28 June/July 2013 Calendar Airline Mergers Are Bad Ideas During the American Airlines merger with US Airways, the talks were about synergies, market share, economy of scale, profitability, cost-efficiency, reduced fixed costs and the like. Nowhere in these talks were consumers taken into account. That should be the job of regulators, which, as we know, are ineffectual and almost nonexistent. So, what does an airline merger — any merger —mean for consumers? Well, reduced competition, higher fares, poorer service, smaller seats, less carry-on space, fewer frequent flier miles with more restrictions, fewer flights, crowded planes, fewer choices, poor food, extra charges and longer travel time (to save on fuel). The airlines contend that fares have gone down 36 percent since 1978, reducing profits, but they don’t take into account that it was due to improved fuel-efficiency and other technologies. Plus, the airlines seek salvation in mergers by creating bigger versions of the same flawed business models. DS NATPE BUDAPEST JUNE 24 -27 Budapest, Hungary Tel: (310) 453-4440 Fax: (310) 453-5258 www.natpebudapest.com VideoAge bonus distribution MONTREAL WORLD FILM FESTIVAL AUGUST 22-SEPTEMBER 2 Montreal, Canada Tel: (514) 848-3883 Fax: (514) 848-3886 www.ffm-montreal.org VENICE FILM FESTIVAL AUGUST 28–SEPTEMBER 7 Venice, Italy Tel: (39 041) 521 8882 Fax: (39 041) 522 7539 www.labiennale.org VideoAge bonus distribution TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 5 -1 5 Toronto, Canada Tel: (416) 934-5834 Fax: (416) 967-7860 www.tiff.net LE RENDEZ-VOUS SEPTEMBER 8 -1 2 Biarritz, France Tel: (33 1) 4053 2300 Fax: (33 1) 4053 2301 www.tvfrance-intl.com VideoAge bonus distribution PRIX ITALIA SEPTEMBER 2 1 -26 Turin, Italy Tel: (39 06) 3686 2352 Fax: (39 06) 3723 966 www.prixitalia.rai.it VideoAge bonus distribution JORNADAS INTERNACIONALES SEPTEMBER 2 5 -27 Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel: (54 11) 4354 5074 Fax: (54 11) 4343 1716 www.atvc.org.ar VideoAge bonus distribution MIPCOM OCTOBER 7-1 0 Cannes, France Tel: (212) 370-7470 Fax: (212) 370-7471 www.mipcom.com VideoAge bonus distribution SPORTELMONACO OCTOBER 14 -1 7 Monaco, Monte-Carlo Tel: (377) 9330 2032 Fax: (377) 9330 2033 www.sportelmonaco.com VideoAge bonus distribution AFM NOVEMBER 6 -1 3 Santa Monica, CA, USA Tel: (310) 446-1000 Fax: (310) 446-1600 www.americanfilmmarket.com VideoAge bonus distribution
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