2015 Fleet Service thread

[ograc]

No such thing.
 
American Airlines sham bankruptcy proved that.

 
So who is the true enemy? The union or the company who takes advantage of the "business friendly" bankruptcy laws in this country?  How is it that a company or airline, can declare bankruptcy, thus allowing it to negate or renegotiate existing contracts, yet never lose a day of operation? Laws that effectively strip contractual rights. Laws that effectively put organized labor into a position of negotiating new terms with the threat of abrogating existing contracts altogether. Laws that promote corporate greed. Where does this legislation come from? Who is the true enemy? Got time to vote in this current USA election cycle? Think it doesn't affect you?  
 

 

[Jester]

This can was effectively kicked down the road to JCBA negotiations. PHX could be the next PIT. It's not just about the money up front; but protecting the existing work!

Us old America West guys have gone through a few "promises" and so-called "protections" which failed to hold.... We still have a fair amount of LAS guys recall being promised of no cuts to LAS, only to be furloughed a year later.  Or the "protection" of having just 1 daily flight as part of our original TWU contract only to have CMH de-hubbed with the resulting hundreds of furloughed agents.
 
My prediction still for PHX... it becomes an eventual RJ hub to relieve LAX RJ flying and open slots for mainline flying.  Of course, RJ doesn't help the US ramp agents and why I am already looking for another station.

 

[700UW]

http://www.iamdl142.org/true-up-generates-over-119-million-for-iam-members-at-southwest-airlines/

 

[Hope777]

http://www.iamdl142.org/true-up-generates-over-119-million-for-iam-members-at-southwest-airlines/

Mods... this should be moved to the Southwest forum.  Has NOTHING to do with AA

 

[ChockJockey]

My prediction still for PHX... it becomes an eventual RJ hub to relieve LAX RJ flying and open slots for mainline flying.  Of course, RJ doesn't help the US ramp agents and why I am already looking for another station.

 
I'm still skeptical about any large reductions of mainline flying from PHX.  A lot of money has been and is being spent improving and upgrading facilities with projects ongoing and more waiting to start, the most significant one now being the re-gating project that will allow PHX to accommodate more simultaneous 757, 737, and A321 ops and this is going to take a couple of years to complete.  Besides ceding gates B2 and A1 to Express, mainline will retain dual- or possibly exclusive use of B9 and B7, meaning the footprint for Express ops is not going to increase dramatically.
 
If we were to assume that LAX and DFW would absorb or replace PHX's role in the network and most of its mainline capacity we also have to consider whether or not the Dallas market can profitably support additional domestic mainline flying given WN's explosive growth at Love Field and an insurgent Spirit at DFW; we also have to consider whether a gate-constrained LAX that must focus on route optimization has the ability to simultaneously act as a Pacific Gateway and high-capacity domestic connecting hub.  Not only would they have to be able to do this, they'd have to be able to do it well enough that it would justify abandoning dominant market share in a growing market to the competition, further deteriorating AA's ability to compete in the West.
 
Inasmuch as any hub is vulnerable to a sharp decline in demand for domestic air travel, I do think that PHX is especially so but I'm not yet seeing the writing on the wall.  That said, I would advocate that anyone in fleet service explore their options for relocation and have a robust savings, no matter where they're based or how much seniority they have...

 

[Jester]

 
If we were to assume that LAX and DFW would absorb or replace PHX's role in the network and most of its mainline capacity we also have to consider whether or not the Dallas market can profitably support additional domestic mainline flying given WN's explosive growth at Love Field and an insurgent Spirit at DFW; we also have to consider whether a gate-constrained LAX that must focus on route optimization has the ability to simultaneously act as a Pacific Gateway and high-capacity domestic connecting hub.  Not only would they have to be able to do this, they'd have to be able to do it well enough that it would justify abandoning dominant market share in a growing market to the competition, further deteriorating AA's ability to compete in the West.

 
We focus so much on LAX and DFW as it relates to PHX, but we need to examine other hubs like ORD in terms of connecting traffic.  For example, who says one must fly PIT-PHX-SEA when PIT-ORD-SEA would burn less fuel?  The same could be said for scores of pairings.... DTW to SAN, MKE to PDX, MSP to SFO, DSM to SLC, BOS to SJC, CLE to LAS, etc.  Let's keep in mind that a good hub has good O&D yields, and PHX due to being a leisure market with heavy competition from SWA leads to depressed yields.
 
In addition, the issue of the Pacific Gateway connections in LAX would scream for MORE connecting traffic into LAX instead of routing passengers with an additional stop in PHX.  What well-heeled traveler wants to make another connection before a flight across the Pacific, and let's end any discussions or dreams of PHX getting a meaningful number of trans-Pacific flights our lifetime.
 
Everyone said that AA couldn't get more gates at LAX a few years ago, and yet, it seems the Fort Worth boys managed to wrangle a dozen (?) additional gates from somewhere, such that LAA just hired 200 ramp agents off the street?  Time to start packing as I don't want to work on the Express side.

 

[Black Magic]

Get over it people...Phx will remain a hub in the new AA system. Phoenix is something like the 4th largest city population wise in the nation (and that doesn't even include all the illegals here.) It has high O/D traffic that can support a hub unlike CMH or Pit. AA at lax will never have as many gates as phx due to regulations. By having Lax, Phx, and Dfw the new AA has the southwest nation sewn up tight!!

 

[ograc]

Us old America West guys have gone through a few "promises" and so-called "protections" which failed to hold.... We still have a fair amount of LAS guys recall being promised of no cuts to LAS, only to be furloughed a year later.  Or the "protection" of having just 1 daily flight as part of our original TWU contract only to have CMH de-hubbed with the resulting hundreds of furloughed agents.
 
My prediction still for PHX... it becomes an eventual RJ hub to relieve LAX RJ flying and open slots for mainline flying.  Of course, RJ doesn't help the US ramp agents and why I am already looking for another station.

 
I would agree with your prediction to an extent. I agree this will be the operational and marketing strategy going forward. The money is in the international destinations serviced out of the established international hubs. Eliminating domestic flying by regionals in these hubs frees up more mainline and international slots. Which, of course, increases yield and profits. RJ flying is much cheaper, in terms of overhead cost, across all work groups. I'm not sure what stations will be affected but some should be looking displacement options. The beat goes on.  
 

 

[ograc]

Get over it people...Phx will remain a hub in the new AA system. Phoenix is something like the 4th largest city population wise in the nation (and that doesn't even include all the illegals here.) It has high O/D traffic that can support a hub unlike CMH or Pit. AA at lax will never have as many gates as phx due to regulations. By having Lax, Phx, and Dfw the new AA has the southwest nation sewn up tight!!

 
All three within range of domestic RJ flying. Not about gates as much as it is about International slots. RJ mini hubs that satisfy domestic travel and feed the International Gateway hubs. Not sure where PHX, regarding hub status, would enter into this marketing equation. Already over it. PHX should be a hub (domestic / RJ or International / Mainline) of some sort in the end. In PHX, like many other stations, there is much "Uncertainty Ahead"!   
 

 

[john john]

Not much marketing difference between E175 and AB319

 

[Black Magic]

 
All three within range of domestic RJ flying. Not about gates as much as it is about International slots. RJ mini hubs that satisfy domestic travel and feed the International Gateway hubs. Not sure where PHX, regarding hub status, would enter into this marketing equation. Already over it. PHX should be a hub (domestic / RJ or International / Mainline) of some sort in the end. In PHX, like many other stations, there is much "Uncertainty Ahead"!   
 

Phoenix will not be turning into RJ central...passenger demand determines what size aircraft a company puts on a route.  PHX to SMF as an example is not going to be downsized to RJ's as passenger bookings/demand is too high. Right now the company is in love with the 321's and 737 800's, they can't get enough of them here.  

 

[700UW]

PHX is the sixth largest city by population.
 
NYC is #1, then LA, then Chicago, then Houston, then Philadelphia, then Phoenix.

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

 
So who is the true enemy? The union or the company who takes advantage of the "business friendly" bankruptcy laws in this country?  How is it that a company or airline, can declare bankruptcy, thus allowing it to negate or renegotiate existing contracts, yet never lose a day of operation? Laws that effectively strip contractual rights. Laws that effectively put organized labor into a position of negotiating new terms with the threat of abrogating existing contracts altogether. Laws that promote corporate greed. Where does this legislation come from? Who is the true enemy? Got time to vote in this current USA election cycle? Think it doesn't affect you?  
 

Who is the real enemy?
 
Against who?

 

[WeAAsles]

3 more Articles TA this week for a total of 12 out of a possible 36. 1/3 completed. Next 2 weeks in DFW starting Monday.

 

[Worldport]

3 more Articles TA this week for a total of 12 out of a possible 36. 1/3 completed. Next 2 weeks in DFW starting Monday.

Man, you are one optimistic dude. Hope you are not expecting much for your birthday What is "Field work" ?