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Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
Flying is cheaper because for decades airlines have been competing ruthlessly to cut costs and increase volume (while customers use online tools to chase the lowest fare). That model relies on large numbers of low-paid workers operating in busy airports that handle huge volumes of travellers.
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So on one hand prices are too expensive because of monopolies, and on the other hand prices are cheap because of ruthless competition?
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Now we’re seeing the vulnerability of that model to labour shortages. Airlines and airports will likely have to improve compensation, and travellers will foot the bill with higher fares. Combine that with fuel taxes to combat global warming, and the era of widely affordable air travel may wind down after a 30 year run, rather than endure as a long-term norm.
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I think you’re using a little bit of confirmation bias here Cliff. Every industry is vulnerable to labour shortages, even generally high paying ones. I don’t work in the air travel industry but if I had to guess, a 50% increase in fuel prices would have a much bigger impact on costs for the customers compared to say a 10% increase in wages.
Long before the current situation arose airlines had to deal with unstable fuel costs and the industry has always managed to weather that storm without the massive drop in ridership that some are predicting.
All this doom and gloom talk being used to justify how employees getting paid more would be detrimental to the greater good is nothing short of sensationalism, as is usually the case.