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Comment by lotsofpulp | Hacker News Reader

I guess we will have to let it play out and see. I’ll take the bet that the same airlines that exist today will be there earning the same measly profit margins in 10 years (except JetBlue, which may not be around).

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10 years ago there was USAirways and Continental, and Northwest a little before that. Reduced competition buoys the remaining survivors, but the history of bankruptcies in the industry certainly lends quite a bit of doubt towards your assumption.

The assumption is that as they become fewer, the ones that remain gain staying power. Which is why I excepted JetBlue since they could get sold or fail, I think they are hoping their Spirit purchase goes through.

Crazy to think JetBlue wanting Spirit. I remember when JetBlue started, their goal was to provide a better experience than all the other airlines. It is really a cutthroat business. Virgin Airlines had to be folded into Alaska too.

I think in many cases they are just buying routes/gates. If the airports are maxed out in gates how is the company supposed to grow? And a company that doesn’t grow is a “bad” company, or at least management doesn’t get paid as well for high profitability/low growth it seems

Virgin didn't have to be folded into Alaska. Richard Branson famously didn't want it to happen, but couldn't stop it.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/18/branson-says-alaska-air-was-...

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