I’m an airline pilot at a major airline. Our planes are PACKED. Hardly an empty seat, every flight.
So I don’t get it. People leaving their jobs. Inflation ripping through the economy. Gas prices skyrocketing. Cost of living going through the roof…and people are flying to resort destinations in droves. Something doesn’t add up.
I don't get it either. But my "guess" is that most of the people flying to resort destinations are in the upper 10% of the wealth and income scale. These people may not have to curtail flying, compared to poorer folks who need the money for vital things like food, rent, etc. due to adverse economic conditions.
You raise a fascinating issue/question. I tend to believe there is too much credit and there are a lot of retired boomers that if they are anything like Bill (and a lot of us here) they've put a lot of money away and are enjoying their life of leisure in retirement. They aren't necessarily members of the 10%, but they have dollars (or credit) that apparently they are not afraid to spend.
While there may be retirees in the mix, unless these folks have also found the fountain of youth, when I see the passengers “retirees” does not come to mind.
In the past, yes, one would have needed to visit a bus station to see the clientele that now one finds onboard an airliner. We have become a low-class, tatted, pierced, bearded biker-bar society.
Pity the tattooed lady at the carnival side show. Why pay when you can see her type for free?
Haven't the "major airlines" cut back on the number of flights significantly (due to pilot and staffing shortages) making it more likely the remaining flights will be full or more full?
If you look at the past 30 years, we have not had a sustained recessionary or inflationary period. Most of generations born after 1980 have not experienced hardship due to terrible job outlooks and high inflation, as most times we have only experience a brief period before conditions correct and off we go. I think they expect the hardships we have currently are a "transitory" problem and will be fixed soon. I lived through the bleak periods of the 1970's and 1980's.
I like seeing the faces on “younger” people when I say what would you think if a good car loan interest rate was 16.5%, a good mortgage rate was 12%? They can’t believe it. I then say, I remember those days. Better get ready.
Thing is, most financial planners/advisors have never lived through that, either. Trees grow to the sky.
Restaurants packed, airlines packed, hotels packed and Americans can still buy 100's of millions in lottery tickets. I don't listen to all the doom and gloom. Does anyone think grocery prices didn't go up for the 4 years Trump was in office.....
No doubt inflation is here. Prices on food, gas, etc are rising rapidly. But so must also be disposable income. I mean, middle of the week, in between Spring Break and graduations/summer vacations is usually a slack time. Not now. I carry 191 passengers. There’s been two butt cheeks in every seat. I’ve never seen anything like this, and I’m in my 35th year at a “major” airline.
We flew to Mexico on business in Nov 2020, and the plane had more riders than seats. Kids on laps. The resorts, however, were nearly empty. Twelve people in the big pool...
I read an article in the past; I don't remember when or who the article was written by. The gist of it was, if you took all of the wealth in the World and divided it equally to every family, then in twenty to fifty years it would be back to the ones it was taken from. Just Saying! Florida Jimmy.
While you are looking back at the blundering FED, go back to the early 70s. That is when the FED announced the methodology of using the prime rate and the supply of money to "control" the economy. Then they "invented" credit cards for everyone, not just the rich. It didn't take that long for credit card debt to exceed the money supply backed by gold. So Nixon pushed by the FED took us off the gold standard to generate enough cash to pay the credit debt or so they thought. "Why wait--Get what you want now!"
Another great read Bill. Maybe we should give the Fed some love. Hey, they managed to delay the day of reckoning for over two years. Locking down the economy and attempting to paper over the economic catastrophe was a fools errand at best. It was never if the Covid Cowardice Bill would come due, but rather when. This will be a good lesson for an economically illiterate populace. After all, you learn much more from your failures than success.
Bill, as the dust settles on everything that has happened in the past 25 or 50 years,what about humankind.What has been lost amidst all the grand technology and money printing,maybe the sweetness and kindness of the human spirit.Maybe people packing airplanes are searching for it,but it won't be found till they come home to it.The politicians ,the 1%rich,and big corporaitons can't buy it cause its a commodity not listed on the stock exchange.
You are right. Most of us waste too much time on internet. There are only a few good things on internet. BPR is one of them. Gotta go. Gotta cut my internet time.
Ah Bil!You did it again!So happy to hear from you that most of the internet is a waste of time and a ruse to keep most us too busy for the important stuff!!Reading some of the comments here,looks like a lot of people fell for it hook line and sinker.......yikes.
I know you have a thick skin and are really opinionated; but, the 'plague' from a lab is not FACT -it is an opinion of 'some'. Further, that tfg did the best he could is mere personal preference. His unprovoked and stupid tariff's debacle cost us greatly. And, his behavior among world leaders made him a pariah. There is so much more wrong about him and with him; but, I won't go into it. Well, one thing more "he signed off on it" the PPP -as the executive director it was HIS responsibility to ensure that program was competently operated. But, of course, that would interfere with his excessive time on the golf course or lazing about on his 'executive time'.
Spot on, PG V! I don't know if this is the right place to say what I am going to say, but I am going to say it anyway. I am 83, with a health assessment by the VA of 71.
My son is 58 and got married the first time in June 2021. It took place in Sun City, CA. I had to fly to CA for the wedding from Florida. I had no desire to get the Covid shots, but if I didn't, I would have had to Self-Quarantine for ten days to be able to return to Florida: so, I took the shots in March and April. I only stayed in Cali four days. I consider that to be a long time to be in the land of Fruits and Nuts. LoL! I started forming a new Manfacturing Corporation, BAYS' INDUSTRIES INC., in April 2020 which is doing well.
Now, for the rest of the story. When it comes to COVID, I am like Sgt. Shultz of HOGAN'S HEROS: "I KNOW NOTHING!!" about COVID or Virology. I had no reaction to either shot. I went to the ER on 08 Jan. 2022 with two days of DRY cough about twice a day and a pain in my right lower rib. They did a COVID test. Two days later they called and informed me I had COVID, and I should self-quarantine for five days. I never coughed again, worked, and felt normal. I returned to the ER on Jan. 18, 2022, for a retest. Results: No COVID. I think they give you a small dose of COVID on the first shot and a larger dose on the second shot. Anyway, it's not even like a cold. I believe the Nursing Facility patients that they said died from COVID were already dying from something else. They were probably on Life Support to begin with. Trump may have had it or not, but he was back to work in two days. The Queen of Great Briton had it and she has to be in her Nineties. She is a tough old Bird. Just Saying! Florida Jimmy.
Hillary Clinton got 2,868,686 more votes than Trump in 2016. And Biden got 7,052,770 more votes than Trump in 2020. The dummy lost twice. LOSER! LOSER!
I’m an airline pilot at a major airline. Our planes are PACKED. Hardly an empty seat, every flight.
So I don’t get it. People leaving their jobs. Inflation ripping through the economy. Gas prices skyrocketing. Cost of living going through the roof…and people are flying to resort destinations in droves. Something doesn’t add up.
I don't get it either. But my "guess" is that most of the people flying to resort destinations are in the upper 10% of the wealth and income scale. These people may not have to curtail flying, compared to poorer folks who need the money for vital things like food, rent, etc. due to adverse economic conditions.
If you could see the average clientele on my flights, you’d likely not figure they’re in the “upper 10%.” If they are, they hide it VERY well.
You raise a fascinating issue/question. I tend to believe there is too much credit and there are a lot of retired boomers that if they are anything like Bill (and a lot of us here) they've put a lot of money away and are enjoying their life of leisure in retirement. They aren't necessarily members of the 10%, but they have dollars (or credit) that apparently they are not afraid to spend.
While there may be retirees in the mix, unless these folks have also found the fountain of youth, when I see the passengers “retirees” does not come to mind.
One of the reasons your comments caught my eye is that my late father used to say (a lot) "something just don't add up" lol.
LOL…yup!
Maybe I need to get onboard with the new 2+2=5 or whatever you “feel” it equals way of doing math nowadays, and it WILL add up :)
Your last sentence echos what I have heard (not necessarily about airline tickets): might as well spend/buy it now. It’ll just cost more if you wait.
☝️Ditto
In the past, yes, one would have needed to visit a bus station to see the clientele that now one finds onboard an airliner. We have become a low-class, tatted, pierced, bearded biker-bar society.
Pity the tattooed lady at the carnival side show. Why pay when you can see her type for free?
Haven't the "major airlines" cut back on the number of flights significantly (due to pilot and staffing shortages) making it more likely the remaining flights will be full or more full?
Not at my airline
If you look at the past 30 years, we have not had a sustained recessionary or inflationary period. Most of generations born after 1980 have not experienced hardship due to terrible job outlooks and high inflation, as most times we have only experience a brief period before conditions correct and off we go. I think they expect the hardships we have currently are a "transitory" problem and will be fixed soon. I lived through the bleak periods of the 1970's and 1980's.
I like seeing the faces on “younger” people when I say what would you think if a good car loan interest rate was 16.5%, a good mortgage rate was 12%? They can’t believe it. I then say, I remember those days. Better get ready.
Thing is, most financial planners/advisors have never lived through that, either. Trees grow to the sky.
Charge it!
And when it's time to pay it off -- declare bankruptcy! The Argentina way!
Restaurants packed, airlines packed, hotels packed and Americans can still buy 100's of millions in lottery tickets. I don't listen to all the doom and gloom. Does anyone think grocery prices didn't go up for the 4 years Trump was in office.....
Yup. Something ain’t adding up.
No doubt inflation is here. Prices on food, gas, etc are rising rapidly. But so must also be disposable income. I mean, middle of the week, in between Spring Break and graduations/summer vacations is usually a slack time. Not now. I carry 191 passengers. There’s been two butt cheeks in every seat. I’ve never seen anything like this, and I’m in my 35th year at a “major” airline.
Thank you very much! :)
We flew to Mexico on business in Nov 2020, and the plane had more riders than seats. Kids on laps. The resorts, however, were nearly empty. Twelve people in the big pool...
I read an article in the past; I don't remember when or who the article was written by. The gist of it was, if you took all of the wealth in the World and divided it equally to every family, then in twenty to fifty years it would be back to the ones it was taken from. Just Saying! Florida Jimmy.
While you are looking back at the blundering FED, go back to the early 70s. That is when the FED announced the methodology of using the prime rate and the supply of money to "control" the economy. Then they "invented" credit cards for everyone, not just the rich. It didn't take that long for credit card debt to exceed the money supply backed by gold. So Nixon pushed by the FED took us off the gold standard to generate enough cash to pay the credit debt or so they thought. "Why wait--Get what you want now!"
Another great read Bill. Maybe we should give the Fed some love. Hey, they managed to delay the day of reckoning for over two years. Locking down the economy and attempting to paper over the economic catastrophe was a fools errand at best. It was never if the Covid Cowardice Bill would come due, but rather when. This will be a good lesson for an economically illiterate populace. After all, you learn much more from your failures than success.
Well stated, good on ya, Bill. Ralph Wood
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2022/apr/17/soaring-food-prices-push-more-cargill-family-members-on-to-world-richest-500-list
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/weyerhaeuser-profit-leaps-driven-by-soaring-lumber-prices/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/inflation-corporate-profits_n_6229f9cee4b0296158377826
Booming times for some.
Thaks PG. Like I said, "I know nothing! Florida Jimmy.
Bill, as the dust settles on everything that has happened in the past 25 or 50 years,what about humankind.What has been lost amidst all the grand technology and money printing,maybe the sweetness and kindness of the human spirit.Maybe people packing airplanes are searching for it,but it won't be found till they come home to it.The politicians ,the 1%rich,and big corporaitons can't buy it cause its a commodity not listed on the stock exchange.
Hey Bill,
You are right. Most of us waste too much time on internet. There are only a few good things on internet. BPR is one of them. Gotta go. Gotta cut my internet time.
Ah Bil!You did it again!So happy to hear from you that most of the internet is a waste of time and a ruse to keep most us too busy for the important stuff!!Reading some of the comments here,looks like a lot of people fell for it hook line and sinker.......yikes.
Notice how he skipped over how much and to whom Trump gave trillions and jumped right to Biden. Billions and billions in fake PPP claims too.
' Shock Doctrine ' = One of the biggest thefts of taxpayers dollars in history.
I know you have a thick skin and are really opinionated; but, the 'plague' from a lab is not FACT -it is an opinion of 'some'. Further, that tfg did the best he could is mere personal preference. His unprovoked and stupid tariff's debacle cost us greatly. And, his behavior among world leaders made him a pariah. There is so much more wrong about him and with him; but, I won't go into it. Well, one thing more "he signed off on it" the PPP -as the executive director it was HIS responsibility to ensure that program was competently operated. But, of course, that would interfere with his excessive time on the golf course or lazing about on his 'executive time'.
Well said. Thank you.
Spot on, PG V! I don't know if this is the right place to say what I am going to say, but I am going to say it anyway. I am 83, with a health assessment by the VA of 71.
My son is 58 and got married the first time in June 2021. It took place in Sun City, CA. I had to fly to CA for the wedding from Florida. I had no desire to get the Covid shots, but if I didn't, I would have had to Self-Quarantine for ten days to be able to return to Florida: so, I took the shots in March and April. I only stayed in Cali four days. I consider that to be a long time to be in the land of Fruits and Nuts. LoL! I started forming a new Manfacturing Corporation, BAYS' INDUSTRIES INC., in April 2020 which is doing well.
Now, for the rest of the story. When it comes to COVID, I am like Sgt. Shultz of HOGAN'S HEROS: "I KNOW NOTHING!!" about COVID or Virology. I had no reaction to either shot. I went to the ER on 08 Jan. 2022 with two days of DRY cough about twice a day and a pain in my right lower rib. They did a COVID test. Two days later they called and informed me I had COVID, and I should self-quarantine for five days. I never coughed again, worked, and felt normal. I returned to the ER on Jan. 18, 2022, for a retest. Results: No COVID. I think they give you a small dose of COVID on the first shot and a larger dose on the second shot. Anyway, it's not even like a cold. I believe the Nursing Facility patients that they said died from COVID were already dying from something else. They were probably on Life Support to begin with. Trump may have had it or not, but he was back to work in two days. The Queen of Great Briton had it and she has to be in her Nineties. She is a tough old Bird. Just Saying! Florida Jimmy.
Trump totally failed on his response to the pandemic and it cost him the White House. He was more worried about his poll numbers.
See my response to Kevin Leader below.
So you voted for a woke president that craps his pants.
The laugh of the decade was when Trump beat Clinton
Hillary Clinton got 2,868,686 more votes than Trump in 2016. And Biden got 7,052,770 more votes than Trump in 2020. The dummy lost twice. LOSER! LOSER!