American Airlines said Thursday it will dramatically slash its remaining St. Louis flight schedule next year as part of a dramatic restructuring.
American’s parent company, AMR Corp. announced it will raise or borrow $2.9 billion and will focus service on its primary hub airports, including Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and Dallas/Fort Worth International. The moves will leave St. Louis with 36 daily departures to nine cities on American and American Eagle next April.
"Today’s announcement positions our company well to face today’s industry challenges and allows us to remain focused on the future and on returning to profitability," said AMR chairman and chief executive Gerard Arpey.
American St. Louis officials were briefed on this latest round of flight reductions late Wednesday. Since 2003, American has made a series of deep service cuts at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport — once a thriving midcontinental hub for Trans World Airlines.
The Post provides a graphic which shows the absolute lack of service for a population of nearly 3 million people in stark detail.
This is an insane situation. One can no longer fly to Austin, New Orleans or San Antonio from St. Louis without flying through the Chicago "hub". (One wonders if most flights going to San Francisco would involve the same bit of nonsense.)
Look, I don't fly anymore, unless it is to take a flight to Europe. I simply will not subject myself to the indignities it now requires for domestic travel. Right now that leaves me driving anytime I need to travel.
"Yeah, right," you might say, "Like you don't fly to California when you want to go out there."
Well, it's true. I won't drive to California either. So, I don't go to California anymore. I'm sure California would love my tourist dollars, but there are plenty of other places I can reach via automobile and spend that money which won't require me to lay over for hours in Chicago (or LA or wherever), and which don't subject me to the endless nickle and diming... excuse me... I mean ten and twentying that the airlines are intent upon inflicting on their customers.
The airlines are proving that they only wish to serve a handful of the biggest cities in this county. You know that is true. That anyone can fly out of St. Louis and get anywhere is only because they want to offer the service from the big cities to the St. Louis' of the country.
I've had it.
Look, we are already offering government subsidies for airports and for airlines to fly routes that, I admit, make little sense. (How many people are really going to miss a non-stop flight from St. Louis to Dayton?) So, I would much rather support a new rail system, and allow airlines and airports to get smaller... a lot smaller. Which is exactly what they seem to want anyway. (Yes, I'd be perfectly happy simply shifting around this money to support rail instead of air travel. I'm no libertarian!)
And, no, I'm not spouting nonsense about the environment to sell this. I simply believe the airlines have shown it is impossible for them to provide a service that makes sense for the majority of Americans (who, believe it or not, do not all live in one of New York, Atlanta, Chicago, or L.A.) And, yes, it was true that the rail system of the 1950's was not adequate to the needs of the country, but I'm not talking about bringing back the old, slow trains of the 1950's (which were little different than the trains of the 1890's in terms of speed). I'm talking about 21st century trains which would provide speedy service more efficiently and much more comprehensively.
As a bonus, they won't aggravate the living hell out of you.
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