[seanmcdirmid]

The also spend millions of dollars every year. I don't think many airline companies are actually very profitable right now. Take a look at any airline stock for the last 10 years, they were at a plateau before the pandemic, they are just at a lower plateau after.

[robjan]

I don't know much about US airlines but Cathay Pacific made a record breaking profit this year and they aren't even at full capacity https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-03-13/cathay-pa...

[seanmcdirmid]

They must have other problems then because they are doing more poorly than US-based airline stocks:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Cathay+Pacific+stock&oq=Cath...

[robjan]

That's not really how the stock market works. Also Cathay pays profit to its shareholders in the form of dividends.

[seanmcdirmid]

It was their first profit/dividend since the pandemic:

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/cathay-pa...

[robjan]

The COVID restrictions here were only removed last year so that makes sense.

[jlbooker]

From Southwest 4Q and Full Year 2023 results [1]:

> Full year 2023 operating revenues were a record $26.1 billion, a 9.6 percent increase, year-over-year

> Full year net income of $498 million, or $0.81 per diluted share

I'll say again... They have _plenty_ of money (record-breaking, even!) to train their pilots on the differences between two aircraft models. It's not that they can't afford it, they'd just rather not spend the money unless absolutely forced to, because a better stock price is their primary goal/motivation.

[1] https://www.southwestairlinesinvestorrelations.com/news-and-...

[seanmcdirmid]

They must be bleeding somewhere because their stock is doing horribly. Record profits and yet investors are not optimistic about it for some reason. Also, I'm not sure if we are taking into account inflation? Like I recorded record income this year personally, but I don't feel very rich. If you look at their google page:

https://www.google.com/search?q=southwest+airline+profit&oq=...

Look at March 2023, they are way up until you hit the bottom : operating income is really down and they are bleeding cash like crazy.