And Ten Reasons Why Not
Why you should?
To make money. Plenty of people do and Michael O”Leary is the classic example. Fred Laker went bust but will die a very rich man. One never meets ”poor ”airline people. Richard Branson has done very well thank you.
To supply a social service. Many small airlines do just that without making a fortune for their owners. Loganair for example.
As part of a total leisure package, typically TUI, but it also works for much smaller operators such as Palmair.
To give employment. Airlines require staff of all grades. From pilots to cabin cleaners.
For a social status. Airline bosses, rather like football chairman, have a certain place in the hierarchy.
For free Farnborough tickets. The doors of suppliers open on such occasions. Wimbledon too. Lords also. Henley. Suppliers, banks and others whose bosses need an excuse for corporate entertaining will invite you.
For free and cheap seats on other airlines. Many carriers will offer competitors courtesy accommodation, often in first class. The same goes for hotels and car hire companies who think that they might do business.
The high profile of being an airline boss does attract other businesses to your merits. Lord Marshall sits on many boards. Barbara Cassani did very nicely for a while.
A ”K” might ensue. We have mentioned Sir Fred and Sir Dick (as the Americans like to call him). There is Sir Michael too. And you can go even one better and become a Lord. King & Marshall to start with.
To give you free flights to your holiday home (and sadly for your friends too ” as this is negative it might go under ”and why not?”).
And Why Not?
The story goes about that the best way of making a million owning an airline is to start with ten million.
It is the quickest way to lose friends. They will never tell you when it all goes right but when it goes wrong the phone will continuously ring. Passengers (like friends) will quickly hate you when their luggage gets lost (although it will be probably the airport”s fault).
The airline business is twenty four hours. You will never get a rest.
You will have to learn about European legislation and the JAA. Enough said.
And passengers don”t understand why you don”t fly from their local airport.
Likewise you have just purchased, at a cost of hundreds of millions, the latest and greatest of the quiet jets, far, far less noisy than those of a generation back. But they fly over someone”s house. It”s your fault.
Just like being a football chairman everyone will tell you how to do things. But not with their money.
You will organise a committee to select a new aircraft but when it actually comes to make a decision you will go against them. Your wife/girlfriend does not like it, or another manufacturer has called in a favour.
Likewise with the new uniform. The wife/girlfriend, or prospective new girlfriend will call the shots. Nothing but aggravation.
And as for the new image, an expensive consultant will be brought in only for the resulting paint scheme to be a disaster, the same consultant then re-designing the whole lot for an even bigger fee. The best aircraft colour schemes are usually thought up on the back of an envelope.
And finally it is the best and worst way to stay in contact with the media. Don”t forget they are your buddies. Until a bad story comes out, and then all the friendships are forgotten. Ask Sebastian Coe!
Since the European Cup is all the rage next week ABTN will offer ten reasons for wanting to become a football manager, and ten reasons why not (submissions welcome). And hopefully the week after we will revert to the airline chiefs and await submissions from readers, anonymous or with a publishable name.