Re: Wendy Dager's July 30 column, "Do airlines know? Flying is awful":
I agree, flying is not what it used to be. However, to say that it is expensive is ludicrous. Expensive compared to what? When you can travel from the West Coast to the East Coast for a couple hundred dollars, and in some cases less, that is a good deal.
Look at airline fares 10 years ago and you will see that with inflation, these fares are low compared with what they should be. Besides, there is no constitutional right for anyone to fly for free!
Airlines have been losing billions of dollars over the last few years. Should a business be allowed to make a profit? What happens to a business that continually loses money? That business goes under, and with less competition, they can raise their prices. Maybe that's not a bad idea!
How much do you think a new airplane costs? Maybe it starts around $50 million and goes up to $200 million per plane. What do you think happens to airline costs when oil goes up to more than $140 per barrel? Even at $65 per barrel, costs go up.
I do have two suggestions for Dager. The first one was her idea. She should take the Greyhound bus. It may be a little cheaper, and as long as she has three or four days to go from coast to coast, she can enjoy the scenery.
The other idea is to charter a private jet starting at only $2,000 per hour. She will not have anyone sitting next to her or have body parts hit by drink carts. She doesn't have to stand in long security lines. She can even order the meals she likes.
So, will her next trip be on an airline, a chartered jet or Greyhound?
-- Craig Kronfeld, Oak Park