world works.