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JetBlue Success Story, made possible by Windows: news.com
The linked news.com article details the IT operations of JetBlue and includes an interview with the CIO. JetBlue standardized everything on the Windows platform and from they are very happy with it. They claim it allowed them to cut IT staff by 50% and that it saves them money by having a staff that can focus on the same platform from the desktop to the server. Honestly, while I dont believe in Windows the way they do, I do like standardization where it makes sense. I am also impressed to see an airline that is making a profit (and several of them are, including JetBlue).
I would be cautious of security issues, very cautious, especially with things like SQL server and I am very skeptical that maintaining a cluster of windows servers is more cost effective than other unix alternatives for many applications, but JetBlue seems convinced and they are making money so whom am I to spit against the wind.
That said this example of a successful airline brings to mind another thing that really annoys me with the US government and the current congress. Giving money to the airlines to "bail" them out under the guise of "war" and "terrorism" being what has hurt their business. Yes these things certainly have had at least some impact but they have also impacted EVERY OTHER industry. AND I still consider the airlines to be highly negligent for the terrorist actions taken using their airplanes (not entirely at fault no, but contributory negligence of a high degree). Should we give 5BILLION to the airlines once a year or so ago and then again give them 3BILLION more now? Hell NO! Shouldnt have given them anything on either occasion. The airlines that were struggling before Sept 11 are still struggling. No matter how much we give failing businesses they continue to keep failing, imagine that. Also its very odd whom gets the money. For example Southwest requested some cash since the other airlines were getting it, they were denied because they are profitable. Well how do you do, be successful get nothing, fail and get bailed out and given an unfair advantage against your competitors who do not get the money? A bunch of crap, our ridiculous government at work.
Helping JetBlue see black: news.com
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Re: JetBlue Success Story, made possible by Windows: news.com
I'm not going to touch on the Windows saving money part of this, but as to ridiculous airline bailouts...
Apparently the reason why big airlines like Delta and United are losing so much money is because they don't have the proper equiptment to make frequent regional trips. They are properly equipped for international and cross-country flights, and usually sell those out, but for regional flights they are sometimes forced to fly big planes like 757s that they can only half fill. On the other hand, you have airlines like Airtran with a brand new fleet of smaller 717s. It costs them a LOT less to fly these smaller planes and they can fill them to capacity. Thats how Airtan and JetBlue can offer ridiculously low fares and still turn a profit.
Long live the low-fare airlines. If the big guys can't compete and are losing money, they can go **** themselves. It's their own damn fault for not doing whats necessary to compete. They shouldn't recieve another penny of taxpayer money.
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Re: JetBlue Success Story, made possible by Windows: news.com
I too must jump on the bandwagon bashing the major carriers - my gut reaction is to say screw them and let them fail, however my problem with Southwest and Air Tran is that they only fly to destinations that are profitable for them. In a world without American, United, Delta and Northwest it would be much more difficult to go to the places that I need to go to. As long as we have a solution for that - we are good to go. As for plane size...I don't know - you fill up a 767-400 with paying passengers and I bet it's a lot more profitable per mile than a smaller jet - and every damn flight I have been on over the last few years was easily over 80% full. The problem isn't plane size it's overhead. You take unions with their 90K janitors and CEOs who pay themselved 40Mill bonuses behind everyones back while pressuring the unions for concessions and you get what we have now.
Re: JetBlue Success Story, made possible by Windows: news.com
Yea, I'm sure a lot of it is the overpaid CEOs, but I think the smaller jet argument has warrant. For the most part, the newer and smaller jets (Boeing 717, Airbus A-320) are much more fuel efficient, and hold more passengers per gallon of fuel. The larger and older jets 1) require more maintenance, which means they are in a hanger more often 2) are less fuel efficient and 3) are harder to fill on the short regional connections. And even going by your estimate of 80% occupancy, this is still terrible for the airline. On a big plane, that could be 30-40 empty seats (multiply by maybe $350 a ticket = a lot of cash). And I think 80% might be a little high...I've been on Delta flights between Cincinatti and Atlanta on huge MD-80s that were less than half-full. If you take those people and put them on a 717, you lower your operating costs and fuel consumption, and take the same amount of cash in through ticket sales.
I think that is the key to why AirTran or JetBlue makes a profit. And I mean...I'm sure the Airtran CEO feeds his family pretty well at the same time.