Airlines Off to Rough Start in 2024

Perhaps the prevailing thinking among airline executives is that there's only one place to go, and that's up.

Pardon the pun.

That would be positive thinking.

We're only two months into 2024, and it's already been a tough year for the industry. Maybe it's a good thing that February is a short month. Already this year,

A federal judge has blocked a proposed merger between JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines, although both sides are going to appeal.
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have proposed to merge, but a Hawaiian investor is suing to stop the collaboration.
A door blew off an Alaska Airlines plane that Boeing made.
Alaska Airlines flight attendants have authorized a strike vote.
There are ongoing issues related to pilot and air traffic controller shortages.
A passenger was able to fly overseas to Los Angeles International without a boarding pass. It’s the second time in four months.
Now maggots are falling out of the overhead bin on top of passengers.

Some of these incidents have even been parodied by Saturday Night Live, which you know is never good. Funny and sarcastic, yes, but still not good. It makes you wonder what's next.

This is the time when airlines should be basking in the glow of what was mostly a problem-free holiday season and the continued strong travel demand. Instead, they have to deal with things ranging from significant problems to nuisance issues and embarrassing incidents.

Fortunately, these problems seemingly have a solution or, at the very least, a path to a solution. There should be more liaisons working to help the government understand that sometimes a merger is not such a bad thing. If the Federal Aviation Administration can afford to hand out over a billion dollars in grants to more than 100 airports, it can afford to hire more air traffic controllers. The airlines should not let employee disputes go until the last minute, and the strike threats become a negotiating ploy.

Some of these solutions are easier said than done, of course. But the common thread that links these issues is that it is better to be proactive than reactive.

Because the aforementioned problems shouldn't happen in seven weeks and mar the successes and beauty of the entire industry, it's like the Postal Service – where else can you send an important letter across the country for 50 cents?

Oh, and as for the maggots, here's a tip. Check, double-check, and even triple-check to ensure no passenger wraps rotting fish in a newspaper on a 10-hour flight.

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