14 Responses to “Note to Continental Airlines”

1. 1 1 Mike H
   October 27, 2011 at 1:38 am

   You’re forgetting the principle of comparative advantage!

2. 2 2 Michael
   October 27, 2011 at 6:43 am

   Specialization and division of labor. The pilots and mechanics aren’t building the website…

3. 3 3 Matthew
   October 27, 2011 at 8:25 am

   Also, rest assured knowing that the good folks at the FAA are enforcing regulations that make the planes safe to be in the air.

4. 4 4 Dave
   October 27, 2011 at 8:56 am

   I would prefer they spend their next $1 on airline safety than making their website look pretty.

5. 5 5 Scott F
   October 27, 2011 at 9:48 am

   So, what are you doing on the other side of the pond?

6. 6 6 Jerry
   October 27, 2011 at 11:29 am

   Did they say they were going to fly over the *Atlantic* Ocean? Or was that an assumption you were making (LOL)?

7. 7 7 Finesse Cool
   October 27, 2011 at 1:06 pm

   “I would prefer they spend their next $1 on airline safety than making their website look pretty.”

   Apparently, Landsburg is a man who values aesthetics.

8. 8 8 Scam
   October 27, 2011 at 3:50 pm

   “I would prefer they spend their next $1 on airline safety than making their website look pretty.”

   He didn’t say anything about the website’s appearance, just its functionality.

9. 9 9 Trevor
   October 27, 2011 at 6:30 pm

   Landsburg said functional, not pretty.

10. 10 10 John Faben
    October 27, 2011 at 7:36 pm

    I read this statement at Steven Landsburg lamenting his own lack of rationality. While he is perfectly aware that the ability to produce a functional website is not necessarily correlated with the ability to run a successful airline, he cannot help but conflate the two in his fallible, human brain.

    Steve is, of course, aware that there are many more accurate ways of finding out about how good an airline is at flying planes across the Atlantic, many of them easily available online, but he can’t help but be sidetracked by the issue of the website.

    I am also interested in what he’ll be doing this side of the Atlantic – will there be any public talks I might be able to attend?

11. 11 11 Diggle
    October 27, 2011 at 7:49 pm

    What’s the marginal utility of an extra dollar of safety? I would imagine pretty low. The marginal utility of web-design would probably be comparatively higher.

12. 12 12 Mike H
    October 27, 2011 at 8:39 pm

    @Diggle – to the airline, perhaps, but what about to the customer? Unless continental is above-average, the marginal utility of them spending a dollar on making their website more functional may be negative!

    @Steve – have a safe trip, by whatever airline, over whatever ocean, however you buy the ticket!

13. 13 13 Steve Landsburg
    October 27, 2011 at 9:38 pm

    John Faben:

    will there be any public talks I might be able to attend?

    Yes! But you’ll have to wait a few months. I’ll be giving the opening talk here.

14. 14 14 Les Cargill
    October 28, 2011 at 9:32 pm

    “Boeing Lays Off Only Guy Who Knows How To Keep Wings On Plane”

    http://www.theonion.com/articles/boeing-lays-off-only-guy-who-knows-how-to-keep-win,17845/