Air Travel.
People who complain about the plane being late - a note: airlines are only obligated to get you to your destination within 24 hours (read the legal jargon on the ticket).
Also, the person travelling to HKG - what was so bad about the flight apart from the fact that ir was full (I must have missed something in the translation from English to English)?
Also, if you fly from Calgary to Vancouver for 100$ + tax or say Calgary to TO for $250 + tax -> you do realize that no sane buisness person would ever get involved with airlines correct.
Westjets average ppp is apprx 30-40 mil US with a 6.2% interest from ExIm bank (the best possible rate available). If the amortization on the aircraft is say 15 years do the math on the amount of profit you would have to make on each plane to simply recoup costs. Then you add fuel at 60$ /gallon - if fuel is 35% of the cost and the ticket prices havent gone up by more than 15% - whom do you think is eating that cost? Add to that exorbidant landing fees from Transport Canada who are PROFITING from airports (almost exact opposite in US as airports are not allowed to make a profit).
I have flown on the following airlines: WS, BA, AC, AA, UA, CO, AS, NW, Cathay, LH, QS (Qantas), RA (Ryan Air). Westjet on avearage is by far the best value for the trip. Yes there will always be headaches with every airline.
I have mixed feelings with AC, I have flown AA and CO to South America and both have been great for what I wanted them to do. BA is the only one I will travel to Europe after my last adventure from YVR-FRA-ATH (the YVR-FRA is the absolute worst time flying I have ever had - do people not discipline their kids anymore?).
If you fly Y and expect anything more than the Greyhound bus or at max the Red Arrow then I ask you why? Why are you expecting anything more than any other long range transportation option. Yes, Airlines are not as forthcoming about delays as they probably should be and I wonder why, in a culture that sues over hot coffee, or people that purposefully break for no reason on the Deerfoot only to be rear ended and then claim a "neck/back" injury (witnessed no less than 8 days ago) I wonder why corporations are reluctant to tell people anything more than they need to know?
I for one appluad anyone in the Airline management business as it is the last place I would ever park my future or money.
MYK
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