So our friends at PBS Frontline did a show near and dear to my heart about the Airline industry and the cost cutting that has gone on, and questioning whether all these cost cuts are not sacrificing our safety. This is from 2011, and the Airline industry in general, and airplane manufacturing have not got better, they have worsened.
I grew up flying, as my Dad worked for Air Canada, so I got to see firsthand how the industry changed from a very luxury-conscious means of travel to a larger, more accommodating (and cheaper) transportation, to the point now where it seems to be the ultimate “bate and switch con game” service. I defy anyone to find the real price of any trip with all the new service fees they are allowed to hide and not advertise.
As competition made the airlines have to “lower” their prices, how did they do it? Gasoline has been going up year after year, their employees have most certainly taken some of the cuts, but how else have they been saving money? Frontline gives us some ideas in this full-length piece:
Watch the full episode. See more FRONTLINE.
Flying Redux
PBS has some more stuff you can watch about Boeing one of the major airplane manufacturers
