I would love to see the following be factored in if it isn't already:
1. airline ticket holder minutes wasted due to flight delays and cancelations.
2. amount of jet fuel wasted on empty flights for the purpose of keeping gate privileges.
3. money spent attempting to acquire or merge with other airlines and attendant FTC defense preparation.
4. (any and all other wastes of revenue that do not get invested in the consumer and instead are paid by the consumer).
There is more to the story than the price per mile. And that's not even opening the can of worms that is the quality and comfort of the flight for the consumer...
From my understanding, I can't find the article, but it seems airlines by default due to Pilots unions take like 95% of profit, fixed. So when fuel or what not meses with profits. Airlines have to declare bankruptcy to renegotiate with Pilots.
1. is that even in the airline's control?
2. sure but the baseline needs to be against other forms of transit? What's the vacancy rate in a greyhound or amtrak
3. I guess? It's unclear to me if a merger is bad though? What if it streamlines routes? Idk