Christ Steiner wrote a fabulous book about how the inevitable rise in price of gasoline will change our lives for the better. In this book he laid out the possibilities of twenty dollars a gallon and what could come out of it and I found his chapter on the airline industry the most compelling.
The airline industry continues to consolidate and the dream of three major carries has become a reality as us airways and American Airlines have merged following a wave of mergers in previous years. You see there was an actual time where you had airline domestic competition and each airline went out of their way to appease the customer given the multifarious choices people could choose from. These airlines would cook a stellar meal and give you peanuts as desert but now the corporate streamlining has ruined the airline industry. Steiner shows how the airline industry has already consolidated, streamlines, cut workers pay and so forth but in reality without cheap jet fuel all these cuts to service will be null. There is no future for this industry and its carbon sky polluting farce that governments have allowed to exist so rich people can travel around faster cutting deals and screwing most folks lives. There are two hundred thousand less worker despite thousands more flights. Nothing will be improved with these companies streamlining their operations and anyone thinking prices will shed should not hold their breath. Chances are service will get worse and routes to small cities cut as the desperate airlines do whatever they can before the industry collapses with the rising fuel prices. People will not be able to travel across country on a whim unless they are extremely wealthy. The airlines have put so many fees and extra costs to raise revenue for their I sustaining polluting industry that needs to fucking be done. The quicker there are fewer air flights the better we will be and the rail rush can start for Americans to travel. Steiner's book also discusses the fate of the SUV and big trucks, Wal Mart interstate shipping, and the sad fate of suburbia and small towns as people will continue to be forced to change out dated living methods that were only available in era of cheap oil. A great read.
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