Comfort might become a new gimmick (July 11)
By Chuck Doud
The Madera Tribune
The airlines are complaining of falling revenues as a result of the recession, and they are responding by canceling flights and trying to pack planes tighter.
Let’s see. How is that going to make more people want to fly. Do I want to wait longer for a flight? Do I want to be even less comfortable in my coach class seat? Is something wrong with that scenario?
What would happen if seats became a little larger and a little more comfortable? Would more people want to fly? What would happen if schedules remained the same, even though the planes weren’t quite as full? Would more people want to fly?
The airlines also are raising their rates. Naturally, this will make more people want to fly.
On the ground, meanwhile, we learn that in already traffic-jammed San Francisco, bus fares are going up and schedules are being cut back. Will that make more people want to ride the buses — buses which, by the way, are known on some routes for being downright scary because of the creeps who ride them. And, of course, fares are going up.
The amazing thing about the airline business is that no matter how overcrowded it is with carriers, more airlines keep wanting to get into the act. That is even though the number of passengers seems to have peaked — at least until the recession goes away.
Maybe one of the new airlines will offer its passengers a little more comfort, a little less hassle and schedules that work in everyone’s favor. Maybe one will borrow a page from the past, when airlines competed on the basis of comfort and service.
They’d better, or buses will begin taking the passengers away from them. It turns out buses in some East Coast cities are offering luxury coach service between major cities, and they are filling with passengers. We may be seeing a new trend.
