So don't complain!
Cheap and cheerful. I like the low cost airlines.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6087016.stm

If the "Save the Planet" people have their way airline travel will soon become too expensive for the masses. Enjoy it while you can.

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But fact is that airlines pollution exceeds just about everything. A couple of 747's over the Atlantic cause more carbon emissions than a city full of cars. However maybe they could hold off a little longer with the any new regulations, say another 25 years until I retire. I don't want some tree hugger being the cause of me loosing my job thank you 


Matt

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And there are many people making sure that the masses don't know these kind of " details"

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Odd coincidence.  When I read the article I was immediately reminded of the discount airline we have in the USA: Southwest.  Southwest however probably has the friendliest staff of any of the airlines and although they skimp on niceties (no assigned seating, no meal service, etc) they do get you from place to place on time with better regularity than most airlines.  Oh, and they have a sense of humor (on one flight I took the flight attendants were so comical that during the safety breifing everyone on the plane was laughing hysterically).

The thing that's kinda coincidence is that when Southwest started their intent was to compete with bus routes, not other airlines.  They wanted to get people from place to place more conveniently and cheaper than busses.  That's a lofty goal indeed, but it netted probably the most successful airline in the US.

Southwest though put some effort into it. Ryanair and Easyjet just dont seem to care. And the majority of chavs they fly seem not to either.

Southwest airlines is great, they made the right call when they got their fuel hedge several years ago, but their hedge is going to run out at which point they are going to be eating the same shi* sandwhich everyone else is eating.

There are three driving forces behind the destruction of the airline industry...

Labor relations is one of them

Fuel costs is another

and this low cost - human cattle trailer mentality is the third.

I cant stand how people want to pay these bus fare prices and then complain because they dont get first class service. Because of the three reasons listed above flight attendants and pilots and many other airline employees are forced to live with between 4 and 8 other people in an appartment or rent house just to make ends meet. That is utterly pathetic IMHO. Personally, i cant stand low cost air carriers. If a person wants to pay 80 bucks for a ticket from kalimazoo to timbucktoo there is a grey hound station down the street, they will be there in about 6 hours driving time... but if they want to get there in an hour and a half the cost SHOULD be substantially greater. thats the difference between COST and VALUE.

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As I said, you can damage the environment providing you can afford to pay for it. It is just tax talk. Anything raised by such levies will get swallowed up into the Treasuries coffers. Example, here in Germany as of next year, diesel cars will be taxed at a higher rate if they are not fitted with a partial filter in the exhaust system. So as the driver of a BMW 525D, I will have to pay an extra €35 to €40 a year. The government want me to have a partial filter installed into my car. If I do that, then I will get a small rebate on my car tax bill. Will I do it, NO! The cost of a partial filter for my car will be about €800. I can drive my car for about another 10 years before I recoup the cost. As I will trade my car in 3 to 5 years why should I bother? None of the tax collected will be put back into making the filters cheaper, or even helping those on the bread line. If a tax of 10,000 Pounds/Dollars/Euros/Yen was levied on a car each year, do you think that the likes of David Beckum for example will be bothered, yet we are all told that turning of a light in our house will make a difference? It must be all or nothing.
Looking at the graph, Power stations, industry, agriculture and land use (?) produce the same and more than transport, but as usual the car diver and air passenger are easy to screw. Big business, no, no, no, they may just give those nice party contributions to the opposition or the local animal shelter.


Matt