Airlines waived change fees ahead of a nor'easter. Flight disruptions were rising in Boston. This counts as news because apparently we've decided that corporations doing the bare minimum to avoid a PR disaster during predictable weather patterns deserves a headline.
Nor'easters happen every winter. They've been happening since before airlines existed. Yet here we are, breathlessly reporting that Delta and United figured out that maybe, just maybe, they shouldn't charge someone $200 to rebook when the plane physically cannot take off due to ice. Revolutionary thinking. Someone get these executives a participation trophy.
The weather was forecast days in advance. Meteorologists saw it coming. The airlines saw it coming. Your cousin in Revere who posts about chemtrails saw it coming. But retail traders? They're frantically checking if this affects their seventeen-dollar position in Spirit Airlines, wondering if waived change fees constitute a material event that requires SEC disclosure.
Flight disruptions were "trickling in" at Boston Logan. Trickling. Like the disruptions were bashful. Like they were testing the waters before committing to a full cancellation spree. By Saturday they weren't trickling anymore, but sure, let's workshop the verb choice while passengers sleep on terminal floors.
The technical analysis here is airtight: when frozen precipitation falls from sky, metal tube cannot fly through sky. Draw a support line at zero feet altitude. Mark resistance at "wherever the f*cking storm is." Your chart now perfectly predicts what cavemen could've told you.
Airlines waiving fees during weather emergencies is like your landlord waiving late fees during a flood that destroyed your apartment. Thanks for the generosity, really, we're all so grateful you're not actively kicking us while we're submerged.
The nor'easter will pass. The flights will resume. And some dipsh*t will still try to daytrade airline stocks based on weekend weather, convinced he's found an edge the market hasn't priced in yet.
Photo by Artturi Jalli on Unsplash
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