PlaneBusiness Banter Now Posted

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Subscribers can access the latest issue of PlaneBusiness Banter here.

This week I talk a lot about The BeatLive Conference that I attended last week. No, not about what I talked about during the luncheon presentation – no, more about what everybody else talked about.

I’ll follow-up with another column in next week’s issue with more topics from the conference.

So what were some of those things we were talking about in Austin that those of us in the industry need to think about?

Well, I’m not giving all my secrets away. For that you can pay for a subscription!

But this week I concentrate on the industry problem that nobody likes to talk about — the aging mainframe IT structures that most of the major carriers are will working with, around, or in spite of.

It is ironic that this industry, which actually led the way in terms of computer technology in the ’80s, has now, for the most part, fallen hopelessly behind.

Speaking of — in regard to those airlines out there which are charging bag fees — can your internal system tell you how much in bag fees each flight on each route is generating?

Yeah, I thought so.

Other things we’re talking about this week are Morgan Stanley analyst’s Bill Greene’s research note of last week. In it, Bill explains how the ugly process of stock dilution takes place and how it distorts any “historical” analysis of airline stocks prices today.

But having said that, UBS analyst Kevin Crissey upgraded all the major airline stocks last week.

Meanwhile Fitch Ratings came out with their usual quarterly review of the industry. We talk about what they had to say about the usual suspects as well.

Former American Airlines CEO Bob Crandall was on Capitol Hill this last week — testifying on behalf of the proposed passenger rights bill. Yes, you read that correctly.

JAL/AMR? The nightmare continues. For both airlines. For different reasons.

All of this, including my latest trip report in which I experience something special in the air, and more, in this week’s issue of PlaneBusiness Banter.