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?
