[The_Judge]

Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy Slept Here

Perhaps, without realizing it, "ChrisH" stated the reason for licensing of gate workers, baggage handlers, and flight attendants: The status quo permits the hiring of anyTHING that is able to sign their name to the job application.

Wrong......ALL airline employees go through a backround check and are fingerprinted. The airline wants to hire someone after they find out he/she is a felon, up to them, but I don't think it's gonna happen.

Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy Slept Here

Indeed the recent arrest of a Northwest Air flight attendant, on a charge of starting an in-flight fire, tends to support this view.

Please get your facts straight. This person worked for Compass Airlines which is not Northwest Airlines. That would be like saying some guy who played single A baseball actually played for the big club. Not the same.

Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy Slept Here

Under the status quo, a staff member who---steals out of checked baggage, makes repeated bogus calls to the police, engages in unwarranted use of cuffs or other restraints in-flight, or files false police reports---faces, essentially, NO consequences.

You have an obsession with this, don't you?? Anyone, including airline employees, who make false statements are subject to penalty. Let it rest.

Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy Slept Here

Licensing ensures severe misconduct is punished with banning from the ENTIRE INDUSTRY, not just a specific airline. Licensing also guarantees there will be self-discipline. If a picture of the licensed person is included on their badge (similiar to what one sees inside the taxis of New York and other cities); and the license number is in a very large font, the staff member knows misbehavior might result in a report, with the license number of the offender, to the government.

This part I agree with. One has to be accountable for their actions.

Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy Slept Here

In the context of an airline, the idea of a public trust can encompass the notion that:

* With the exception of bad weather, operations will bear a relationship to the printed timetable;

Check out the DOT's stats on on time arrivals. What pecentage is your benchmark? Doing some quick research, November's stats show anything from the low 75.3 to 89.6 as the high. That includes weather delays which my research says anywhere from 39% to 44% each month are delayed by mother nature.

Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy Slept Here

* There are adequate resources (equipment, aircraft and manpower) available to "recover" operations following a period of bad weather;

Great idea. I love it. How is this done? Do they open the vault that says "Only use this equipment in case of weather delays?" Hire more employees on-call for weather days? Airlines have cut staff to below safe operating conditions. Less staff means they cannot operate the equipment in a safe and timely manner. Good idea but it won't fly.

Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy Slept Here

* The health of passengers will not be endangered with narrow seat pitches on flights of extended duration; the lack of fresh air being circulated in the cabin while in-flight, and on the ground; or the operation of flights with over-flowing toilets (that last condition should require landing at the nearest airport, if discovered after take-off.)

Increasing the pitch in seats would require taking out rows of seats resulting in either less revenue for the flight or increasing fares. Neither will happen.
The circulation problem is the aircraft manufacturers design problem. Maybe (I was not an a/c mechanic) the technicians of the airline could tinker with it but it really goes back to the design.
The toilets generally aren't a problem on domestic flights. The over the water flights is more of an issue but these aircrafts are lav serviced before their departure. This is such a small issue that any incidents are blown out of proportion. I will say when an aircraft is held on the tarmac for hours and then they overflow is unforgivable. But in-flight is so rare that I don't believe it's a problem.

Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy Slept Here

* Honesty will prevail when it comes to the terms of a given fare; Said terms must be written in "plain speak"--not higher than 8th grade level (the State of New Jersey has, by statute, set this standard for insurance policies)

Flight SearchPlan and purchase your next flight now. You can count on nwa.com to find the lowest available Northwest fare online - guaranteed.

The above is cut directly from NWA website. How much more clear do you want it to be??

Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy Slept Here

* Connecting flights must either have realistic connecting times, or not be sold

Each airport has MCT (minimum connection times) and can be found with little effort. They vary by same airline to same airline domestic, same to same international, one to another domestic, one to another international. Also based on where each airline is located in the terminal, i.e., is a bus required to go from one terminal to another. In my experience, the MCT's are fine if things run smoothly. And airlines can't schedule for unexpected delays. In the case of MCT's, they have to plan for on-time flights.

Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy Slept Here

* Staff, who abuse their authority; steal; extort money from customers ("I want $50 to open the door to the jetway"), or otherwise misbehave, will face REAL consequences.

Again, airline staff are subject to the same punishment as anyone else. I have personally seen people fired and some arrested for their actions so please just let this one go. I really have no idea why you beat this subject to death.