American cancels more than 1,000 flights

dohboi · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Dec 05, 2005 Posts: 1271

Tyler wrote: "If you need to be in Denver tomorrow, your only high speed option is an airplane." (my emphasis)

Your position is shared by most, but it also shows just how very extremely distorted our sense of need versus want has become in the age of cheep, super-concentrated liquid energy.

Any other time in history, the idea of jumping into a big metal bird and zipping around the earth in a few hours was beyond even the imagination of the most powerful people in the world.

Now for many it is seen as an absolute necessity of life.

And more than that, it's an addiction. People do just about anything for frequent flier miles. Long distant trips to far away places is one of the most desirable things to most people.

There is simply no way to convince people with the time and means to do it, not to fly. Appeals to issues of global warming, peak oil, and energy security fall on deaf ears, or result in nasty name calling or worse (try it some time, if you're a glutton for punishment).

Riveting pictures of the 9/11 planes going up in flames was not enough to dissuade people from flying for long. Super-obnoxious, privacy violating searches and seizures didn't put people off much. We'll see if these disruptions cause much of a drop in flying. I doubt it.

By the way, MC2, AA will not be the first. Many airlines have gone out of business over the years, and there have been many just in the last few weeks world wide. (see neighboring thread on airline mergers...)

Iaato

Day 4 of cancellations, and ABC news suggested these "cancellations" would go on through mid-summer. Right.

If you believe that this is about moving a wire holder 1/4" in a wheelwell, then I've got a bridge to sell you. Make peace with the end of air flight, at least at any reasonable cost.
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"When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross." --Sinclair Lewis

AirlinePilot

Iaato,

They are referring to the FAA's new modus operandi, not this one particular problem. If you look at the facts, and I am a Captain flying MD-80 series aircraft for Delta, this latest inspection will be over and done with in days. They have 300 aircraft which need the inspection. My guess right now is a lot of them are failing and the fix takes a few hours. Otherwise they would have been done by now.

When ours got inspected last week, we had the same exact issue. We only had about 95 out of 120 that needed the fix.Ours got fixed to the FAA's satisfaction. Apparently American's birds did not. They don't look kindly on you when that sort of thing happens.

There is no conspiracy going on here. No proof of it. To those of us in the industry its not a big surprise.

frankthetank

I drove a 1000 miles to Denver once (LSE-DEN). Left Denver at 9:30AM got home at around 12:30AM. Don't remember the last hour of driving, was in a Zombie state by then. Did the whole drive myself, no cruise, only stops for pee pee and gas.

I know aviation fuel can be burned in cars (my sisters old boyfriend worked at the airport and filled up his old VW with the stuff). With less planes flying, maybe that'll free up more fuel for trucks/autos/trains?
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"Oil is going up because we use too much oil, and the capacity to replace reserves is dwindling"
-President Bush 11/07/07

smallpoxgirl · Moderator Joined: Nov 08, 2004 Posts: 5719

Tyler_JC

I'm not saying air flight is a necessity.

But some people think it is and those people will pay a major premium for the speed.

As such, it doesn't make much sense for airlines to eat their losses instead of passing costs on to consumers.

Currently, the low prices offered by SouthWest and other airlines are a prime example of predatory pricing. They aren't making a profit on these tickets but they lose less money than their competitors. As such, the competitors will go broke sooner.

The airline industry will survive but the tickets will cost more and there will be far fewer planes flying.
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"www.peakoil.com is the Myspace of the Apocalypse."

frankthetank

It was a diesel... an OLD diesel Rabbit. The new ones would probably not like it.
_________________
"Oil is going up because we use too much oil, and the capacity to replace reserves is dwindling"
-President Bush 11/07/07

smallpoxgirl · Moderator Joined: Nov 08, 2004 Posts: 5719

kublikhan

shortonoil · Fission Joined: Dec 02, 2004 Posts: 2684 Location: VA USA

Over the last six years oil prices have increased an average of 34% per year, and there is no fundamental reason at this point why we won’t see a similar increase this year without a major world wide depression!

Show me the P/L sheet for any airline that can take another 34% increase in fuel prices and survive, and I will believe that the airline industry will not soon be collapsing. Otherwise the numbers rule; any other held view is just opinion.

Denny

Some quick arithmetic.

AA has canceled 3,200 flights through Saturday. Let's say a typical flight is 2 hours. An MD80 consumes 799 gallons of fuel per flight hour.

Overall, that is 5 million gallons of fuel.

See fuel usage chart here.

Armageddon

Tyler_JC

5 million gallons of fuel over the course of a couple of days...

Compared to 840 million gallons of oil consumed in the US every day.

Sorry, it's not enough to have a meaningful impact. Especially when other airlines will likely boost their flights to scoop up the extra demand.
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"www.peakoil.com is the Myspace of the Apocalypse."

shortonoil · Fission Joined: Dec 02, 2004 Posts: 2684 Location: VA USA

Tyler_JC said:

Tyler_JC

SouthWest Airlines was smart.

They hedged their fuel costs for several years out.

Those hedges are ending soon...

But in the mean time, they have captured market share and big profits.

This will buy them more time to outlast Delta, American, US Airways, etc.
_________________
"www.peakoil.com is the Myspace of the Apocalypse."