What caused the mess we have seen so far? This is a good podcast to explain the deep hole that the airlines have put themselves in because of the pandemic: “The Summer of Airline Chaos.”
Are they totally to blame or are they a victim of circumstance? Likely both are true. I’ll only give you two examples.
A former neighbor of mine was a senior pilot for a major airline. He was one of the people offered a severance package. A full year of salary with all benefits. A sweet deal if you can get it! But then, he is not available for the current surge.
Another factoid for you: During the period of the pandemic, legal immigration to the U.S. decreased by 3 million people. These are workers who are not available for the workforce. When you are standing and waiting for your bags to come off the airplane, think if some of those immigrants might have taken jobs as baggage handlers and provided more speed and capacity.
