In our quest to make plane tickets as cheap and accessible as a bus ticket, we are now treated like prisoners by airlines whose only concern is the bottom line, because their profit margins are razor thin.... Whu? One second....
I'm sorry, I've just been told that airlines' profits have been hitting record levels for a few years now.
http://www.iata.org/pressroom/pr/Pages/2016-12-08-01.aspx
http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/03/news/companies/airline-profits-2015/
http://atwonline.com/airline-financials/a4a-major-us-airlines-post-142-pre-tax-profit-margin-2016
http://newsroom.united.com/2017-01-17-United-Airlines-Reports-Full-Year-and-Fourth-Quarter-2016-Performance
So, it seems that the airlines aren't being forced to treat humans like cattle. They're choosing to because it's easier to get rich that way. Apparently, there's no profit in happy repeat customers who like to fly on your airplanes because they get to retain a shred of their dignity.
Oh well. Try to enjoy this 1962 TWA ad, from a time when some crazy bastard thought that you should treat people like customers like welcome guests, and not annoyances to be barely tolerated. Then, maybe plan your summer holiday somewhere accessible by rail.
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Currently reading "The Skies Belong to Us" [http://a.co/15Yebyr]. Airlines resisted metal detectors and passenger screenings for years. There were literally hundreds of hijackings before they came around. Apparently there was a time when they worried about how much crap people would put up with.
Shitty to hear / good to know.
Thanks for reading!
[-Mgmt.]
Heard this joke once from an old airline engineer:
TWA Stewardess: Excuse me sir but would you like some of our specially blended TWA coffee?
Passenger: No, but I wouldn't mind having some of your TWA tea.
So let me get this straight: corporations are not our friends and are not looking out for our best interests? :clutches pearls:
Sigh, the good ol' days. Can you imaging dressing up to go on a flight? I know you've posted old ads showing the dresses, hats and ties people used to wear. I'd be willing to wear nylons for pete's sake if it meant I didn't have to watch some schlub board in the sweatpants they painted their deck in and flip flops.
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