First the planes get grounded, then the jobs go away

[ccommack]

Recently announced layoffs:

Air Canada: 630
American Airlines: 6,800
Continental Airlines: 3,000
Midwest Airlines: 1,200
Northwest Airlines: 2,500
Delta Air Lines: 2,000
US Airways 1,700
United Airlines: 1,100

Total: ~19,000 jobs in the last two months. Not small.

Comments

[carnap]

I plan to do my part to help the industry by flying "first class" on Southwest for my post-bar vacation.

[wayman]

Note that Southwest is absent from ccommack's list. They're the one (or one of the very few) airlines that isn't hurting much at all. So flying on them isn't really "helping the industry" where it needs the help. On the other hand, it means flying a lot more comfortably than you'd be flying on most any other airline.

[carnap]

It does? I've never found Southwest's seats particularly comfortable. Though Southwest "first-class" does give me a good shot at getting an exit row seat, which is the whole point of paying for it.

[wayman]

I'm not saying Southwest used to be more comfortable; I'm saying its comfort level probably hasn't changed, while most other airlines have become far less comfortable. Physical ads and sales pitches; luggage reductions and charges; other extra charges (fuel, etc); reduced legroom and seat pitch; fewer staff; expensive, diminished, or eliminated food and drink, as compared with six months ago.

At some point, the other domestic airlines become less comfortable than Southwest, and though I lack recent experience with any domestic airline (and with Southwest ever), from what I've heard I would say that point has already come.