I have everything figured out (maybe)

Written by
Peter Dunn

So I was reading yesterday that the airline industry is about to change for the worse (that is if you are a consumer). There will soon be higher prices for aisle and window seats. It will cost $1 for a can of Coke, and you will be charged for all of your luggage. Sounds terrible, right? I agree.

Here's the deal. The airline industry has decided that they want to stop losing money. That sounds reasonable, but I really don't want to help them make money either. I think that $200 is a good price for a person to pay to fly from the Midwest to Florida. I don't think that the $400 ticket that is on the way is in any way appropriate. I recently had a friend get his flight to Hawaii canceled because the airline went out of business while he was in the air. He then had to pay $2,400 for a new ticket on a different airline to get to Hawaii. He had to get there to conduct business. Flying has become a very accessible mode of transportation for Americans, and that is all about to change.

Please allow me to Rube Goldberg us through this process.

  • Oil is expensive for lots of political reasons.
  • Therefore jet fuel prices are high
  • Therefore airlines profit margins shrink
  • Therefore some airlines go out of business
  • Therefore other airlines have less competition
  • Therefore they raise prices
  • Therefore less people fly
  • Therefore less people vacation
  • Therefore people are more stressed
  • And tourist destination cities lose money
  • Therefore businesses in those cities lose money
  • Therefore they lay off their already stressed out workers
  • Therefore people have less money to live on
  • Therefore they don't even drive due to high gas prices
  • Therefore fuel demand decreases
  • Therefore fuel prices fall
  • Therefore jet fuel prices fall
  • Therefore airline prices will fall
  • Therefore people will be able to afford tickets
  • Therefore airlines will have more flights
  • Therefore they will hire more people
  • BUT they will start losing money!

Okay, I don't have it figured out. Maybe you do. Let me know. askpete@petetheplanner.com

Step up your financial wellness game.

Stay up-to-date with the latest in employee wellbeing from the desk of Pete the Planner®. Subscribe to the monthly newsletter to get industry insights and proven strategies on how to be the wellness champion your team wants you to be.