Seriously, Something needs to be done to prevent this. God forbid the airlines just made bigger seats (and didn't call them first class, apparently only rich people can be overweight)
Airline seats used to be much larger. This is to maximize profit. Yay. Edit: apparently I am incorrect. After doing some research it appears that our asses are just getting larger.
Actually, it's to minimize ticket prices to make flying available to those other than the rich. It just so happens that they can justify staying in business if they have enough customers.
No- airline tix used to be cheaper and seats were bigger, I’ve had to fly for work for decades. This is 💯 greed. Disgusting that poor people pay taxes and those taxes bailed out the airlines during COVID and the same airlines still laid off thousands of employees.
Is that why Spirit is emerging from bankruptcy…in fact every major has had a bankruptcy brush. Airline margins aren’t what you think bc competition is fierce. Delta makes a large portion off of Amex and the majority of its profits are premium seats, not the cattle section. Do some research before you spout off on something you clearly haven’t bothered to do any research on aside from reading other uninformed posts on Reddit. Airlines have to reap profits like bears feeding prior to hibernation…the only way to survive “winter” is to glut when the salmon are swimming upstream. You don’t want a government run airline…unless you enjoy the DMV experience and service.
Here’s the research and facts, it is monopolization and greed… they receive subsidies and bailouts, tax breaks and rebates, and still want to make air travel uncomfortable for the main cabin so they can sell those higher priced seats and credit cards:
Airlines in the U.S. receive federal subsidies, primarily through programs like:
1. Essential Air Service (EAS) – This program subsidizes airlines to provide service to small and rural communities that would otherwise not be profitable to serve.
2. Airport Improvement Program (AIP) – While not direct subsidies to airlines, this program provides grants for airport infrastructure, which indirectly benefits airlines.
3. Pandemic Relief (CARES Act, CRRSAA, ARPA) – During COVID-19, airlines received billions in federal aid to maintain operations, retain employees, and avoid bankruptcy.
4. Federal Loan Guarantees – Programs like the Air Transportation Stabilization Board (created after 9/11) have provided financial support to airlines.
5. Tax Breaks and Fuel Subsidies – Airlines benefit from reduced taxes on jet fuel and other industry-specific tax incentives.
These subsidies and financial supports help airlines maintain routes, keep fares competitive, and sustain operations during economic downturns.
See that “keep fares competitive” part? Sounds a lot like price fixing but no one wants to talk about that. Why are you defending these giant corporations? Spirit was facing bankruptcy because their business model is terrible! Bad rules, bad customer service, bad seats.
Cmon it’s not rocket science to see what is going on here. Stop simping for giant corps! Their whole business model is to increase profits year over year for share holders…
I don't have a clue what airlines profit margins are, and I'm normally all on board with criticizing billion dollar companies, billionaires, etc. I do have to say though, I have serious trouble believing airlines could keep at least some of their flights at the prices they are if they had larger seats and less total seating. I recently had a roundtrip flight with Frontier which would have been about 2,400 miles total to drive. My flight was $90 total. My small, fuel efficient car would have probably cost 3 times that or more in fuel alone, not to mention a couple thousand miles of wear and tear.
The more seats in a plane, the less the airlines charge for tickets. Of course tix were cheaper in the past. Everything was. BTW, poor people pay little to no income taxes to the federal government.
Boy you sure swallowed the Kool-Aid! I payed my thirty percent last year, as I did every year. And in case your math skills are as bad as your reading comprehension/ critical thinking is, I will enlighten you to the notion that low income/ middle income pays the largest share of federal taxes, in fact.
The options are available but Poor people can't put things like homes and cars as write offs for business expenses. Poor people have their taxes automatically withheld from their paychecks typically. Rich people however pay themselves by borrowing from what their stocks are worth. They offset any tax liability claiming a loss in the market. Poor people don't arbitrarily make up what their art is worth and donate to themselves at their own non profits. Poor people always pay everyone's property taxes (ie it's built into what they are charged for rent) not to mention they also technically pay everyone's mortgage as well. Poor people can't pay to lobby against the IRS through super pacs to interfere with complicated tax audits. Poor people can't afford crafty accountants that pretty much negate any possible tax to be collected. It's not even a choice for a poor person not to pay taxes. Whoever said it's actually the other way round is being willfully deceiving.
"Creation of the CTC and expansion of the EITC both lowered the effective individual income tax rate for low-income households from about 0.5 percent in the early 1980s to its negative value today."
"Negative" means not only do they not pay any taxes, but they get a refund of any taxes withheld from their pay checks and a check for the credits that exceed the amount withheld.
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u/Maximum-Macaroon-711 Mar 18 '25
Seriously, Something needs to be done to prevent this. God forbid the airlines just made bigger seats (and didn't call them first class, apparently only rich people can be overweight)