200 more furloughs at USairways

[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.

 

[jmreii]

I don't think you can compare Pan Am and Usair. Pan Am was a world class, world wide respected airline. Usair is Usair. A hodgepodge of regional airlines, somewhat like republic is becoming. They tried to do the widebody intl. thing and failed.

Us air and Pan Am will always have one thing in common and that is all that counts, both companies were badly mismanaged.

 

[St. Nic]

Us air and Pan Am will always have one thing in common and that is all that counts, both companies were badly mismanaged.

Unlike PanAm, USAir has the shuttle, a strong DCA presence and valuable hubs in CLT and PHL. You can talk all the smack you want, but USAir (and by that I mean the REAL USAir- not that sand castle contingent) has a lot of life left in it!

 

[CaptSeth]

I guess I was hallucinating when I used to jumpseat on the PAN AM SHUTTLE to DCA and BOS. I even remember those good people jumping through all sorts of hoops to somehow find me a seat on a full flight. I also remember a mini-hub in PIT back around 1980, I know because I changed planes on my PAN AM flight from FLL to JFK there.

And there was a pretty sizable hub in JFK, if I recall. Had some sort of commuter with these big DeHavillands, used to fly RNAV routes into DCA all day, actually a groundbreaker in that regard.

But what do I know...

 

[St. Nic]

USAir has always been the crown jewel of the east coast. AA and UAL have both long coveted the route structure and made merger overtures in the past. THAT IS UNDENIABLE and FACT!
What is coming around the corner nobody knows, but for USAir it will probably involved a buyout with the west money losing operation going to Republic.

 

[reepicheep]

I defy anyone to simply drive around the airports @ JFK, EWR, LGA, IAD, BOS and conclude that usair is the crown jewel of anything. The fact is usair is and has been the dominant regional carrier in the region but the real flying is done by the big boys. Gates & slots @ DCA are a bona fide asset but any potential buyer - let's say AA - could easily fold the operation into their own and let American Eagle do the bulk of the flying. No need for a wholesale acquisition or merger. 3 strikes you're out - I think everyone's learned their lesson.