this post was submitted on 06 May 2026
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good tidbit about high maintenance planes.
If it can’t exist without being premium prices and offering, does that mean this is now a new thing the lower class cannot have? Ability to fly,
Digression, This feels like a disease of costs. They always have to climb, somebody has to be sacrificed to reach these new ever higher luxuries. I see the same in my industry. And I want to slam on the brakes and yell “not that fast”
Perhaps this gave me a glimmer of hope, can a company operate without all the overhead of middle men. As I believe you’re correctly pointing out, it can operate on marginally profits, but the risks are too high. When mistakes are made there’s no room in the books
Spirit failed because, given current fuel prices, they could not afford to fly with their low ticket prices. Every time they took off, they were losing money.
This leaves 2 options:
Raise ticket prices.
Find cheaper fuel.
#1 is possible, #2 is not.
If that means that the "lower class" can't afford to fly, I'm honestly OK with that. Not everyone should be flying. Airlines have incredibly high carbon footprints. If the "lower class" (aka most people) can't fly, that's a net positive for the environment.
A simple round trip flight from NYC to Miami produces half a metric ton of CO2. You shouldn't be able to get on that plane for $77.
Folks want to fight climate change, until fighting climate change impacts their own comfort.
Personally, I only fly if there is no land route to my destination. If I want to go from my home state of Pennsylvania to see my brother in California, I'm taking a train. Sure, the trip takes 3 days, but I can afford a nice comfy sleeper car (can we please do high speed rail?!? Pretty please?). But if I'm going to Scotland to see my grandma, I need to get on a plane.
#2 is possible, but it's still cutting edge technology and presumably cost prohibitive. But physically it is possible.
How? Electricity instead of fossil fuels!
https://theorkneynews.scot/2026/04/03/these-flights-prove-that-electric-aviation-can-support-the-essential-services-communities-depend-on-every-day/
Electricity currently cant power a 7XX series jet. The batteries would weigh too much.
The current economic situation certainly is not good for all sorts of airlines, but at least here in Europe the low cost airlines, especially Ryanair, have been more profitable than higher cost airlines (that often only survive with state subsidies because they are seen as national carriers).
They achive that by cherry picking routes and packing the planes more efficiently with customers (well, and exploiting their workers). Fuel price is a factor but not the main one.
Personally and perhaps others would make some sacrifices for co-ops. Whatever’s that’s worth.