Ultra Low Cost Carriers

[JOhnH]

You're F-ing kidding me right ? I actually found Thailand to be FAR better than any hospital stateside, especially anything in the VA system.

I have no experienced with any hospitals in in Thailand.
That said: I don't believe the highlighted part. There may be an occasional example of a good hospital in Thailand that is better than some hospitals in the States, but that is as far as I will go without substantiated proof.

As for the VA hospitals, that is what you get with government run agencies. Especially an expensive one that directly affects only a few.

While it is true that we have (or had) a truly magnificent government run military, that was due to the fact that we threw massive amounts of money at it. It is (was) a magnificent military, but it has always been horribly inefficient.

 

[Lindberg]

I booked eight legs on Southwest with points and what not, calculated up every penny the points cost us (including annual fee on the card), etc... and the hotel at the far end of one of the legs cost me 2/3 of what all 8 legs cost on the airline. Amazing, but I suspect, not sustainable.

Why do you say not sustainable? The irony of the OP is that Southwest is not only the busiest domestic airline, it's also the only major that's been profitable every quieter of its existence. It's the other majors that are unsustainable. My understanding is that while they may have profitable quarters every now and then, their profits never exceed their losses. Hence the bankruptcies.

Meanwhile, Southwest actually treats its passengers like customers while American treats them like prisoners.

 

[mscard88]

Hence the bankruptcies. .

Not the only reason for bankruptcies. Airlines used it to gut contracts with union employees, particularly the pilot contracts. Delta, US Air and others lost entire pensions.

 

[denverpilot]

Why do you say not sustainable? The irony of the OP is that Southwest is not only the busiest domestic airline, it's also the only major that's been profitable every quieter of its existence. It's the other majors that are unsustainable. My understanding is that while they may have profitable quarters every now and then, their profits never exceed their losses. Hence the bankruptcies.



Meanwhile, Southwest actually treats its passengers like customers while American treats them like prisoners.

Requires fuel hedging. They may continue to get lucky on that timing, or not.

 

[Lindberg]

Not the only reason for bankruptcies. Airlines used it to gut contracts with union employees, particularly the pilot contracts. Delta, US Air and others lost entire pensions.

That is sometimes a consequence (and cause) of a bankruptcy, but you can't declare bankruptcy unless you're bankrupt.

 

[JOhnH]

I have absolutely no problems with the low cost/ultra-low cost carriers.
The problem I have is with people that spend hours looking for the absolute lowest fare and then ***** about the lack of service and amenities.

 

[Lindberg]

Requires fuel hedging. They may continue to get lucky on that timing, or not.

Southwest has been "getting lucky" for more than forty consecutive years of profitability. That's a lot of luck!

 

[Greg Bockelman]

That is sometimes a consequence (and cause) of a bankruptcy, but you can't declare bankruptcy unless you're bankrupt.

United supposedly had more than two billion in liquid assets when they declared bankruptcy. That doesn't seem to fit the definition of "Bankrupt" in my book.

 

[wsuffa]

United supposedly had more than two billion in liquid assets when they declared bankruptcy. That doesn't seem to fit the definition of "Bankrupt" in my book.

Unless the liabilities substantially exceeded the assets, which would be the definition of bankrupt. The may very well have drawn down the credit lines to ensure enough cash to continue operating during the proceedings. That would have shown as assets on the books, with corresponding liability.