I guess that's where govt regulation is required to keep critical services like airline travel in business. Perhaps just reabsorb it as a govt service? We'd experience flight delays and lose baggage worse than it is now if the govt runs the airlines though.
Roger --- Roger Prokic Baltimore, Maryland -=[ Sent via BlackBerry 8820 by AT&T ]=- -----Original Message----- From: "Craig Froehle" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:48:44 To: <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Treo] Fw: An open letter to all airline customers Does anyone else find it amusing/ironic that we're wringing our hands at the thought of one open market cannibalizing another open market? After all, weren't open markets supposed to benefit everyone? Perhaps the consumer airline industry doesn't deserve to survive in its current state. Could it be that there is simply no way to fly a person half-way across the globe for anything less than several times what the typical consumer is willing to pay? Could it be that, once all the true social, environmental, and logistical costs are accounted for, the price of an airplane ticket from NYC to LA should be $15,000? I'm not saying it is, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was. On Fri, Jul 11, 2008 at 10:09 AM, L D <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I'd heard something about this before - the "Enron loophole" - was the same > thing that led to the California blackouts. > > Pretty significant that United sent this out. > > -----Original Message----- > From: "Roger Prokic" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Treo User Palm Treo User Group" <[email protected]> > Sent: 7/11/08 9:26 AM > Subject: [Treo] Fw: An open letter to all airline customers > > Though its off topic, it's following with today's topic of interest. This > will hit home with everyone. Please read and act. We've got to stop the > non-sense or their will be no airline travel anymore as the industry will go > bankrupt. > --- > Roger Prokic > Baltimore, Maryland > -=[ Sent via BlackBerry 8820 by AT&T ]=- > > -----Original Message----- > From: United <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:48:32 > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: An open letter to all airline customers > > > To ensure receipt of our emails, please add > [EMAIL PROTECTED] to your Address Book. > ============================================================ > United(R) > ============================================================ > > An open letter to all airline customers > > ============================================================ > > Dear Roger R Prokic, > > Last week, crude oil hit an all-time high of $146, and the > skyrocketing cost of fuel is impacting our customers, our > employees, the communities we serve, and the economy as a > whole. United, and the majority of other major U.S. > airlines, are asking our most loyal customers to join us in > pushing for legislation to add more transparency and > disclosure in the oil markets. Please see the attached open > letter from the leaders of the U.S. airline industry. > > ------------------------------------------------------------ > An Open letter to All Airline Customers: > ------------------------------------------------------------ > Our country is facing a possible sharp economic downturn > because of skyrocketing oil and fuel prices, but by > pulling together, we can all do something to help now. > > For airlines, ultra-expensive fuel means thousands of > lost jobs and severe reductions in air service to both > large and small communities. To the broader economy, oil > prices mean slower activity and widespread economic pain. > This pain can be alleviated, and that is why we are taking > the extraordinary step of writing this joint letter to our > customers. Since high oil prices are partly a response to > normal market forces, the nation needs to focus on > increased energy supplies and conservation. However, > there is another side to this story because normal market > forces are being dangerously amplified by poorly > regulated market speculation. > > Twenty years ago, 21 percent of oil contracts were > purchased by speculators who trade oil on paper with > no intention of ever taking delivery. Today, oil > speculators purchase 66 percent of all oil futures > contracts, and that reflects just the transactions that > are known. Speculators buy up large amounts of oil and > then sell it to each other again and again. A barrel of > oil may trade 20-plus times before it is delivered and > used; the price goes up with each trade and consumers > pick up the final tab. Some market experts estimate > that current prices reflect as much as $30 to $60 per > barrel in unnecessary speculative costs. > > Over seventy years ago, Congress established regulations > to control excessive, largely unchecked market > speculation and manipulation. However, over the past > two decades, these regulatory limits have been weakened > or removed. We believe that restoring and enforcing > these limits, along with several other modest measures, > will provide more disclosure, transparency and sound > market oversight. Together, these reforms will help > cool the over-heated oil market and permit the > economy to prosper. > > The nation needs to pull together to reform the oil > markets and solve this growing problem. > > We need your help. Get more information and contact > Congress by visiting StopOilSpeculationNow.com. > http://www.unitedoffers.com/600-1sape/101395/235991/88ca71df71391a923965141702bf5346 > > Robert Fornaro > Chairman, President and CEO > AirTran Airways > > Bill Ayer > Chairman, President and CEO > Alaska Airlines, Inc. > > Gerard J. Arpey > Chairman, President and CEO > American Airlines, Inc. > > Lawrence W. Kellner > Chairman and CEO > Continental Airlines, Inc. > > Richard Anderson > CEO > Delta Air Lines, Inc. > > Mark B. Dunkerley > President and CEO > Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. > > Dave Barger > CEO > JetBlue Airways Corporation > > Timothy E. Hoeksema > Chairman, President and CEO > Midwest Airlines > > Douglas M. Steenland > President and CEO > Northwest Airlines, Inc. > > Gary Kelly > Chairman and CEO > Southwest Airlines Co. > > Glenn F. Tilton > Chairman, President and CEO > United Airlines, Inc. > > Douglas Parker > Chairman and CEO > US Airways Group, Inc. > > ============================================================ > > My mileage summary > http://www.mymileageplus.com > > united.com > http://www.united.com > > Partner offers > http://www.united.com/page/article/0,8566,1176,00.html > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > > Unsubscribe > http://www.unitedoffers.com/600-1sape/101396/235991/88ca71df71391a923965141702bf5346 > > Change your email address > http://www.unitedoffers.com/600-1sape/101397/235991/88ca71df71391a923965141702bf5346 > > Update your email preferences > http://www.unitedoffers.com/600-1sape/101398/235991/88ca71df71391a923965141702 > > ------------------------------------ > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > -- http://www.GearBits.com -- Tech. Culture. Ideas. Opinions. ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links
