Carry-on v. Checked Luggage and Incentives

Velocity is the key to making money for the airlines. An airplane on the ground does not make money. Turn the airplane around as quickly as possible to make the most amount of money. Yet, by charging for checked bags, airlines have taken away the incentive for checking bags. Thus, many travelers use a carry-on bag, slowing boarding, slowing velocity.

Spirit Airlines now charges for carry-on bags. The charge though, is less than for a checked bag. Passengers on Spirit, then, still do not have an incentive to put up with the inconvenience of checking their bags, walking to baggage claim, waiting, and hoping their bag is not lost.

American Airlines is experimenting with letting passengers without carry-on luggage to board the airplane before those who do. Not having to stand in the aisle as people in front of you try to put their carry-ons in the overhead bins is not much of a benefit, but it is a start.

Reference

http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2013/04/american-airlines

Southwest 737 emergency

The Southwest 737 (N632SW) that suffered an in-flight fuselage rupture and resulting rapid decompression yesterday was a 737-3H4 Classic. The model series (-300/400/500) was last produced in the year 2000. Boeing built almost 2000 737-Classics. The Classic-series was replaced by the 737 Next Generation (-600/700/800/900), which remains in production.

I have not yet read what caused the fuselage rupture. Regardless of the cause, I commend the flight crew for successfully handling the emergency.

The 737 is designed with controlled area breakaway zones. This design feature may have limited the structural failure, much as it did with the 1988 Aloha Airlines incident on a 737-200. I have read Southwest Airlines has eighty-one 737-Classics subject to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airworthiness Directive (AD) related to skin fatigue. According to a Southwest Airlines news release today, all eighty-one aircraft are grounded pending completion of "aggressive inspection."

Despite this unfortunate incident, I have no concern about flying in a well-maintained 737. Southwest has a reputation for maintaining their aircraft well. More 737s have been produced than any other jet airliner series and they are the backbone for many of the world's airlines. While I believe the 737 is, and will continue to be, a good and safe airliner, I look forward to Boeing committing to build a successor, the 797.

United, but Different Origins

A common flaw of company mergers is the failure to recognize the contributions from the past - the positive heritages the different companies have brought to the new corporation. Yes, the new must have its own identity to which all stakeholders can unite, but this should not come at the expense of recognizing what had been accomplished previously. Boeing, for example, following the acquisition of parts of Rockwell and merger with McDonnell Douglas had new organizations called Boeing North American, Douglas Aircraft, and Phantom Works. Each recognized the contribution of a component that had been merged into the new Boeing. Even employees associated with the Seattle jet maker were proud to have the connection with the series of incredible DC series of airliners. The corporation though did not tolerate such diversity long, and the Douglas name quickly disappeared, followed by North American, and almost Phantom Works.

Now the Proud Bird with the Golden Tail is Flying the Friendly Skies. A new United is coming into existence. There appears to be a recognition that both airlines have heritages to be recalled. United is planning to paint a Boeing 757 in a retro-United paint scheme. I hope they will paint one in a Continental scheme, too.

You have the opportunity to help decide which retro-United paint scheme the airline will use. Go to http://bit.ly/fxDndT and vote. I favor the DC-4 scheme even though the Mainliner scheme is what I most closely associate with the airline. Vote and let your voice be heard.

Kudos, too, American and US Airways, both of which have retro-painted airliners. Among transportation companies, though, no company has acknowledged its heritages as has Union Pacific, which has a small fleet of locomotives in heritage paint schemes.