200 more furloughs at USairways

[St. Nic]

US Air is heading down the drain. You guys can argue all you want but the elephant in the room is about your survival. Keep arguing about the mighty east network and "lottery tickets" all you want- the fact remains AAA has been a financial black hole and the money is running out.

 

[Cowboy75]

US Air is heading down the drain. You guys can argue all you want but the elephant in the room is about your survival. Keep arguing about the mighty east network and "lottery tickets" all you want- the fact remains AAA has been a financial black hole and the money is running out.

I'll bet Parker is second guessing his decision today.

 

[PHXFLYR]

as an outsider, why did America West even aquire US Air? Cactus had a good identity on its own I thought. Was it not obvious to all the MBA's that US Airways (the company, nothing against the Pilots, but...) was like signing up to get infected with a new flu bug? "This will make us stronger" etc

WTF

...there's a question for the ages.


PHXFLYR

 

[Cowboy75]

So would someone please tell me where the former America West went to the Bank and asked for $1.5 billion dollars to BUY US Airways? As you can see from where the financing came from, that just didn't happen. This folks was a merger not a buyout buy the former America West!

This from a person who gets his info from the newspaper. Of course, we all know that the good credit of an airline on the brink of Ch 7, decided to move to Tempe, AZ.

 

[OurMoney1]

From the way this thread looks I'd imagine they'll be arguing over who forgot to turn the lights off when the place goes tits up mid 2010....incredible.

 

[ultrarunner]

I think you're right about that OurMoney. Definitely a sinking ship.....

 

[jonjuan]

I'll bet Parker is second guessing his decision today.

I'll bet Parker is deciding what to have for his second round. Do you really think he cares about what he decided 3 years ago? He's thinking about the shape of the deuce he left this AM in the executive washroom.

 

[Captzaahlie]

From the way this thread looks I'd imagine they'll be arguing over who forgot to turn the lights off when the place goes tits up mid 2010....incredible.

ya got that right Money...
Lots and lots of wasted energy on both sides of the campus,
more specifically: a bunch of high school bu!!$hit!

 

[Captzaahlie]

I'll bet Parker is deciding what to have for his second round. Do you really think he cares about what he decided 3 years ago? He's thinking about the shape of the deuce he left this AM in the executive washroom.

prob. playing w/ it.

 

[Cowboy75]

From the way this thread looks I'd imagine they'll be arguing over who forgot to turn the lights off when the place goes tits up mid 2010....incredible.

I'm glad you are soooo entertained.

 

[Turtle21]

Thats right. AWA bought AAA. USair pilots should be happy they have jobs. Just like the few Midwest pilots that are left. They should be happy Republic saved them. Screw guys with 18 years. 2005 is the year that counts. DOH means nothing. Its all about timing.

M

And USAir had about 30 scabs too. Gee they are so lucky to have jobs at AWA. Its too bad some of the USAir guys wasted their early years at Pan Am, TWA, Eastern, and Braniff. They should have waited to begin flying until AWA was founded.

 

[Colonel Savage]

Everything the name USAir touches withers and dies.

 

[satpak77]

While we are having this intellectual debate, I have some questions, which have not popped up now, but always kind of wondered. This is NOT against the US Airways pilots. This is a simple discussion from the business angle.

- Why did Cactus merge (arguably acquire or at least initiate the merger) and yet keep the Phoenix HQ, BUT with US Air as the name of the airline. 1000's of pax tripping thru PHX, isn't brand identity something they teach in biz school?

- Things were kept separate for awhile (no?). "We are one family now" but east flew under US Air callsign and West flew under Cactus. But "we are one family". Say one thing, do another?

- How did US Air enhance things? Routes? What routes? Philly? Cactus bread and butter and institutional expertise was PHX, Vegas, West coast, etc. Why didn't Parker take all his think tank power and use it to run off UAL and SWA, versus have 20 fires to put out with the merger AND still deal with keeping Cactus competitive? (I don't know, thats why I am asking....)

- Not unlike a marriage, your mate shouldn't be a drug addict, almost bankrupt, psycho-path, etc. What did Parker see in this marriage?

 

[Colonel Savage]

The way I see it, he thought he was picking up a bargin at a discount, and didn't care about anything else. He wants to be CEO of big airline, and play with the big boys, hence his delusional attempt at buying Delta in '07. He didn't do his homework with the USAir aquisition and got burned, because he is an egocentric, insecure and incompetent substance abuser, and now the employees of both sides of the merger will pay for his mistakes with their careers.

 

[Cowboy75]

The way I see it, he thought he was picking up a bargin at a discount, and didn't care about anything else. He wants to be CEO of big airline, and play with the big boys, hence his delusional attempt at buying Delta in '07. He didn't do his homework with the USAir aquisition and got burned, because he is an egocentric, insecure and incompetent substance abuser, and now the employees of both sides of the merger will pay for his mistakes with their careers.

That pretty much sums it up. I guess he figured he could polish up a tarnished brand. He bought a Yugo, put a new paint job on it. The problem is, it is still a Yugo.

 

[St. Nic]

East pilots had one of the best jobs in the industry, they had pilots leaving UAL, AMR and LUV to go to work there. AAA was an envy of the industry for many years, now the AWA pilots had a chance to feel some of that and they ruined it with their super-seniority demands.

There- I just did a MCDU- posing as somebody I really am not! God I love this board.

P.S. MCDU is a bitter east pilot but he has a fixation with America West

 

[Colonel Savage]

Is there anything related to your real status you'd like to contribute to the discussion?

 

[ackattacker]

- Why did Cactus merge (arguably acquire or at least initiate the merger) and yet keep the Phoenix HQ, BUT with US Air as the name of the airline. 1000's of pax tripping thru PHX, isn't brand identity something they teach in biz school?

Because USAir as a brand is larger, more well known, and the name encompasses the entire USA unlike "America West". It would be confusing from a customer standpoint to fly "America West" on East coast routes. It's the same reason that the Delta name wins in the Delta-Northwest merger.

- Things were kept separate for awhile (no?). "We are one family now" but east flew under US Air callsign and West flew under Cactus. But "we are one family". Say one thing, do another?

The goal was 100% merger. Supposedly a gradual process.

- How did US Air enhance things? Routes? What routes? Philly? Cactus bread and butter and institutional expertise was PHX, Vegas, West coast, etc. Why didn't Parker take all his think tank power and use it to run off UAL and SWA, versus have 20 fires to put out with the merger AND still deal with keeping Cactus competitive? (I don't know, thats why I am asking....)

Good point. However, at some point, if you want to grow as an airline you need to start looking at other route structures. USAir represented a quick way to get east coast routes and gates.

- Not unlike a marriage, your mate shouldn't be a drug addict, almost bankrupt, psycho-path, etc. What did Parker see in this marriage?

Ask him. However a lot of high-paid people thought it was a good idea, since they put up the money.

................

 

[St. Nic]

Is there anything related to your real status you'd like to contribute to the discussion?

Yes, I like to contribute my perspective as a proud USAir pilot. I have been working here off and on since 1990 and hate to see lottry tickets and senile justices. Peace

 

[Colonel Savage]

"It would be confusing from a customer standpoint to fly "America West" on East coast routes...."

I guess there are a lot of confused customers flying East coast routes on "Southwest" Airlines these days.