Airline employees subsidizing low fares

After years of huge losses, poor service, passenger inconvenience, the destruction of airline employees' retirements and quality of life, along with the continued increases in airline executive compensation, the Daily Herald is finally asking for Congress to fix what was broken in 1978 by Alfred Kahn, Jimmy Carter and the Airline Deregulation Act.

Where has the Daily Herald been when the pilots' and mechanics' unions were shouting for years that the cuts that the bankruptcy courts and management have imposed are going to eat into the "safety" margin? Not to mention passenger comfort and convenience?

Congress can't fix this problem. Only the consumer can.

How? By paying more for their tickets. Safety, security and convenience cost money. How safe and secure do you want to be?

Then you better start coughing it up or it's going to get worse.

Below are the average domestic fares from 2000-2006. The price of a ticket has dropped more than 10 percent while jet fuel has more than doubled during the same time period.

In addition, inflation has averaged nearly 3 percent a year, which means that just based on inflation, that $259 dollar fare in 2000 should be $310 dollars in 2006.

• 2000: $259

• 2001: $259

• 2002: $243

• 2003: $243

• 2004: $225

• 2005: $216

• 2006: $231

Everything else the consumer buys has increased. Why hasn't air fare?

The employees of these airlines have been subsidizing these low fares for the consumer.

So why is everyone so surprised that service stinks and now it might be getting dangerous?

The consumer usually gets what he wants. Sometimes you must be careful what you ask for.

Jay Perry

Cary