Airline Mess

Recent Airline bankruptcy's and closing go me thinking and here are some comments and suggestions I have.

With this many bankruptcy's and airline's closing shop where is going to be the competition. I think instead of just thinking about competition, FTC should also think about the Airline's viability.

1. Allow airlines to merge so that we have only say 4 to 6 airlines in the US.
2. This will help do a lot of things, good for both consumers and the airline. Recently I have to fly from Dallas to San Francisco and the cheapest flight I could find is thru Las Vegas. This actually does a lot of bad things for both me, airline and the environment

It took me more than 10 hours for me to fly to SFO instead of the standard 3 hours, if I could have gone directly.
US Airways might have spend more Fuel to carry me from DFW to SFO thru Las Vegas
It takes the extra time on the air space and I've to spend more time on the air as well as ripple effects affects other airlines too

If we have 6 hours and alteast four airlines can fly from one place to another place it will airlines incentives to reduce the crowding on the plane, reduce the no. of hours people are unneccassarily flying, reduce the fuel usage (with $110 Oil, airlines will not make money and more airlines will go bankrupt or close up shop).

To make sure the airlines compete on the price (the experts might know how they say there is competitive price or not), if the price is not competetive, we can allow the two other airlines also to fly on the route. When that didn't work, the law can be passed to allow for new airlines with a big tax break that will make sure the other airlines will follow or the new company will take market share.

I really don't know how you can measure whether the price are competetive, but there might be lots of experts who can find out whether the price is competetive or not.

It is kind of Carrort and stick policy that can

1. Save Earth by using less fuel (more money in American people's pocket),
2. Less congestion on the runway, security point and airways, less delays,
3. Reduced flight cancellation
4. Less time commuting for the business people and the vacationers
5. This will give the ailines to combine operations and bring down the Baggage delays as the baggages fly directly to the destination rather than thru another city which makes it more possible for delays

Please let me know your comments and thoughts.

Thanks

Ramesh