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How would we live in a world without airlines??
As World War II was coming to an end, executives from the various airlines and airplane manufacturers met with Truman Administration officials and indicated something of a panic -- no war meant little call for what they manufactured and supplied, which meant bad news for the country's major manufacturing industry and fledgling airline industry.
Cynics (and I know some history teachers who are among them) suggest that was a major reason people within and outside the Truman Administration sort of "cooked up" what became the 40+ year Cold War -- to bolster American manufacturing, particular the aircraft industry, following the end of WW II.
Nowadays, we're in need of something to bolster the airline industry, if not the aircraft manufacturers, too. Imagine what happens if soaring gas prices translated into soaring airline fuel prices shut down all, or at least most, of the airliners. You carefully pack your beautiful new Johnston and Murphy luggage, hustle out to the airport -- and watch the empty runways leading up into the empty skies, hoping one or two remaining flights for the week will come along for you to shove your way onto for the trip to grandma's house.
Okay, so that picture is probably a little bleak. But a story I just read online says that the current, ongoing jump in oil prices puts the U.S. airline industry on course to lose $6.1 billion in 2008. That's more than a little thing. No wonder ticket prices are rising and baggage charges abound.
Peanuts or pretzels anyone??
Technorati Tags: soaring oil prices, soaring airline fares, airline losses, take time for living
