Precisely. Who accurately predicted the shift from long-haul, high-capacity airliners to smaller, more fuel efficient airliners to fit with a hub-and-spoke mod

Precisely. Who accurately predicted the shift from long-haul, high-capacity airliners to smaller, more fuel efficient airliners to fit with a hub-and-spoke model? Now layer that on top of the decade it takes to get a new plane from drawing board to delivery. From what I've read, it sounds like Boeing completely lucked into it. It wasn't some smart person who could accurately predict the future. And to be honest, a lot of companies we think of as being "innovative" and having "foresight" are that way. They made the best business decision they could, based on what was known at the time, and the stars lined up to make it a huge hit. Saying that a company can plan for future profitability isn't supported by the facts.