How's the Atmosphere/mood at UAL

[potrack]

UAL going out of business

I think the reason all of the "Haters" want UAL to go out of business is because they always wanted to work there and didn't get the call.

Now that UAL is bankrupt they all say, "See....I didn't want to work there anyways......I'm better off at my regional or start up"

A few years ago they wanted the big pay from the new contract and the right seat of a 777 their first year sippin beer in London!

 

[merikeyegro]

I actually did NOT know the ATSB stuff was over. That's a good idea. Nonetheless, it still appears to play a role, even if in hindsight, to the present-day market. I'm glad it's over. It had its day. Time to move on. Any weakness today is not likely due to terrorism, but to the company or market.

I don't think too many on here "hate" United because of one reason or another. I think many may be thinking about their own careers in that United's presence with court protection (for well over a year) weakens their respective carriers, thus threatening their jobs. The free market needs to work. BK courts, however, do not allow it to happen sometimes. Companies such as US Airways (sorry, guys) should have died years ago due to inefficiency and mismanagement, but they are still around despite multiple BK filings.

The present-day market needs to shake up the system. We'll all be better off.

 

[Tanner]

wow

 

[Ty Webb]

I have no problem with you competing, but you're not competing. You're flying passengers around at prices that you can;t even break even at, and now you want the taxpayers to help you do that.

If you can;t make money on your own, then go away. There are plenty of airlines out here that can do it without a taxpayer bailout . . . so what do we need you for, again?

 

[Ty Webb]

Re: UAL going out of business

Originally posted by potrack

I think the reason all of the "Haters" want UAL to go out of business is because they always wanted to work there and didn't get the call.

Yeah . . . . right. You won't find an application there with my name on it. My University had a United internship program, and the vast majority of us didn't apply for it . . . it was basically a conduit for the drooling, inbred children of United pilots, and an easy way to identify and "mentor" minorities that couldn't seem to cut it on their merits. No offense to qualified minorities, but that is not what we are talking about here.

NOT for me.

 

[Tanner]

And your flying airplanes at pay rates you can't buy groceries at! $120 p/hour right seat $70 or so in the right...no retirement? Oh and I know anything over 70 is at 150%. Talk about threatening jobs.

 

[Ty Webb]

I don't know who you were addressing this to, but I would much rather be working at my carrier making $70K in the right seat, than on the seniority list at your carrier, but wearing the orange apron at Home Depot, making $10. an hour and bad-mouthing a bunch of pilots you never met on some anonymous message board.

Face facts, Fool, your problem isn't with us- it is with your management and your union. Management elected to spend huge money on the pie-in-the-sky USAirway merger and McKinsey & Company bills, and meanwhile your union guys are busy talking about choking golden chickens until the last eggs are out, and your customer contact people have made airline flying the transportation equivalent of a root canal.

Maybe you need to put down the crack pipe and take a cold, hard look at reality. The world has changed. Now your company needs to change or die. Pretty simple. . . . but don't expect us to pay for it. The gravy train stops here.

 

[Tanner]

Fool? Hmmmm..a fool is anyone that buys that bull$hit that comes out of your mouth. I don't post much...but I do know this, You're the one always badmouthing pilot groups on this board. Lets see..... Airtran FO, must be 3rd year or so (or afraid to upgrade to Capt.) at 60 bucks an hour...multiplied by 95 hours a month, close to 70K. C'mon be honest... i know you sit there staring out the window in ATL wondering what it would be like to work at the "hometown carrier" making more than that at half the work. Perserve the profession will ya? Hell, flying that much when do you ever have time to make it to Home Depot you sorry a$$!

 

[T-Bags]

Tanner, you've got to lay off TY. He's a world famous writer of business plans. Just ask him, he'll tell you!!! . But be careful, his mommy's a lawyer, and he'll tell on you!!

"and your customer contact people have made airline flying the transportation equivalent of a root canal."

But Shaniqua and Tamiqua in the AT ghetto concourse is better?! I'm LMAO


"Companies such as US Airways (sorry, guys) should have died years ago due to inefficiency and mismanagement, but they are still around despite multiple BK filings."

You might have a little credibility if you got the facts straight. U has had ONE BK filing. That's less than CAL.

"The difference at USAir is that the ARS already had a sizeable stake in US Airways, and by putting up the cabbage, they got the positioning to make it worthwhile"

Hey Mo, it's the RSA not the ARS (I guess when you can only attract the bottom feeders of the pilot world, a little dyslexia is OK...), and they only owned a few jets U was leasing prior to BK. They provided DIP funding.

 

[Mr.B]

"My University had a United internship program, and the vast majority of us didn't apply for it . . . it was basically a conduit for the drooling, inbred children of United pilots....." Clock Face.

Truth and motivation for half-baked ideas laced with sour grapes begin to emerge.

 

[bpapaDC8]

"it was basically a conduit for the drooling, inbred children of United pilots, and an easy way to identify and "mentor" minorities that couldn't seem to cut it on their merits."

Ah, now the truth comes out, Ty is just another Yo-nited hater. That is what you call them when you're with your Airtran buddies, isn't it.

As for calling another poster a "Fool" on an anonymous message board, Ty has a case of internet bravado. I've seen it before, they talk big behind a screen name, but lack the courage to say these things in person.

bpapa

 

[AA717driver]

This discussion is exactly why management has its way with us. We're too busy pissing on each other because we all want to have the bragging rights of working for the biggest and best airline.

All the while our working conditions go down the shi**er!

Guess what? Right now, NO airline is a bright and shining example of where we all want to work. The only way they ever will be is to work toge... Screw it. No one's listening anyway.TC

 

[cocknbull]

Last week the USA today reported that China will more than double the amount of slots for US carriers in the near future, and United announced more international flights last month. I think each heavy is staffed with 7.5 crews. I hope UAL gets a big piece of the action.

Here are some positive words
United recorded positive operating cash flow of better than $4 million per day in the quarter and it ended the quarter with a cash balance of $2.6 billion, including $683 million in restricted cash. United's revenues were $3.7 billion, up 17%, and load factor increased 3.6 points to 75.3%.

In March load factor reached a record 80.1%, up 6.4 points, and passenger unit revenue was 14% higher on a 9% yield increase. "Although year-over-year unit revenue improvement was aided by last year's weakness, our route and capacity adjustments, aggressive marketing and sales activities helped United outperform the industry by a wide margin," the carrier said.

Looking ahead, CFO Jake Brace is "encouraged by strong bookings as we move into the second and third quarters," the airline's high demand season. Booked load factors for May and June are above last year. Full-year capacity is expected to be up about 5%. Separately, the airline made the first two of its five scheduled $60 million payments to repay its DIP loan from Bank One in March and April.

 

[MW44]

I heard a rumor that ual is going to park somewhere in the nieghborhood of 80 more aircraft. Is that true? Are they just going to replace that flying with Skywest, Chq, Air Wisk, etc.. Any chance of more furloughs? Kind of sad to see all of the jobs outsourced to the sweatshops.

 

[ampropilot2b]

I would say a few more planes will be parked at United in the not to distant future. I'm guessing, all part of the bankruptcy reorganization. However, the amount of mainline flying will not further decrease. The international aircraft are flying very long days (because the flights are so long), whereas utilization of some of the domestic aircraft is much lower. I would expect the possibility of a few more wide-bodies being parked or re-negotiated. I wouldn't expect to see any airbus' leaving-rather I would expect some (20ish) 737s and perhaps a few 757s will leave the fleet.

United could sustain the current hours of flying with fewer aircraft, but better utilization. It only makes sense.

 

[Ty Webb]

You guys can spout whatever garbage you want, but the fact is, UAL doesn't deserve any taxpayer bailout, and I hope they don't get one. If you guys survive on your own merits, great, then you will deserve it, but you won't survive as long as you still view the LCC competition as you do.

T-gates, or T-bags, or whatever you are calling yourself now- let me tell YOU a little story about customer service at your very own UAL. When my Mother flew UAL to San Diego last year, not only did UAL lose her bag, but she got a call from the foreman of a highway construction crew to tell her that they had found her bag- in a ditch by the side of the road!

Care to compare AirTran's bag-matching record with UAL? It's public record, and I'll tell you who ranks higher . . . and it ain't United.

As for you, Tanner, life here is a lot better than you think. I average 17 days off per month, and have for the past year and a half, and that is on a commutable schedule, too, no crashpad required. Don't worry about me working too hard on those 13 or 14 days per month that I am working, though, in the last two year I didn't even rack up 1340 hours, or less than 55 hours per month.

As for your interest in my upgrade situation- I am about 10 numbers away from upgrade on the 737 and 25 on the 717. Thanks for your interest.

If you guys want to keep deluding yourselves about the state of the industry, that's fine, but don't expect the taxpayers to pay for it.

 

[Prof. Joe Vee]

If you guys want to keep deluding yourselves about the state of the industry, that's fine, but don't expect the taxpayers to pay for it.

No, we have nothing to worry about as you and your company continue to dilute the industry.

 

[Extra300S]

Aitran is the Industry model for Customer service~


Just ask Ty Webb, he will tell you.


If you have 17 days off, why not get a life Ty?

 

[skykid]

Ty, that's awesome, you have used some data/facts/evidence to support a claim. I don't doubt AirTran's baggage record is better, AirTran has tremendous service in my opinion. United's DIR (Definite Intent to Repurchase) set a record in Apr 2004 despite the highest load factor in company history. The DIR encompasses baggage handling, gate service, inflight service, on time performance, and even has a catagory for how the pilots performed among many more measures. Another reason for the mood to be good at UAL, we have drastically improved service, which is critical in this market. Even Mr. agenda himself, Boyd, says United has great service. Obviously with airlines fighting for business on every route now and having to focus on improving service the consumer is the big winner.

 

[Ty Webb]

As I said before, if you guys can do it on your own merits, that's great, just don't expect the taxpayers to subsidize seat-dumping into a saturated marketplace.

And there is little chance of any Legacy carrier making without realizing that the marketplace has changed. The customers have voted with their dollars, and what they have said is that "price is king". They may pay a little more for a few perks, but not much, and until you can make money in this environment, you are on your way to the History Channel.

It is NOT the LCC's fault, and it is not the LCC pilots' fault- that is just the reality of the situation.If you want someone to blame, blame your own management for treating the public so poorly that they ended up with no brand loyalty to your company, and your unions for obtaining unrealistic contracts . . . .