Free Republic

What do beleaguered United Airlines and McDonald's have in common? Lousy service. It drives customers away and it makes advertising a total waste of money. Nobody will pay attention to clever ad blandishments after they are yelled at by flight attendants (as my daughter and her family were) or had to wait 15 minutes for a Quarter-Pounder with Cheese (as I had to). It's nice to know our family publishing company made more money this year than the U.S. airlines combined. What that shows is the big airlines' costs are too high and their revenue can't support them. Their only...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pessimistic about the airline industry's condition, U.S. House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt said Tuesday he thinks another bailout is unlikely but aid might be warranted to assist an orderly downsizing. In an interview with Reuters reporters and editors, Gephardt suggested airline executives should report to Congress soon about their continued crisis following a year in which Wall Street analysts say the industry lost $10 billion. Congress approved $15 billion for the airlines last year just 11 days after the Sept. 11 hijack attacks, and Gephardt said he was unsure whether any more legislation addressing the industry's woes...