AirTran Furloughs coming

[tubelcane]

No paycuts, no way not with these load factors. Start charging more to fly. I just got an email about a fare sale. The most expensive fare was 139!!!!!!


WE DONT CHIP IN FOR GAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[BR715]

My flights are all full. You know what they say! If you do not have any empty seats you are not charging enough for tickets.

 

[relief tube]

announcing furloughs and paycuts at the same time? wow- nice management.

Just say no......Airtran already has some of the cheapest fares out there...make them charge more and send it your way in the form of same wages.

At least this hopefully isn't a surprise there- what with them growing twice as much as any other carrier for the past 3 years while there was already overcapacity to begin with.

g'luck

 

[Lost]

then why don't you step aside and allow one of the FO's that are going to be furloughed to retain their job. Put your money where your mouth is.

RV

Well, I'm on the chopping block from the projected numbers and I'm more than happy to take a furlough vs. concessions. Been furloughed before, I'll get by. It's time for everyone to have a little pride for themselves, grow a spine, and tell mgmt to shove those concessions right up their a$$. Give anything up to these greedy bastards, and you WILL NOT get it back!

 

[Muppets]

There better not be a single pilot in Sept looking at the opentime pot. First thing....NO OPENTIME PICKUP! I dont care if you need a new engine for your golf cart in PTC!

 

[FLYfishin]

It is not a pilots job to subsidize the cost of fuel. You guys could work for free and it wouldn't affect the bottow line.

 

[Clyde Frog]

any cocksucka picking up trips after the first guys are let go needs to get his ass beat!

 

[Frequency]

http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/delta/stories/2008/07/02/airtran_pay_cuts.html

AirTran plans 5% to 15% pay cuts; furloughs also expected

By KELLY YAMANOUCHI
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/02/08
AirTran Airways plans to cut employee pay by 5 percent to 15 percent, the company said Wednesday. Orlando-based AirTran, which has its largest hub in Atlanta, said officers will take 15 percent pay cuts, and most employees will see pay cuts of 5 percent or 8 percent. Higher-paid employees would see higher pay cuts. But about 48 percent of the company's employees are represented by unions, including pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, stock clerks and dispatchers, and the company must negotiate with the unions on the pay cuts. AirTran said it expects the pay cuts to go into effect in August and aims to cut its overall pay rate by 10 percent for six months. The company, which has about 8,900 employees, would then "review the situation." In a letter to crew members, AirTran Chief Executive Bob Fornaro wrote, "I must be clear that while we are starting with a conservative reduction as we monitor oil prices and industry conditions, we may need to do more in the future."
"This is an unfortunate but necessary step," said AirTran's senior vice president of marketing and planning Kevin Healy. "This isn't something that is greeted warmly. Nobody wants to go through this, but they understand the business." AirTran is also expected to announce furloughs of employees, but has not released any information. The airline had planned to grow capacity by 10 percent, but is instead cutting it by 5 percent.

 

[ultrarunner]

...we already the cheapest group out there....

Not if your buddies in MKE ratify that peach of terms they got thrown at 'em!

 

[carl p]

You may rethink that when or if your sen # gets close to the chopping block.

Sorry bud, your wrong. I've already put my money where my mouth is. I was very senior in the last life making $153.00/hr and I was against the 10% pay cut they wanted to "save the airline". I learned it won't change the end result. Full pay to the last day. Just so you know, I am on the chopping block. There are people who mean what they say.

 

[gt1900]

Just for the record, AAI's load factors have been good, but they are not great. Most airlines try to price their seats so there load factors range from 70%-80%. AAI's first quarter load factor was 75.3%. However, the break even load factor was about 82%. In other words, raising ticket prices would do the opposite of whats needed. At the prices that AAI charged in the 1st quarter, more people would have to fly in order to make money. Raising ticket prices would actually drive down demand and cause the planes to fly less full, even thow break even load factor may be a bit lower with the higher rates, it still wouldn't offset the higher fuel costs. You guys who say its just so easy to raise ticket prices make me laugh. You really have no idea how this all works. At the average fare that AAI charged in Q1 they would have had to fill up 82% of the seats to break even. AAI only filled up 75% of the seats. Yet you guys so the flight are always full. Guess what, they aren't. We can't even fill up enough seats at the current low rates to make money. Its much, much more difficult then simply raising prices..... But explaining that to a pilot who knows everything will go nowhere..

 

[Citrusflyer]

While it's true that just raising fares is not as easy as it sounds wrt capacity there is one fact that should not be missed. There is no reason to have $49 fare sales in today's market. For every person that purchases that fare you need 3 other full fares just to make up the cost of fuel hauling them to point B.
But what do I know....it's just a pilots opinion.

 

[gt1900]

Citrus.... I somewhat agree... But from the looks of it, AAI has over 25 seats on average available on every flight and people aren't paying the high fares. There comes a point when people are no longer willing to pay the extra price. The cheap seats sell out first, then as demand grows people are forced to pay higher and higher prices. Just look at the website. People simply aren't paying the higher prices. That is the reason AAI offers sales. With leftover seats, selling a seat for $49 is better then not selling that seat at all. Does that make sense? Besides, only a few seats are sold at the rediculously low rates. It really sort of manipulates the supply and demand curve. Some of those people will pay $49 for a seat, but they won't spend $75. Having them on board at $49 is better then not having them on board at all. (don't believe me, just look at some of our less then classy pax). AAI is trying to stimulate travel demand to those who can't afford higher priced tickets by keeping a few low rates. The demand is there for cheap seats, but as prices go up, demand grows lower and lower. There are only so many pax willing to pay the higher prices. Believe it or not, it is not bad managment. Even though it may seem so from face value. AAI is trying to do everything they can to get every single person they can on every flight, and charge them as much as possible. AAI is at a disadvantage to the legacy's because AAI doesn't have any international ops, which actually make money. SWA has the hedges, ALA has the Alaska EAS stuff, DAL, UAL, LCC, CAL, AMR, NWA all have international operations. JBlue had the $350 million Lufthansa gave them.. AAI really is at a disadvantage right now to everyone else. AAI must do it better then everyone else to stay afloat. We will see what happens.. The challenge our managment has to overcome is enormous. AAI isn't going to get any breaks....

 

[scudrunner]

Does anyone know how much the state of GA will giv for new type rating if furloughed?

 

[Bruiser]

For those not furloughed, I believe the no OT pickup will start the day they send out notices. 180 pilots are going to be looking for every penny they can get before going on a forced vacation.

Not looking forward to my forced vacation but will vote NO! to any concessions.