UAL-More Furloughs?

[storminpilot]

http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/040524/airlines_united_1.html

Reuters
UAL can't rule out furloughs due to fuel prices
Monday May 24, 12:06 pm ET


CHICAGO, May 24 (Reuters) - United Airlines Chief Operating Officer Pete McDonald on Monday said employee furloughs could not be ruled out given the high price of jet fuel.

Speaking to reporters at an event to launch Ted, the airline's low-fare unit, from Chicago, McDonald said the current jet fuel crisis was a significant issue. In a court document on Friday, United parent UAL Corp. (OTC BB:UALAQ.OB - News) said its fuel costs for 2004 would be about $750 million more than originally planned.

McDonald added that while the company was not actively studying the furlough possibility, "there's always that potential."


MANAGEMENT SPEAK:

"while the company was not actively studying the furlough possibility.."

Yeah, they are looking at it.

 

[miles otoole]

Saw a "meet the press" type show this weekend featuring some guys from a DC think tank and their good news/bad news prognostication is that oil has finally stabilized but the current prices will become the new standard. The panel consensus was that the US consumer will have to become used to this new standard. OPEC has set the new price, vis a vis supply, and won't budge.
I hope this isn't the case-talk about a paradigm shift in our oil dependent economy. Time to start paving some more roads in Alaska.

 

[General Lee]

Saudia Arabia will budge, and they said that they will add 2 million more barrels a day. Other OPEC nations--like Kuwait and Baharain, also exceed quotas. Also, as soon as the Summer driving season is over, fuel prices will drop, and if you think Bush will allow high oil prices during his re-election try---you are fooling yourself. He will pressure all of those people. Libya is also comign back to oil production, and other countries will increase demand when their own problems are resolved---like Venezuela. I don't know if it will ever go back to $25 a barrel, but I doubt $40 or higher will become the standard.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[G100driver]

Time to start paving some more roads in Alaska.

I do not think that it is time to start destroying the last wild frontier to go after un-proven reserves yet.

If you believe this is the answer to our energy problems then I will show some WMD's found in Iraq.

 

[jhill]

I do not think that it is time to start destroying the last wild frontier to go after un-proven reserves yet.

If you believe this is the answer to our energy problems then I will show some WMD's found in Iraq.

Wake up and look at the gas guzzling crap your flying. Theirs no one in this industry that can start running off at the mouth about fossil fuel energy. That includes you green boy. Getting it here only lessens our problems.

 

[T-Bags]

I do not think that it is time to start destroying the last wild frontier to go after un-proven reserves yet.

If you believe this is the answer to our energy problems then I will show some WMD's found in Iraq.

Get an education

www.ANWR.org

A treeless frozen tundra is hardly the "last frontier"

http://www.anwr.org/docs/CloseupofareaIII.pdf

 

[G100driver]

Wake up and look at the gas guzzling crap your flying. Theirs no one in this industry that can start running off at the mouth about fossil fuel energy. That includes you green boy. Getting it here only lessens our problems.

Agreed, captain. But drilling in Alaska for un-proven reserves is not the answer. Perhaps we should look at the crap we are driving on the roads and how we power our cities, captain.

You folks in the majors have done your part and removed a large number of gas guzzling aircraft from your fleets and many of us in the corp. world have done the same.

PS last time I checked crap did not fly at FL450 at .82M over TS in the Mid-West, captain. Just because I do not walk through the coveted terminals looking like a boat admiral, is no reason to flame the equiptment I fly, captain.

 

[G100driver]

Get an education

Got one, thanks. It appears to be working.

 

[DenverDude2002]

Perhaps we should look at the crap we are driving on the roads and how we power our cities, captain.

Ummm in Colorado at least we have maybe 1 gas turbine plant, the rest are coal fueled or wind powered......

 

[744]

From Reuters. Two years ago.

=======================
Everglades And Florida's Coastline Off Limits To Oil Drilling

The federal government announced on May 29 that it will buy back oil leases near the Everglades and off the Florida coastline, reducing the threat of fossil fuel prospecting there. Floridians and environmentalists have been calling for the closure for years. The government agreed to pay $120 million to the Collier family for mineral rights in Big Cypress National Preserve, located next door to the Everglades. In a second agreement, the government will pay several major oil companies $115 million to buy out seven of nine drilling leases off the coast of Pensacola. Critics say the move was calculated to help Florida Governor Jeb Bush's shot at reelection. It also contradicts the president's policy of opening up as many domestic petroleum resources as possible, including the Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and California's Los Padres National Monument.
==========================

 

[Trash8Mofo]

Get an education

www.ANWR.org

A treeless frozen tundra is hardly the "last frontier"

http://www.anwr.org/docs/CloseupofareaIII.pdf

Get an education......

The website ANWR.org that you have quoted, is provided by a lobbist group called Arctic Power, favoring the position of wildlife drilling. Perhaps you, sir, should get a refund of your so called education. Because believing in a one-sided story is hardly an educated person would do.

 

[UpNDownGuy]

Back on topic, I don't see United furloughing any pilots. All United folks, feel free to correct me, but I don't see how you can expand with fewer pilots. Or gate agents, or FAs, or mechanics. United is expanding with TED, so how could they possibly furlough?

Of course McDonald said they hadn't ruled it out. To do so would be negligence. Are they going to furlough? No way.

 

[T-Bags]

'The website ANWR.org that you have quoted, is provided by a lobbist group called Arctic Power, favoring the position of wildlife drilling. Perhaps you, sir, should get a refund of your so called education. Because believing in a one-sided story is hardly an educated person would do."

The fact that the site was setup to support the drilling hardly make it any WARMER up there or means there really ARE tree's that far north. Did you read the case FOR drilling? Do you know that they only propose drilling in around 3.5 square miles? DYK that the Caribou population WENT UP around the other sites? Have you ever BEEN that far north? Have you SEEN the "pristine tundra". didn't think so

 

[General Lee]

United already flies their pilots almost 90 hours a month---and that is for line holders. They also have a large sick leave usage. I doubt they will furlough more pilots........

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[skykid]

T-Bags, I have seen the prestine tundra. The mosquitos will take your head off. You are right, the habitat can actually be improved along with the drilling. Three things we have to do to get off the Middle East oil teet, and no one seems to be serious about it:

1. Get more of our own oil.

2. Conserve oil.

3. Develop new energy sources.

Rocket science, huh. Once we have an event even worse than 9-11, we'll get serious.

UpNDownGuy, United isn't really expanding much with Ted, just reconfiguring the bus for 18 more seats. I believe, and I could be wrong, they have only added 2 flights from DEN to FL locations, the rest of the flights were already on the mainline schedule.

 

[tranceport]

my paranoid, but realistic view:

this very general news release is to put the word out so that when mgmt. comes asking for more givebacks (and labor doesn't budge), then furloughs may occur b/c 'they said it is a possibility'. I mean we all smell it coming, right? Let's be real: The revenue is not there (nor may it be there to cover rising costs in the future), LCC's are growing, UAL's feeders are growing and poised to grow, etc.

Continental already made a similar statement and press release last week.

Expansion? Uhm, correct me if I'm wrong but isn't more likely for an airline to shrink somewhat as a condition of exiting bankruptcy?

And Ual is paving the way for the rest of the legacies to implement Preferential Bidding....someone give us a ballpark of what either mgmt. or alpa thinks it will 'save' the company in terms of pilots needed to fly.

If anyone has some info on what MAINLINE 'growth' is planned at ual, now or after bk, please share it with us.

 

[T-Bags]

"Three things we have to do to get off the Middle East oil teet, and no one seems to be serious about it:

1. Get more of our own oil.

2. Conserve oil.

3. Develop new energy sources.

Rocket science, huh. Once we have an event even worse than 9-11, we'll get serious."

SK, yup, and the Saudis, unlike the rest of OPEC, REALIZE the peril that HIGH fuel costs put them in. High fuel costs mean LESS SUV's and MORE Hybrids. It means LESS homes heated with oil and more heated with other sources. It means LESS vacations, and LESS flying. It means short term money, but long term problems for the middle east. DYK that the middle east was responsible for 70% of world oil production in the 70's but only 40% now? higher prices mean LOWER market share for the turbines.

 

[100LL... Again!]

There was a story a few weeks ago about Saudi oil fields supposedly preparing for lower yields. Much lower (in the future).

Watch oil production shift more to Iraq, Russia and surprise - possibly Israel.

The story disappeared pretty quick. I think we may see the public 'softened up' greenspan-style to the idea of reduced Saudi output.

 

[Vortilon]

Doesn't anyone feel that the CAL/UAL Furloughs & Concessions from employees to pay for gas program is ludicrous? This basically amounts to employees paying to go to work. First of all, CAL barely pays their employees anyway and UAL is unfortunately right there too. What concessions are to be had at this point? Airline employee compensation & benefits are being set back 10 years already...the only hope I have is that maybe we'll eventually intersect the good old days from the 60s...heheheh.

I can just see the ramp interview: "Yeah, you have to throw bags for 8 hours a day, and also chip in $10 per day for gas". How rediculous.

I sure wish airlines would start charging what it COSTS to operate the aircraft. The consumer should start paying for the gas...these managers have lost their minds.

 

[jhill]

Agreed, captain. But drilling in Alaska for un-proven reserves is not the answer. Perhaps we should look at the crap we are driving on the roads and how we power our cities, captain.

You folks in the majors have done your part and removed a large number of gas guzzling aircraft from your fleets and many of us in the corp. world have done the same.

PS last time I checked crap did not fly at FL450 at .82M over TS in the Mid-West, captain. Just because I do not walk through the coveted terminals looking like a boat admiral, is no reason to flame the equiptment I fly, captain.

Have you seen the commercials for that Enzyte stuff? Buy some and maybe you'll cheer up. Until then stop spouting your tree hugging hippie crap.