It's almost over at USAIR.

[Tristar]

. . . Your main concern is that the precious bar is being lowered . . .
. . . Lakefield and Bronner have done a masterful job of dealing with people like you. They realize that their biggest problems would be Union leadership. They are slowly breaking that stranglehold . . .
. . . Now if you believe UAIR is no different than they were a year ago (not including the payroll reductions), then I guess you just don't get it . . .

A rather Lorenzo-esque quote. I wish no ill towards those at U, but the continued slide of working conditions and pay scales is eroding 50+ years of work by ALPA (and others) to make being an airline pilot worthwhile. Eventually, you won't attract the people you want to fly your aircraft, since they can have a better life managing a burger stand. Instead, you'll get those who _can't_ manage a burger stand. Accidents will increase, public confidence will decrease, and an important piece of the national economic engine will falter. It's not good for anyone, and it's very bad for some of us right now. Regardless, I hope that if I end up out of a job (a very real possibility right now), that the quality of life and pay is maintained so that someday, somewhere else, I'll find a job worth coming back to.

You are partially correct in one regard - I believe things are significantly different than a year ago. Employee morale is even lower than it was then, and it was very low then. I don't blame them, I understand where they are coming from - they've been lied to, misled, and mismanaged by management for years now. Management does just fine, cashing our their parachutes and moving on to the next future train wreck, and the employees are left amid the rubble to try and carry on. I wouldn't blame them for burning what's left to the ground, it would be the first time in years they've had any control over thier lives and the direction of the company.

 

[dlredline]

The problem is that even if US gets all the cost concessions they need...they're still in trouble on the revenue side. US has continually failed (by a mile) to meet its revenue projections. This is a problem all the majors are facing (and some LCC's), but US has been the worst.

If US doesn't find a way to improve the revenue side of the picture, the cost cuts will only serve to delay the inevitable.

The AFA tentative agreement, if ratified, is indeed positive news for USAirways. But that genie ain't completely back in the bottle just yet. Still unaddressed is $63 million in pension and retirement medical benefits that USAirways desperately wants from AFA, and will allow Judge Mitchell to decide. Also, there is a large pension and lease payment due in January. And don't forget that negotiations still remain with IAM. All these ducks need to be in a row before the really hard part, obtaining the $250 million exit financing from a very skeptical financial market, and with a route structure whose revenue stream needed a flu shot years ago.

I admit this is good news for USAirways, but it's still way too early for USAirways (or anyone else) to be taking a knee at the end of the game and claiming victory.

Red

 

[lowecur]

A rather Lorenzo-esque quote. I wish no ill towards those at U, but the continued slide of working conditions and pay scales is eroding 50+ years of work by ALPA (and others) to make being an airline pilot worthwhile. Eventually, you won't attract the people you want to fly your aircraft, since they can have a better life managing a burger stand. Instead, you'll get those who _can't_ manage a burger stand. Accidents will increase, public confidence will decrease, and an important piece of the national economic engine will falter. It's not good for anyone, and it's very bad for some of us right now. Regardless, I hope that if I end up out of a job (a very real possibility right now), that the quality of life and pay is maintained so that someday, somewhere else, I'll find a job worth coming back to.

You are partially correct in one regard - I believe things are significantly different than a year ago. Employee morale is even lower than it was then, and it was very low then. I don't blame them, I understand where they are coming from - they've been lied to, misled, and mismanaged by management for years now. Management does just fine, cashing our their parachutes and moving on to the next future train wreck, and the employees are left amid the rubble to try and carry on. I wouldn't blame them for burning what's left to the ground, it would be the first time in years they've had any control over thier lives and the direction of the company.

I don't think you can compare the Frank Lorenzo era to what's going on today. Unfortunately, people don't seem to understand this perfect storm of terrorism, high cost structures, and the increased cost of oil, have made it impossible to work this out over a period of years as in the past. Anyone of the previous reasons would have caused the eventual changes being made, but all three within a short time frame have sealed the future.

What goes around comes around. The cycle will start all over again and in 10 years payroll will be out of sight, mgt will be paying themselves outlandish bonus', and new carriers will be ready to take the dive into this blackhole of uncertain profits.

 

[Boeingman]

How long has your marriage lasted? About that long

Most likely a lot longer than yours. Of course, I am married to a woman.

Very weak. Half a loaf is better than no loaf, you dolt.Stop pretending you actually care about the employees at UAIR. Your main concern is that the precious bar is being lowered, not the employees at UAIR.

Excellent evasion of the question but so very easy to pick apart. I never pretend about anything since I don’t have to. Not once have we ever seen empathy from you regarding the plight of U’s employees. We are only treated ad nauseam to your continued limp member opinions of the ERJ and how you can benefit from cost cuts to pump your product’s stock ( and what ever else you pump).

Since you’re are such an outsider of the industry, even though you continue to pretend to be a insider, the bar is of a great concern. Of course since you just sell insurance, how could anyone expect you to fully grasp those ramifications on our careers?

It's really not all that complicated, Captain Boeingman. You are watching the morphing from the outside. UAIR is slowly being transformed into an LCC.

Real LCC carriers make money based on efficient operations with skilled management employing novel ideas. Your bent version of U as a LCC is a joke since the methods fitting this square peg in a round hole is only obtained from continued attacks on long term employees with a significant part of their lives invested.

Incidentally, how many A-330’s and 767’s do LCC have? How many International routes do LCC's fly? How many 25 plus year employees do the current batch of LCC's have? Yes the LCC mantra. The call sign of the ignorant.

akefield and Bronner have done a masterful job of dealing with people like you.
They realize that their biggest problems would be Union leadership.

The financials surely reflect what a masterful job they have done. If people like me are the problem like they said before in BK saga #1 why isn’t the company making money now? A masterful job? I wonder how the bankruptcy abuse translates into motivated and dedicated employees? The folks I know at U say …not very well. So whose opinion do we take here? Current employees and people like myself on this board who eat, breath and live airlines? Or some 2 bit Insurance hustler with an axe to grind?

It’s to bad B & L have spent so much time trying to break labor instead of doing things like concentrating on a solid business plan, increasing their market share, fighting competition etc. etc.

They are slowly breaking that stranglehold, and will eventually have a cost structure where they will make money.

So the truth comes out. Again, wasn’t this the hue and cry during BK1. It has been shown U can have no labor costs and still lose money. Union strangleholds exist and are created and morphed due to shortsighted vindictive management focused on outdated and ill advised labor relations.

When the business model is broken, you break it down to a new foundation, and then you begin to build the new model.

LOL,here comes the RJ speech. The foundation you are talking about is being built upon very bitter and extremely resentful employees who have witnessed amateurs like you ruin their company and walk away with millions.

Now if you believe UAIR is no different than they were a year ago (not including the payroll reductions), then I guess you just don't get it.

No you don’t get it. They are losing more money than a year ago, they are in their second bk, they have unreachable financial covenants set by GECAS by the ex CFO own admission….Shall I continue? Given this you still believe they are no different Who doesn’t get it?



Do you intentionally quote your posts to make it difficult to respond to? You’re the only one on the board who does it so you must be afraid someone will take the time to discard your theories like a used handi wipe.

Luckily for you and unfortunately for us, the moderators don’t ban for stupidity

 

[Propsync]

It is easy to say U mgt is terrible. How about somebody posting what they should have done these last few years?

Something, that's what they should have done. Telling your employees there's no PLAN B after the merger failed probably didn't help. Not choosing to close PIT sooner probably didn't help. Thinking RJ's and labor cuts are going to do the trick were bad ideas as well. United better take note and bail on Dulles and/or South America. My money is on the FA's walking if they get the chance.

 

[skykid]

Most likely a lot longer than yours. Of course, I am married to a woman.

Classic.

Propsync, my point is there is not much they can do. U has a limited route structure stuck in a market that is getting tougher by the day. You listed some monday morning quarterback criticism, somebody else mentioned working together with labor for peace and prosperity - I would like to know what that plan B you said they didn't have should have been.

 

[Ty Webb]

Most likely a lot longer than yours. Of course, I am married to a woman.



Do you intentionally quote your posts to make it difficult to respond to? You’re the only one on the board who does it so you must be afraid someone will take the time to discard your theories like a used handi wipe.

Luckily for you and unfortunately for us, the moderators don’t ban for stupidity

Boeingman, thanks for a great post. The situation would be laughable, if it weren't for people's careers we are talking about. Best of luck to all those involved.

 

[lowecur]

Most likely a lot longer than yours.

This is the reaction at the crashpad.

 

[lowecur]

Boeingman, thanks for a great post. The situation would be laughable, if it weren't for people's careers we are talking about. Best of luck to all those involved.

Naananananananananananananananananananana, Nunununununununununununununununununununununununu

Remember, a broken clock is right twice a day.

 

[Smoking Man]

Naananananananananananananananananananana, Nunununununununununununununununununununununununu

Remember, a broken clock is right twice a day.

Not if it is a digital clock and you smash the display!