74 Quotes by Gordon Bethune

Do you know how much faster I can fix an airplane when I want to fix it than when I don't want to fix it?

I'd rather have 50 people at 100 percent of their pay than 100 people at 50 percent, ... If you don't pay people what they're worth, they'll go to IBM or somewhere where they are paid what they're worth.

The fun part is, the same talk I would give gratis as CEO of Continental, I get paid handsomely for now.

I’ve spent my life as an airplane mechanic, pilot, aircraft manufacturer and airline CEO who never lost a life or an airplane. I am considerate of the risk we take every time we fly. I also know we need to fly and always to improve safety.

Watches are the only jewelry men can wear, unless you’re Mr. T.

It’s the old adage: You can make a pizza so cheap, nobody will eat it. You can make an airline so cheap, nobody will fly it.

I was a mechanic in the Navy. And mechanics in the Navy are like mechanics in airlines. You may have more stripes than I do, but you don’t know how to fix the airplane.

You’re only as good as your dumbest competitor.

There are a lot of parallels between what we’re doing and an expensive watch. It’s very complex, has a lot of parts and it only has value when it’s predictable and reliable.