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The labor problems at Eastern Airlines were as much a function of ineffective management as intransigent unions.  The sale to Texas Air, which culminated in a variety of corporate missteps, ultimately helped kill Eastern Airlines.  But at the end of the day, had the company been properly managed, as was the case for Delta, etc., it might very well have survived.  When ever a company goes belly up, the major contributor, in most instances, is ineffective management, although changing markets, technologies, labor relations, etc. can play a significant role.   Southwest Airlines has been successful in part because of excellent labor relations.  And they have come about largely because management determined that was how it would be.  Contrary to popular believe, Southwest Airlines is a highly unionized organization. The current shuttles, if you like, don't guarantee a seat.  Reservations are required.  But given the number of flights and seat available between New York and Washington, air operations appear to emulate the shuttle in substance if not exact form.  Flights leave every half hour from LGA to DCA and return.  If you cannot get on the 8:00 a.m. flight, there is a pretty good chance that you can get on the 8:30 a.m. flight, especially if you book a few days in advance.   In my scenario, the traveler is departing from mid-town.  The estimated time for a taxi to get from Grand Central, which is nearly next door to the Roosevelt Hotel, is 20 to 40 minutes as per the New York Taxi Commission.  I split the difference.  The cost of a taxi from the Roosevelt Hotel to EWR is nearly $50, again according to the New York Taxi Commission.  The time estimate is 40 to 50 minutes. Of course, one can always point to exceptions, i.e. unusual air traffic delays, power failures on the NEC, etc., and generalize the exceptions.  However, at the end of the day, according to the FAA, flights between New York and Washington are on-time about 80 to 82 per cent of the time.  Comparatively, for FY10, the Acela was on-time 80.6 per cent. Don't get me wrong.  As I said in my post, if I was going from center city New York to center city Washington, I would take the Acela.  But the argument that it beats flying, at least time wise, as argued by several posters, is not correct, and that is what I wanted to show.
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