American Airlines - Like Sinus Drainage,

[TurboS7]

Alright Mr. technical, my family is AAing to MSN, my father in law will drive down from Auburn, Wisc 3.0 hour drive to the airport. He will load up the kids and wife and drive them back to Auburn. If you want a full vacation itinerary I will be happy to PM one to you.

 

[flywithruss]

I agree that deregulation is not the culprit here ... nobody was complaining about the evils of deregulation when every airline out there was making money hand over fist not so many years ago.

As for the relentless cost-cutting, I agree with the need to staunch the bleeding on the balance sheet, but as Gordon Bethune once said, "You can make a product so cheaply that no one will want to buy it." Most of the majors are functioning on horridly out-of-date business plans in desperate need of some innovative updates. For the record, "innovative" doesn't mean, "Let's copy Southwest or JetBlue" as so many of the majors seem to think. The days of one airline being all things to all people are over ... the sooner the majors get that figured out and find their profitable niches (be it international or whatever) instead of trying to steal every (unprofitable) passenger from the LCCs, the sooner the balance sheets will look better and some of the thousands that are out of work might have jobs again.

End of rant.

 

[Cavpilot]

I agree that deregulation is not the culprit here ...

Before anyone starts foaming at the mouth about the evils of deregulation, they need to read the book, "Hard Landings". It was reccomended to me by a senior United crew while jumpseating one day. It is a must read for all career aviators.
Once you understand why the airlines were deregulated, it will make a lot more sense why it happened.
Even before 9/11 most financial observers of the airline business agreed that there needed too be some consolidation within the industry because there are to many players out there. TWA got swallowed up,(then spit right back out again). UAL just about merged with AAA, (talk about the blind leading the blind). I'm willing to bet that in this post 9/11 world we live in, congress will be much more comfortable with mergers and aquisitions.
But, to say that deregulation is somehow the source of the airline industry's problems is BS. The problem is the arrogant, Ivy league, idiots that run them.

 

[TurboS7]

Ivy league is the name of the football conference.

 

[labbats]

Cliff notes?

 

[wingnutt]

If you want a full vacation itinerary I will be happy to PM one to you.

lol...that wont be necessary, just the approximate times of all pee breaks, both planned and unintentional will do

 

[TXCAP4228]

A$$hole...


Here's proof positive, though, that the public doesn't care about our problems (incompetent crew scheduling, etc.). They just want results.

Thank God he wasn't riding on us! It'd be all over the Atlanta Journal-Constitution by now...

Ok, wait a minute. Why is he being an a$$hole for expecting better service? All this time I thought in America we were allowed to EXPECT good service.

If you guys would put as much thought into making your airlines better as you do complaining about deregulation, scope, pft, pilots working for free, the TSA, or god knows what then you might actually make a positive difference.

Why the public should want anything more than to receive the trip they paid for in the timely manner that was advertised is beyond me. WHY IN THE HE!! SHOULD JOE PUBLIC GIVE A FLIP ABOUT ANYTHING OTHER THAN PAYING THE FARE, SHOWING UP AND MAKING THE FLIGHT HE PAID FOR? SILLY CUSTOMERS, WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY THINKING! WHO THE HE!! IS THIS A$$HOLE AFTER ALL - TO ACTUALLY EXPECT TO DEPART AND ARRIVE ON TIME????????

Typhoon, I cannot believe your are complaining about a PASSENGER WHO'S FARE PROVIDES YOU A PAYCHECK. JEEZ!

Some of you complain do d@mn much that you're starting to sound french.

Southwest and Jetblue don't seem to have these problems.... It couldn't possibly have anything to do with a lack of customer service could it? No way.....

 

[eaglefly]

You're NOT flying AA to MSN.

You're flying AMERICAN EAGLE (perhaps Trans States Airlines from STL).

Get your air carriers straight.

 

[SDdriver]

Just another reason that our charter company is getting more and more customers away from the airlines, they will pay our charter rates cause they want first class service. THey can't seem to get even close to good service anymore at the airlines and that is why a lot of people are paying 4 times as much to charter our planes than buy a ticket. I hear it all the time from our paxs..I researched awhile back on the transstats website airline travel on airlines as apposed to travel on charter aircraft, I believe this is the exact reason that it said airline travel was down something like 52% and charter travel was up something like 4.6% over the last year and a half. I am not saying that is the only reason, but I think it is a large one. Nobody wants to deal with the hassle anymore. I kinda second the guys post above, a paying passenger wants good service that leaves on time and at least gets some perks on the flight, most people don't get any of that anymore. Shouldn't that be expected from a buisness if you purchase a product or service? I mean if you buy a computer, don't you want good support and service from the company you bought it from? What makes an airline that is providing a service any different?

BEfore I get blasted though, I feel for you guys!! Believe me I do, I was furloughed for quite awhile along with many of you, all I am saying is that it is not good buisness to compromise service just because your revenues are down, that type of thing just compounds the problem and makes things worse in the long run. I know it managment, I understand it is out of the pilots hands in many ways. I hope things get better for all of you guys at the airlines, just remember, you can't expect any better from your paxs if your managment continues to inhibit you being able to provide GOOD service. In all honesty that is the biggest complaint I hear from potential and current customers for my company, they don't fly airlines anymore cause the service sucks and their is to much airport hassle, (their words), so they will pay our rates and fly with us.

Good luck guys, just thought I would add something to the discussion. FLy safe fellas!

SD

 

[TurboS7]

I am very aware that my wife and kids will be flying on an ATR-42, I don't want to scare them and let them know that---they are flying American Airlines.....Just so you get my fishing rods on I don't care what they fly in. BTW they are flying one of those little commuter jets back to ORD, a 145 something....