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Professor Reich has a Few Things to say about Flying [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2023-09-06
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This video is fun, and educational too. Only 6 minutes long too.
Why Does Flying Suck So Much?
by Robert Reich — Sept 6, 2023
Here is my somewhat paraphrased summary of this educational video — who says “economic stuff” has to be boring … not professor Reich.
Air travel has become increasingly unpleasant over the past few decades due common economic trends. These trends are becoming increasingly more common in other industries, and not just the major Airlines: 1) Consolidation means fewer choices. 4 Airlines now control 80% of the market. 2) Companies charging more for less. 3) Companies are exploiting workers. 4) Illusion of scarcity. 5) Misdirected rage. Instead of being mad at the Board of Directors, we been tricked into be mad at each other.
Mr. Reich then suggests these solutions to address, and even help reverse these problems:
1) Tougher Anti-Trust enforcement. The current DOJ is working on this. 2) Unionizing workers. Airline workers have been recently joining the Union wave. 3) Be an informed consumer. Companies get away with bad behavior, when we accept their excuses, that there is no other way to run a business. 4) Share this video.
I'd add another possible solution, here:
5) Seek out those smaller companies, that are not part of the Consolidation Block, and give them your business:
In the case of Airlines, the 4 giants that make up 80% of the traveling traffic in the U.S. are: American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines. So shop elsewhere.
Be a smart consumer and fly with those upstarts that are bucking the Consolidation trend.
Or better yet, have virtual meetings when feasible -- and avoid the unfriendly, jammed-packed skies altogether. I have — I only fly when it is absolute necessary (like family emergencies, and such).
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I don’t fly often, but when I do, I go with those “other guys” ...
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Sometimes … you just need to ...
Fly Away — Lenny Kravitz
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[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/9/6/2191936/-Professor-Reich-has-a-Few-Things-to-say-about-Flying
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