Cost-Cutting Cited in Loose Plane Seats [View all]
Source: NY Times
Last month, American Airlines grounded dozens of Boeing 757 airliners after passenger seats came loose on four flights. Just a few weeks earlier, another American plane, a Boeing 767, was grounded after a problem was reported with the installation of some seats, though in that case no seats actually came loose.
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WBZ-TV, via Associated Press
American Airlines hired outside contractors to install passenger seats with more leg room. The seats have come loose on several flights.
J Pat Carter/Associated Press
An American Airlines passenger in Miami tries to make arrangements after her flight was delayed.
Why the seat problems?
American, like other carriers, is in the midst of reconfiguring its coach section to give more leg room to some economy seats. To get the extra space, it is creating three rows instead of four. The airline then charges more for the seats, which it calls Main Cabin Extra.
But the airline, in trying to cut costs during bankruptcy, hired outside maintenance companies this summer for the first time to modify its cabins. And airline documents show that those workers did not understand how to properly install the seats.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/24/business/installation-problems-seen-in-american-airlines-loose-seats.html?ref=business
Krugman was right, the "free market" isn't really working for workers, now they have students doing faulty work for "free".
Guess it wasn't the "pilot's fault" like AMR's press releases wanted you to believe.
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