[JohnDenver]

The stock price of FEDEX is interesting. You can see it here:
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=FDX&t=m ... z=m&q=l&c=

Since 1998, crude has risen by about 5x, and so has FDX. This is another anomaly, which cannot be explained by the theory that air transport is sensitive to fuel prices.

[linlithgowoil]

im pretty sure that airlines arent as sensitive to fuel prices as many on here believe, but they are more sensitive than users of cars - simply because air-travel is somewhat of a luxury, whereas car use is seen as a necessity these days.

therefore, people will not go on planes if prices go up too much, but if prices continue to go up for petrol, they'll just end up paying it and make sacrifices elsewhere.

i think thats the airlines problems too - they cant pass on all of their rising costs, because at a certain level, people just wont buy any tickets at all which is even worse.

[lawnchair]

Lot of other changes since 1998. Internet shopping chief among them.

The smallish town I grew up in (15 000 persons) had music and book stores, independent sporting goods, clothing shops, bicycle retailers, independent computer-parts storefronts, etc. None exist today, and internet retail is a big reason. It's more fuel efficient to get your stuff delivered by FedEx than drive 70 miles to the nearest full-service town, and better prices to boot. And for city folks, it's much more fuel-efficient than comparison-shopping by visiting three retailers in three different suburbs...

[ararboin]

Fedex doesn't even deliver to the door in my (rural) neck of the woods, even tho UPS still does. When Fedex has a delivery in this area, it goes to a city about 150 miles away where they mail it to the nearest post office. They started doing this about 5 years ago. I asked the postmaster who would be responsible for a lost package and she just gave me a blank look.