As an accounting/marketing major and airline enthusiast...

[03SVTCobra]

I hear a TON of people lately taking everything out on the airlines.

Being an accounting/marketing student about to go to graduate school for a CPA and MBA I really am tired of it.

With jet fuel the price that it is, the airlines are becoming limited on their choices.

Layoffs are horrible, there is no disputing that...but if the company can't foot the bill and make a profit, then what is the point of being in business?

I think most of us that are airline enthusiasts understand this but the general public is too quick to blame everything on the company without taking a look at the economy.

[G-TTIC]

Although a lot of airlines are struggling there are some out there that still offer great service and a great inflight product. I think that LCC's (and some others) should slowly start new routes and not announce many new routes all in one go like they used to. This also give the airline a fair time period to make evaluations on the performance of the route and say yes or no to its future. Take U2 and FR just before the summer a lot of new routes were announced by both. Now a fair selection of these are being scrapped and so many A/C are not going to be flown for the winter period.
Also I find it strange that masses upon masses of aircraft are being produced and are due for production in this financial climate. If some more carriers happen to go into financial difficulty and have to cease operations then these aircraft may be prematurely scrapped (which is a waste of a good airframe).
As much as i hate to say it some of the carriers that really are having it tough need to die. As much as i love looking at all the liveries and aircraft from a financial perspective its survival of the fittest at its best and the struggling carriers are making it harder for the better up carriers who might just stand a chance.

The last of all problems is the fact that a lot of routes have 3-6 airlines all operating this route. This one affects the U.S.A a considerable amount then Europe but its reality everywhere in one way or another.

[AA 1818]

To begin with - congratulations with your incredibly worthy accomplishment. I am going to school to be an Attorney (with a major/specialty in International Business) and I have had to learn to appreciate Accounting. Actually to prime my application to Law School, I have had to (and am currenlty in the process of pursuing a MBA).

I agree with you in that cutting costs is more than nexessary. I have become an avid fan of efficency. But there is a side of the industry that cannot be ignored - in that there is a very personal face to airlines. Personelle issues are not ever quickly dealt with privately.