US Airways, Why doesn't someone fix it

[Killer]

US Airways has 2.5 billion dollars in the bank, so why don't they use it to fix something.

I was a pilot for 15 yrs at US Airways, and since being furloughed I have attained Gold Preferred FF status. So I have a couple of questions.

If Dave Parker is such a great airline manager and the west side has saved the east side from shutting down, why aren't there enough belt loaders in PHL. It would seem to me that you could spend 10 million on new belt loaders and solve that problem.

Why don't you hire a labor law firm and fire all the gang members that operate on the ramp in PHL. It could be done lawfully. Than spend more than min. wage to hire new workers. The way it is now, you can't get them to come out of the break room and stop watching rap videos to do any work. You now what they will be doing 5 yrs from now, the same thing, so fire them.

Dave Parker and the west haven't fixed or done anything at US Airways, the only reason that they are profitable is tickets prices have increased across the board at all airlines since US went bankrupt.

From the west point of view in PHX they got new paint jobs and it looks like they dominate PHX, guess what Phoenix is still a small population compared to eastcoast cities, and the ticket prices there cheap are compared to ORD, BOS, LGA, IAD, PHL.

It really doesn't matter who got what in the seniority mess, without someone wanting to operate an airline. It won't be here in 5 yrs anyway.

Really, some college grad that was top in his management classes, given the authority and the money could do a much better job then the Parker management team.

Start looking for another job, no business in history ever made it with a product that sucked and cost more when compared to its competitors.

Look what Continental and Gordon Bethune accomplished.

 

[Larcifer]

The most intelligent post on the topic yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[grog_sit_reserv]

Doug parker.... I don't know a Dave Parker. But, with what the AAA pilots are pulling, the end result will probably be about 45,000 people looking for work.

 

[Larcifer]

Doug parker.... I don't know a Dave Parker. But, with what the AAA pilots are pulling, the end result will probably be about 45,000 people looking for work.

Life is a bitch and then we die or get furloughed.

 

[UALjan15]

Killer, it's a good post and a lot of good questions. I wish I had some better answers, but we out west only have a vague understanding of the problems in PHL, etc. I think throwing some money at the problem is definitely a good start.

I think that employees were initially pretty stoked to see the profit turnaround and the good communication that this management team started with. But with labor, and especially labor that has just taken multiple pay and benefit cuts, it doesn't take long to go from "Hey, nice profits," to "Where's my share?" And when management rewards themselves handsomely, the cries will be immediate and loud. Honestly, the most important thing Tempe can do to fix the poor operation of the airline is to fix the contracts, pay us a fair wage, and start treating us as an asset instead of a liability. That said, there are quite a few, I'm sure, that just need to be shown the door.

One comment about the profits--you act as if they are automatic in this environment and it didn't take any special talent to make it happen. I happen to disagree and think that this is one of the few bright spots on their resume from the last year.

 

[PositiveRate]

Killer,

Good post.

Doug comes from bean counter roots. There's a line between creating value and being cheap....he leans toward the latter far too much. He talks too much and does too little.

This would have unfolded much differently if they had decided to re-invest in their workforce, but instead they try to wring more from a dry sponge. They could have gotten a lot more out of the operation with a motivated workforce, but now they have a tired airline and a pissed off workforce double teaming against them. UALjan15 is abslolutely right on the asset vs. liability issue. It was a critical mistake.

It's time to draw a big f'in line in the sand if we can collectively stop taking pot shots at one another for long enough to realize we have a much more important battle on our hands.

 

[Green]

If we could just convince the legions of company guys in PHX to stop picking up open time we might get some leverage at the table. Telling Parker we really really want a payraise probably isn't going to work.

 

[UALjan15]

If we could just convince the legions of company guys in PHX to stop picking up open time we might get some leverage at the table. Telling Parker we really really want a payraise probably isn't going to work.

You have hit the nail on the head, man. Even one week of 'just saying no" to open time would do more than an entire summer of picketing. Just flying your line is the single most powerful tool we have in our entire arsenal. Too bad personal greed trumps the common cause here.

 

[ils2minimums]

I don't know a Dave Parker

Obviously you've never been a Pirates fan...

http://www.finalshot.com/largephoto...rkerDave2.jpg&thumb=Pirates/ParkerDave2TB.jpg

 

[AA717driver]

East Coast union blue collar workers have always been a problem. I give them a large part of the credit for TWA and PanAm's problems.

If you try to put a manager in place to fix things, he ends up dead or with a burnt out hulk of a car as a welcoming present. You start firing the thugs and the rest of the guys shut the place down.

I don't think there is an answer for this problem. That's the reason I'd NEVER take USAir to the East Coast via PHL. TC

 

[HomerJ]

East Coast union blue collar workers have always been a problem. I give them a large part of the credit for TWA and PanAm's problems.

If you try to put a manager in place to fix things, he ends up dead or with a burnt out hulk of a car as a welcoming present. You start firing the thugs and the rest of the guys shut the place down.

I don't think there is an answer for this problem. That's the reason I'd NEVER take USAir to the East Coast via PHL. TC

Exactly. I work for another carrier, but I live in the Philly area. Instead of non-revving on my carrier, we've bought tickets on SW for two trips to FL and one to CA. In each case, US and SW served the same route non-stop and were the same price. It's all about service. Every time on SW, the service was excellent, and our bags beat us to the baggage claim on both ends. If we had chosen US, we might still be there waiting. Good luck to all on the East side...

 

[30West]

Simple answer:

Airline CEOs are nothing but Robber Barons and could give a crap about the actual airline, as long as the bonuses keep rolling in.
Even if I got fired, why would I care since I would get a nice severance package then move on to rape and pillage some other corporation.

The airline industry badly needs an enema. The top floor boardrooms are where to stick the tube.

 

[~~~^~~~]

Dave Parker and the west haven't fixed or done anything at US Airways, the only reason that they are profitable is tickets prices have increased across the board at all airlines since US went bankrupt.

I disagree.

US Air's profits are slightly less than the amount of concessions given by labor. Revenue has not made the difference. The difference can be found in the paychecks of those who produce the US Air product.

Reference:http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/04/30/8405477/index.htm?source=aol_quote

Last year US Airways posted a $304 million profit with a pretax margin of 4.5%, one of the industry's highest. First-quarter earnings in 2007, however, are expected to be "slight," the company said, in part because of its operational meltdowns. "We're in kind of a sweet spot in the story of US Airways," says Vaughn Cordle, chief analyst with Airline Forecasts. "The main driver of US Airways' success has been its low labor costs. If it's forced to pay the industry average, then their cost structure goes up $800 million, and there goes their profit."

 

[FLYLOW22]

Killer,


It's time to draw a big f'in line in the sand if we can collectively stop taking pot shots at one another for long enough to realize we have a much more important battle on our hands.

It's hard to do that when there isn't one line in the sand to start with.

 

[xrated]

Doug parker.... I don't know a Dave Parker. But, with what the AAA pilots are pulling, the end result will probably be about 45,000 people looking for work.

Ya, you know, Dave Parker. He played outfield of the Pittburgh Pirates during their World series years back in the late 70's. Hell of a player, not much of a CEO.

 

[xrated]

Doug parker.... I don't know a Dave Parker. But, with what the AAA pilots are pulling, the end result will probably be about 45,000 people looking for work.

I think you worry too much about what you read on this forum.