Are Neeleman's Days Numbered?

[lowecur]

This may have sealed his fate that he has no idea how to manage a maturing company.

After years of mediocre profits that were the fault of poor revenue mgt and bad route planning, this latest snafu only further emphasizes his mgt shortcomings. The BOD will look long and hard at punching his ticket in the next few weeks. I think they wanted to give him until the 2nd or 3rd Q to rectify his reputation, but it may be easier to show him the door while their blood is still boiling. His mgt team has lost some good people lately due to his micro-management style, and it's my guess they won't rally behind him if brought on the carpet.

I hope this fast tracks a private equity buyout in the next few months. Jetblue needs a cash infusion.

imp:​

http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070219/ZNYT01/702190395/1002/business

 

[flying bubba]

Lowecur, they have? Who are the "Good" managers that they have lost?

 

[ACL65PILOT]

Watch for DAL or USA to jump in and try and buy them.

 

[FlyinGuy]

Doug Parker might be available soon...maybe they could work a swap!!

 

[MJG]

Doug Parker might be available soon...maybe they could work a swap!!

Now that right there is funny, I don't care who you are.

 

[lowecur]

Lowecur, they have? Who are the "Good" managers that they have lost?

Bring me up to date on Tom Anderson and Tim Claydon who resigned back on 1/18/07? They both will be kept on for a year at their respective positions as consultants, but will not be eligible for bonus money in 2007.

Tell me also about Captain Al Spain? He's still there, but he's the guy in charge of this snafu. You think he ever had a conversation with DN about upgrading the system? It will be interesting to see who's head gets chopped off.

Tom Anderson, Senior VP, Technical Operations, is responsible for JetBlue's growing technical operations, LiveTV business and aircraft programs, including the certification and integration of its new EMBRAER 190 fleet. Mr. Anderson joined the low-fare carrier's start-up team in 1999 as Director, Corporate Planning and Aircraft Programs, and was promoted to VP, Technical Operations and Aircraft Programs in 2001.

Tim Claydon, Senior VP, Sales & Business Development, oversees JetBlue's Sales and Marketing, Revenue Management, Schedule Planning, Reservations and Information Technology departments. Mr. Claydon, who joined the low-fare carrier in early 2001, has managed the company's successful web booking strategy.

Al Spain, Senior VP, Operations, is in charge of JetBlue's Flight Operations, Systems Operations, Inflight Service and JetBlue University, the airline's in-house training center.

imp:​

 

[IrishjbPilot]

Al Spain is not here anymore. He has been gone for over a year now. You got some bad info.

 

[lowecur]

Al Spain is not here anymore. He has been gone for over a year now. You got some bad info.

Maybe they should have kept him on. Who has that position now? It sounds like a revolving door.

imp:​

 

[IrishjbPilot]

He retired. As for keeping him, many here are on the fence on that one.

 

[ArchieF16]

He retired. As for keeping him, many here are on the fence on that one.

Most are happy he's gone...especially after his "You'll pay will keep up with Southwest, I promise" speech he gave a few years back, then denied ever saying it.....and then spouting out, "Hey, if you don't like it here, there are 10,000 pilots with applications in our hiring pool who would love to have your job"

Zero class if you ask me....don't miss him....I just wish he took DN with him....

 

[Zipperhead]

Watch for DAL or USA to jump in and try and buy them.

Riiiiiiight!!

 

[Oh-ryan]

I give jetBlue til the end of the day... tops.

 

[Frank Lorenzo]

Most are happy he's gone...especially after his "You'll pay will keep up with Southwest, I promise" speech he gave a few years back, then denied ever saying it.....and then spouting out, "Hey, if you don't like it here, there are 10,000 pilots with applications in our hiring pool who would love to have your job"

Zero class if you ask me....don't miss him....I just wish he took DN with him....

Say, from the sound of this, I am really starting to like this guy.

Is he available? Anyone have his resume?

 

[instructordude]

Didn't People Express shutdown after their ops and reservation system had a meltdown?

 

[aa73]

Didn't People Express shutdown after their ops and reservation system had a meltdown?

No, they got bought out by Texas Air Corporation. However, their last couple of years was pretty hectic with all the expansion they did, while never getting a computer reservations system and therefore not being able to perform some basic yield management. Towards the end, "People's Distress" was losing some serious money. Then to top it off, Don Burr (CEO) ended up buying Frontier and a little later on when the sheeit started hitting the fan, he sold People to his "buddy" Frank Lorenzo.

Dismissed. your homework asssignement tonight will be to read the first three chapters of "Hard Landing."

73

 

[JAM-BRO]

What is hard to believe is that a week after the storm, JB is still cancelling 25% of their flights. Do their planners know where the crews and planes are? Don't seem like it.

 

[DougsRule]

What is hard to believe is that a week after the storm, JB is still cancelling 25% of their flights. Do their planners know where the crews and planes are? Don't seem like it.

They finally got a handle on it by stopping everything and re-booting!

 

[NuGuy]

They finally got a handle on it by stopping everything and re-booting!

Ironic, since that's what the E190s do best...

Nu

 

[relief tube]

they're getting their a$$ kicked and now the whole industry is going to have to pay for it with a pax bill of rights.

and next month they'll still have $29 fares.

yay deregulation.

 

[1st Overnite]

Dismissed. your homework asssignement tonight will be to read the first three chapters of "Hard Landing."

Great book. One of the best ways to see into the future is to look at past history.

 

[DougsRule]

No, they got bought out by Texas Air Corporation. However, their last couple of years was pretty hectic with all the expansion they did, while never getting a computer reservations system and therefore not being able to perform some basic yield management. Towards the end, "People's Distress" was losing some serious money. Then to top it off, Don Burr (CEO) ended up buying Frontier and a little later on when the sheeit started hitting the fan, he sold People to his "buddy" Frank Lorenzo.

Dismissed. your homework asssignement tonight will be to read the first three chapters of "Hard Landing."

73

I would offer a quote from an 1995 article on the failure of PE.

No single factor caused the undoing of People Express. It was instead a combination of reasons: explosive growth that was always ahead of the operational capabilites of the airline; a lack of operational reliability that drove away the business traveler; hopelessly inadequate terminal facilites; a primative resevation system staffed mostly by partime or minimum wage personnel; yield management systems developed by other ailrines that lured away the cost conscious flyer, the core of People's business; and a management concept that worked well when the company was small, but was unable to adapt to gowth.​

(Airliners: People Express: The boom and bust of deregulations's darling. Jul/Aug 1995.​

The Blue crew may be facing some "similar but different".

 

[sayagain?]

they're getting their a$$ kicked and now the whole industry is going to have to pay for it with a pax bill of rights.

and next month they'll still have $29 fares.

yay deregulation.

Yeah, it's all JB's fault. What an A$$.

 

[Occam's Razor]

and next month they'll still have $29 fares.

That's my prediction. To make it up to their valued customers who were patient during our ordeal they're gonna offer, "Mea Culpa Fares" intended to reel the masses back. Part of the campaign will be a "give us a second chance" -ish message aimed at the short attention-span folks still wondering who really fathered Anna Nicole's kid.

jetBlue is not alone. The Genius Management at Delta took the huge paycuts their pilots gave them in '03 and turned it into "SimpliFares", the stupendously stupid scheme that cost the industry over $1-billion in revenue.

 

[Jetpipeovht]

And free PIZZA!!!!!

 

[j41driver]

past history.

Is there another kind?

 

[PlaneDrvr]

That's my prediction. To make it up to their valued customers who were patient during our ordeal they're gonna offer, "Mea Culpa Fares" intended to reel the masses back. Part of the campaign will be a "give us a second chance" -ish message aimed at the short attention-span folks still wondering who really fathered Anna Nicole's kid.

jetBlue is not alone. The Genius Management at Delta took the huge paycuts their pilots gave them in '03 and turned it into "SimpliFares", the stupendously stupid scheme that cost the industry over $1-billion in revenue.

That right, a bunch of "Mea Culpa Fares" like $29 or $39, combined with the all the 'free flight vouchers' they have already given away, and with oil going back up this spring; instead of losing money just in the 1st quarter, they can show a loss in the 2nd as well, and maybe for the whole year.

 

[instructordude]

No, they got bought out by Texas Air Corporation. However, their last couple of years was pretty hectic with all the expansion they did, while never getting a computer reservations system and therefore not being able to perform some basic yield management. Towards the end, "People's Distress" was losing some serious money. Then to top it off, Don Burr (CEO) ended up buying Frontier and a little later on when the sheeit started hitting the fan, he sold People to his "buddy" Frank Lorenzo.

Dismissed. your homework asssignement tonight will be to read the first three chapters of "Hard Landing."

73

Thanks. I heard it is pretty much a must read especially those new to the industry.

 

[8vATE]

Al Spain is not here anymore. He has been gone for over a year now. You got some bad info.

Al Spain is the guy who should have bought the Jeppesen/Carmen Crew Mgt Suite of hardware/software.

Instead... we only bought it about 3-6 months ago.

I have said Al Spain bears a LOT of the responsibility for this snafu.

 

[8vATE]

they're getting their a$$ kicked and now the whole industry is going to have to pay for it with a pax bill of rights.

and next month they'll still have $29 fares.

yay deregulation.

Oh that's our fault now?

We screw over 1500 people and we are responsible for screwing the industry?
Lets see...
NWA... never any problems there.
UAL ... no pilot work action problems ever.
AA... no storm meltdowns a few weeks ago.
US Airways.. .no baggage problems in PHL.

Nahhh..
Your right...

Watch for JetBlues announcement on the 20th.
It will trump everyone elses "committments" to customer service.

 

[EMB170Pilot]

Is there another kind?

They were in danger.

Grave danger???