An example. This week I had a business meeting in Memphis. I started planning for the trip two weeks ago, the best airfare I could find that met my needs was $853...yes, $853. I considered traveling to Little Rock, and driving to Memphis, would have saved me $400, and if it had not been for bad return connections I would have done that. Memphis just completed a very nice redo of their airport...relocated their car rental back to the terminal, new ticketing, added some shops, really nice. One problem, it is a virtual ghost town compared to five years ago, when I arrived on Monday, I passed gate after gate with nobody there...during prime time, 4PM. The consolidation of airlines, use of smaller regional jets has not been kind to Memphis.
Who will pay for the new terminal at KCI, $1.2 billion. The story is changing from the Feds chipping in a big chunk (unlikely) to a bond issue...saddling KCMO with even more debt, good luck with that. And of course there is you and me...(yes, you, because the forces that be agree, you the air passenger will bear the sure bet of increased fares).
One word, Dumb.
One more thought...TSA. On the trip this week to Memphis I traveled on Delta. One of the reasons promoted for the new terminal, is the streamlined security it will bring over the current costs because of the three terminal configuration (actually I think it may go to two shortly). Anyway, after having the guy at the stand make red marks on my boarding pass I encountered a young TSA guy directing me to which line to be scanned...he pointed to the right, with 4 people...while the line to the left had 1...I pointed it to him and he said "I am supposed to balance the lines"...Da...I think most passengers could figure that out...and then, after going through the detector, observed a number of TSA agents watching other TSA agents, all the while grabassing around...I feel safer, don't you?
3 comments:
I went to all the meetings at the hotel and pac club. KC wants retail tax money,(who shop at airports?)rent from the shops,restaurants(bars are usually the busiest) they admitted kc is not a destination city or hub, said that pilots didn't like flying into kc(not true ask our own pilots that live at wl.VanLoh showed pictures with long lines outside the southwest check in. As often as I go to the airport even during the holidays have never seen lines like he showed. Taxes on car rentals are high and so will the taxes on tickets and planes will be higher, Make the trip easier for Johnson County by changing the highway.seems like kc is always paying for Jo County VanLoh also said 80 percent of the riders are from Jo county, figures are from the parking lots. I bet if the vote goes to the people wl won't get to vote because we don't live in kc.Please Sly James, leave kc behind we love our airport the way it is.
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The two posts above have covered the stupidity of the 'new' terminal.
The other issue is security, meaning TSA aka Thousands Standing Around. Arrogance is the word to describe these folks who just came from a jobs flipping burgers or stocking shelves.
Talk about debt
Notice all those Blue Shirts
Ever wonder how much that costs?
TSA and Homeland Security The largest expansion of govt and govt debt in my lifetime
Lets stop making enemies in the ME and Asia and bring home the troops from Korea Germany and the ME
20 % of every dollar we spend and 40 percent is borrowed from China
Unless we can use that oil money we are going to get from "spreading freedom" invading and re building in Idiitfordaditstan and Ididitforhaliburton
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