By Joe Clark
The past few months have been a hectic time to fly in the United States. Major airlines such as American, United, and Delta reported to the United States Transportation Department that they would provide meals for flights with three-hour delays and even hotel rooms for passengers stranded by “issues under the airlines’ control.” These commitments are new and detail a change in narrative for airlines following a prolonged period of time where airlines simply declined to offer such compensation despite the issues plaguing the companies. However, following pressure from U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and other government officials, airlines have caved, and now they’re competing to see who offers the best backup plan to passengers if things go wrong.
Of course, airlines are suffering under a constrained supply of staffing, and as such, they quickly began to trim flight options and schedules – which only bottlenecked the demand for staff on existing flights. As a result, the existing flights have faced cancellations, delays, and other issues that typically wouldn’t cause much of a stir for the companies. The U.S. Department of Transportation has attempted to step in to alleviate problems. As Secretary Buttigieg said, “When the right thing to do is to roll up our sleeves and bring the airlines to the table and work with them, I prefer to do that, but we’re also going to use our enforcement powers to make sure passengers have a better experience, but remember at the end of the day, these are private businesses.”
The problems don’t seem to be ending anytime soon, but it seems that airlines are working around the clock to maintain staffing levels that can accommodate the level of demand they face. For those planning on taking a flight in the near future, we hope that you won’t have any delays or issues getting to where you need to be. If those delays happen, though, we at least hope that you’re provided a form of compensation – even if that’s just a hotel room.
Student Organization Highlight: Business Honors Program
If you’re looking for an opportunity to make an impact within the state of Alabama while making valuable connections with business leaders, then look no further than the Business Honors Program. The BHP is an enrichment program within the Culverhouse College of Business that heavily emphasizes independent work. The projects are similar to a consulting-type ordeal, where you’re trusted to come up with solutions to true societal issues inflicting the state of Alabama. The group is looking for high-achieving students with a strong work ethic that believe they can make a difference with their work.
The group also has many corporate partners and speakers that present, including (but not limited to) Lockheed Martin, Capital One, Boeing, The Walt Disney Company, and Google. The group has excellent relations with these groups, and it gives them a chance to connect with leaders in high-level companies such as these – making for a tremendous advantage when application season rolls around. When considering the combination of project-oriented work, the real-life application of the results, and the people you might meet within the group, it’s hard to pass up the Business Honors Program when looking at the College of Business.
Culverhouse freshmen should expect an email about the application cycle in the Spring of 2023. As for now, make sure your resume is ready, and be on the lookout for any future news!
Degree Program Highlight: Accounting
As billionaire businessman and owner of the Houston Rockets Tilman Fertitta once said, “Don’t ever let your business get ahead of the financial side of your business. Accounting, accounting, accounting. Know your numbers.” Accounting is the backbone of every business in the United States, big or small, and without proper management, it can also be the downfall or land you in jail. The beauty of accounting lies in that it is essential and will always be essential to businesses. Even with improving technology, the need for accountants remains the same as it has, if not increasing, due to the rise we’ve witnessed in businesses of various sizes.
The School of Accountancy in the Culverhouse College of Business is one of the best places to train yourself for a career in this field. Founded in 1978, the school focuses students on the principles of accountancy and the basics of financial report sheets. Graduates of the master’s programs should enter professional examinations such as the CPA ready to score well. Some of the largest accountancy firms in the world, including the Big Four, recruit directly out of the Culverhouse School of Accountancy.
More at accounting.culverhouse.ua.edu.
Featured Event
The Career Fair is coming! Is your resume ready? Stop by the Career Center at Culverhouse on Thursday, September 8 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for a resume review and actionable feedback. More here.