To all my friends at US,
I am delighted to hear that you have been given the 5% back. I hope that those of us on the outside who communicated our displeasure with this unfair move had a small part in changing Dave's mind. For whatever reason, he has done the right thing here-I sincerely hope he continues in that path.
Not to sound like a broken record, and you know how I feel about you guys and gals on the front line, but now let's hope they can give you some of the tools back to make your job a little easier, and to add some more of the value back to the product you provide so well. It's time to stop being penny wise and pound foolish. Management needs to consider perceptions here.
As great a job as you folks do, the aircraft are still embarrasing on the inside-I found an Einstein cooky crushed on the floor in front of my seat the other night-and about a week's supply of used napkins in the seat pocket--INSTEAD of an Attache magazine. If you are trying to distinguish yourselves from the LCC's this isn't the way you want to be perceived. Bring back silver and glass in F class--you aren't saving all that much and it's embarrassing. Is it the end of the world? NO! But does it make you look cheap? YUP!
You also need to stop the cutting--you CANNOT shrink the airline into profitability. You CAN, however, make some strategic service increases which will increase yield and give us business travelers some LOGICAL choices. And hire a marketing staff who knows how to solidify the relationships you have with your best customers, not destroy them (listening, BBB?) Try to reach potential NEW customers as well. DL is losing a great number of their elite flyers due to the bonehead changes to Skymiles--they are in for a shock when the final level of changes take effect. BE PROACTIVE--go after these customers!!! Give a superior product (I think you already do) for a fair price--and TELL people about it.
Finally, and you know this is coming, FIX THE DARNED FARES. America West made a profit WITHOUT the federal money, and they credit it to the rationalization of their fare structure. I realize the costs are higher, so I think the fares could be adjusted slightly, but the CONCEPT works. Forget the $99 once a year flier-it's fine if you get them but ok if you don't--either way you lost money. I won't go on with another diatribe.
Bottom line--Dave (or someone up there) is to be commended for doing the right thing here. I hope the momentum continues, and that all of U (employee groups AND management) can all get along and work as a team to truly build the airline to be as great as I know it can be.
Thanks and best wishes to you all.
42 PM 757fixer wrote: 
