Nationalize the Airlines?

Question

If you fly often, you know that the airlines are having real problem with keeping prices down, maintaining safety and providing good customer service. Personally, I think a nationalized air line would solve those problems and create more efficiency. Right now, you might have 4 or 5 airlines all with flights from New York to Los Angeles, all leaving with an hour. Each flight is probably half full. The increased number of planes detracts from safety and customer service, and flight delays are common. A single airline, in this case a govt run airline, would make for few flights with more passengers on each flight--so there would be fewer planes in the air, with more passengers on each plane. So, you'd have increased safety and also lower costs.

State-run monopolies currently exist for fire, police, sewer/water and other essential services. I think the airlines are another industry which would benefit, and whose customers would benefit, from a monopoly--with strict federal guidelines.

Answer 1

I think this needs to happen but I don't think it will. Before deregulation all airlines charged the same prices and a ticket on one was often good on another one. At first deregulation was good for the public because the price of flying came down. Air travel took off in a big way. In the days before deregulation airlines could only expand their routes by buying out another airline. A couple of years before deregulation in an effort to expand PAN AM bought out NATIONAL AIRLINES. Within a matter of months they suddenly were in a position to expand their routes at their own will. PAN AM never recovered from that buy out of NATIONAL and within a matter of ten years or so the were out of business. So many well know airlines like EASTERN, TWA, and PAN AM found themselves tied down by union contracts and wage structures that start up airlines didn't have to bother with. They could not compete and died out.
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We find ourselves today with an airline system that is for the most part broken. Prices for seats on the same airplane and section vary widely. You could have paid $300. dollars for your fare and you find yourself sitting next to a guy that paid $49. and the guy behind you paid $550. There should never be that much of a price difference for seats on a plane
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If the federal government can continue to subsidize the passenger railroads why can't they do the same with the airlines?

All tickets should have to be prepaid and be non-refundable. This would make overbooking unnecessary As it would cost the no-shows the price of the ticket. You'd pay for a ticket and if you didn't use it you loose. The airline can either let the seat fly empty or sell it at the last minute perhaps then allowing them to give you a partial refund.
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Answer 2

Tellya what.

Buy a ticket to Buenos Aires, and when you get out at Ezezia Airport, you will get a feel for what nationalization of airlines really is.

If our airlines are nationalized, I suggest that they be dismantled in favor of a rail system. Planes just consume too much fuel and damage the environment too much.