1,700 layoffs announced

[longing4piedmont]

US Airways was the biggest percentage gainer -- up 40 cents, or 14.9 percent, at $3.09. On Thursday the carrier said it try to offset rising fuel costs by cutting 1,700 jobs and joining other airlines charging passengers $15 to check their first bag. Merrill Lynch upgraded US Airways to "Buy" from "Neutral."

Lots of short covering going on....

Great press for US

Smarter Travel

 

[longing4piedmont]

WHAT?!? An airline implementing fees to cover the costs of daily operations? Unacceptable! I am an American, and I am entitled! Gimme Gimme Gimme!

Where do I complain???!!

You may want to try this .

Which is where you are going to be if the kids in Tempe continue running this company

 

[freedom]

This is pointless, but I feel like it needs to be said.

What you're seeing here is FURY because none of this nickel/diming crap would be necessary if they had just done the right thing to begin with.

I won't list all of the debacles, you all know them.

The fact is, these people have arrogantly, obliviously and unconscionably pursued the lowest common denominator and now they're in trouble, so they're starting to dig.

Imagine if DP had quickly settled with labor. Would have been cheaper and morale would have kept us from the "worst airline in the world" status. Imagine if he had gone for quality instead of cheap with the RES system and there wasn't that melt down and customer loss. Imagine if he had just shown our FFs respect and recognized their value.

Oil still would have gone up. Costs still would have risen and we'd be sitting in mud, but he'd have the employees behind him and the FF cushion to weather the storm.

Now, he has none of this and to see a once reasonably happy company come to this inspires one thing: FURY.

So yes, US is in serious trouble and by default so are a lot of employees. And yes, this stuff has become necessary, because due to their actions they have no where to go but down. How does one get out of a cyclone anyway?

“pursued the lowest common denominatorâ€

Keeping costs down is a GOOD thing , especially in today’s new world .


“Imagine if DP had quickly settled with laborâ€

Labor at this company wanted TOO much , the east coast labor has been too greedy in the past , if the company had settled we’d be in worse shape today , do you know why ? because the more you pay your employees the less money your company has . I now pose another question for you , imagine if YOUR labor group had settled quickly taking less but getting things done SOONER , instead they chose the wrong path …. And now if you aren’t in the BK contract or never have been , someday soon you will be ….


“worst airline in the world" statusâ€

It took awhile , but we’re no longer close to being the worst airline in the world , I think you’ve confused us with mesa … go check the DOT rankings …

“Oil still would have gone up. Costs still would have risen and we'd be sitting in mud, but he'd have the employees behind him and the FF cushion to weather the storm.â€

This company DOES have it’s employees behind it , do you know why ? because we want to SAVE OUR JOBS …. We’re going to unite against a common enemy , and that enemy is unemployment … As for the FF , well who can say what they will do as a majority, only time will tell , and I’m willing to bet DP thought out the effects of adding new fees ETC ….


“So yes, US is in serious trouble and by default so are a lot of employees. And yes, this stuff has become necessary, because due to their actions they have no where to go but down. How does one get out of a cyclone anyway?â€

Their actions ? you do realize if the price of OIL hadn’t double we’d probably be making a nice company profit right now . this is NOT DUE TO THEIR ACTIONS , it’s due to THE PRICE OF OIL …

OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[aredeeyou22]

Lots of short covering going on....

Great press for US

[topic="0"]Smarter Travel[/topic]

It was AA last week, it is UA today as well, it will be NW, DL, etc.. next week... .Point?

 

[freedom]

There's your plan "B" Freedom. PHX is next. Enjoy that raise now, September is coming soon, then it's back to bagging groceries at the Piggly Wiggly.


PSA, Piedmont, Empire, and now AWA. Gone and soon forgotten.

.. Those who don't learn from history are bound to repeat it ... i think we've learned ...

PHX may indeed be next , but at least here on the ramp we most likely won't have to worry too much about furloughs ..the summer will take care of a boat load of people .

And as for the new contract , yes I WILL enjoy it while it lasts , I see your up on our issues , if we HADN’T signed that contract we’d all have NO raises what so ever , and with furloughs coming a lot of our workers would be saying goodbye forever with the 60 day rule …..

I think our airline will make it . I think I and most of my co workers will make it … B)

 

[cancer69]

Nope. Because next week, they'll say, oops we miscalculated. We' re actually eliminating 2,700 employees. Not like they've never done that before. :down:

Ans 600 airport employees are from LAS alone .... How sad!

This is what I'm waiting for..... <_<

 

[Travelpro72]

And they expect everyone to "whistle while they work"? They wonder why the reserve screen for f/a's says N/A all the way down the damn thing. NOBODY CARES.

 

[jimcfs]

But sandcastles crumble more easily than claypots.

But claypots can hold lots of koolaid! :angry:

 

[necigrad]

I think I and most of my co workers will make it … B)

1700 jobs gone. At least some of those are furloughs (you can NOT eliminate 315 PT positions in LAS by attrition). But Freedom had his job (for the moment) so it's worth a smiling emoticon. Freedom, so help me God, if I get furloughed I'll trnasfer down to PHX (used to live there anyway). You got more then my 10 years? Probably not, so you'll be one step closer to furlough. Smile then.

 

[TWskyliner]

IMHO, I dont think $2. is an unreasonable price for a soda on a flight. We've grown used to paying around $11. dollars for a soda and popcorn at the movies....It's about choice. Passengers can buy a soda if they want one or not...thier choice.
Of course I've been grounded for about the last five years...and realize that out in the real world nothing is free. Hang tough US people.

 

[Kev3188]

Freedom--

You have lost your f'ing mind.

Get help.

 

[SS255]

IMHO, I dont think $2. is an unreasonable price for a soda on a flight. We've grown used to paying around $11. dollars for a soda and popcorn at the movies....It's about choice. Passengers can buy a soda if they want one or not...thier choice.
Of course I've been grounded for about the last five years...and realize that out in the real world nothing is free. Hang tough US people.

What US is doing is precedent-setting in the airline industry. If they had quietly raised their fares to cover their costs and sustain a profitable business model, nobody would have batted an eye. Cost of fuel goes up = cost of everything else goes up. Instead, they issued a multi-tiered "transformation plan" that read more like a "going out of business sale" than a model for the new millenium in air transportation.

And for those who argue that they could not compete if they even raised their fares by a few dollars: Try doing some random city pair searches on Orbitz, Travelocity or Expedia. You will probably be shocked to see that US is selling their tickets for about twice what some of their competitors are charging. Their ex-fiancee UA is equally as bad.

US seems to be in this blitz mode of jacking up fares to levels that nobody in their right mind would consider purchasing....and then when the departure date approaches and they cannot fill their cabins, they drop their fares to the competitors' level, or lower. I am no revenue management expert, but this does not seem to me like the way to go about selling your product.

 

[beachboy]

Shambles in her teleconference yesterday with managers said they can't raise fares because of SW fuel hedge. SW just refuses to raise fares she claims. Also she has no clue how they are going to charge for the soda and account for everything. They just announced it and work out the "pesky details" later.
I have officially checked out. I don't give a crap anymore. The first one that lays into me and I just going to stand there and stare at them. Shrug my shoulders and think about all my upcoming job interviews. USAirways is nothing short of a lost cause.

 

[robbedagain]

.. Those who don't learn from history are bound to repeat it ... i think we've learned ...

PHX may indeed be next , but at least here on the ramp we most likely won't have to worry too much about furloughs ..the summer will take care of a boat load of people .

And as for the new contract , yes I WILL enjoy it while it lasts , I see your up on our issues , if we HADN’T signed that contract we’d all have NO raises what so ever , and with furloughs coming a lot of our workers would be saying goodbye forever with the 60 day rule …..

I think our airline will make it . I think I and most of my co workers will make it … B)

Well it sure as heck wont be long now before the sandcastles of the west say to the unions, We are closing all 20 of those cities in that contract. It is coming. Freedom and all those on the west who got that measely 3 buck raises, enjoy them now come months from now who the heck knows if we will still be flying at the rate of the oil PATHETIC PATHETIC :down:

 

[hp_fa]

Shambles in her teleconference yesterday with managers said they can't raise fares because of SW fuel hedge. SW just refuses to raise fares she claims.

Southwest has only so many planes with so many seats. If they want to underprice US Airways then let them. Just charge a fair fare and the market will work itself out. However, trying to go mano y mano with Southwest is a losing strategy because of their fuel hedges and efficiency.