Good for Spirit

[Lilavati]

http://consumerist.com/2012/01/spiri...ing-taxes.html

They aren't my airline of choice, but I'm glad they are raising a stink about this.

[Doberluv]

What the h - e - double hockey sticks is the government doing in the airline business anyhow? I just can't wrap my head around the whole concept of the government sticking their nose into every private business. I say it's high time we kick them to the curb.

Yes, it is good that this airline is raising a stink. I wish the whole country would raise a stink.

[Lilavati]

Originally Posted by Doberluv

What the h - e - double hockey sticks is the government doing in the airline business anyhow? I just can't wrap my head around the whole concept of the government sticking their nose into every private business. I say it's high time we kick them to the curb.

Yes, it is good that this airline is raising a stink. I wish the whole country would raise a stink.

For better or for worse, the government has always had a hand in the airline business. It used to be very heavily regulated, although it has undergone ALOT of deregulation. This is nothing new. However, hiding the taxes and making the companies raise their rates to compensate is sleezy.

I'm not going to argue the merits of airline regulation one way or another, since I don't know a lot about it. However, from what I do know of it, at least some of that regulation is pretty much necessary and can't be done by the states. I do know that fed's provide much of the national air traffic control network, set safety rules, and inspect airplanes. Some of these things have to be coordinated on a national level and sync'd with the military (air traffic). Others are regulation of something in interstate commerce (the plane) an crucial to national infrastructure. As for safety rules and inspecting planes . . . I don't know about you, and I don't care if its the federal government, but I'd really prefer that someone OTHER than the company that makes money off of it take a look at those planes every once in awhile . . .