Dear Doug,
First of all, we have all made stupid mistakes. Just because you are the CEO of US Airways does not mean you are super human. I for one sense your embarrassment and regret and accept your apology.
Having said that, what WERE you thinking? Doug, while you may not be the wealthiest CEO in the world, you make enough money to either have a personal driver, a car service, or heck...calling a cab. While the timing of all this frankly sucks, you ARE a high profile CEO and you HAD to know that one misstep would be well publicized through out the country. PLEASE...if you are going to be the charismatic ceo that seeks to change the world and so happens to be OUR ceo, use better judgement.
There has been alot of discussion about your future and what you should do to make up for your own lack of judgement and embarrassing 35,000 employees as well as your family. Here is what I have come up with.
Screw the call for donations to any organization.
Screw resigning.
If you REALLY care about US Airways, please do the following:
Get the contracts signed with labor and take the BEST of both instead of the worse PLUS 5% pay increase.
Focus on US AIRWAYS!!! You and your team have turned US into a laughing stock. LCC now means Low Class Carrier. If Wall Street has THAT much faith in you as well as the banks, I am sure a fraction of that could be found to ......
*renovate the interiors of each aircraft
*retrofit the aircraft as to not anger our FF's
*invest in live satelite tv/or radio. (BTW, Jetblue and Airtrans are TRUE LCC's and offer
this)
*UPGRADE First/Envoy to level of the other carriers that OFFER the same service
*upgrade the pathetic website
*upgrade food quaility sold on a/c
*upgrade the contracts of cleaning companies to do a better job.
*provide an adequate widebody for ALL European/Hawaii/Asian flights
Doug, I would like for you to do the following:
*Fly from CLT-LGW on the back row of the A330. Only leave that seat to go to the lav.
*Fly from CLT-SEA in row 9 of the A319 for 5 hours and only go to the lav.
*Fly to LAX from CLT in FC of the A320 East. Come on last with a rollerboard and
second bag when the entire flight is full.
*Price all the f/c tickets of all the other airlines, fly f/c on those airlines. and take
note of what they offer. Is our price the same? Is the value the same? If not, I ask you to either upgrade our service, yank f/c out, or call it something else. But NOT F/C.
I feel that you and your team have lost focus on our company. While other companies are enhancing their service, you are taking away. It appears that the bean counters in Tempe are making all the decisions. SIR, these people DO NOT WORK WITH THE CUSTOMER!!! WE DO!!! You are driving away our BEST customers by doing EVERYTHING on the CHEAP!! We have become a GENERIC airline only interested in profit. Don't get me wrong. I NEVER want us to be in a position of years past. I want us to make money and produce revenue, but there is a limit. Pimping credit cards and Sky Mall is no big deal. Advertisements everywhere is fine. As long as I never EVER have to give a dime back, you can put me in a jumpsuit with velcroe strips for advertising. But we now treat our customers as cattle. Please, get out here and see the REAL US AIRWAYS...not the one you would LIKE us to be but can't seem to fullfill.
There seems to be a huge problem with decision making in Tempe. Decision making is NOT well thought out and implementation is worse. These are decisions that I feel will save money in the short term but lose in the long term.
Doug, this is a moment when you will reflect on your life and that includes your position at US Airways.I have seen an increasing arrogance with you and your team, drapped in an awe shucks persona. It is time to take a look at choices, both personal and professional. Whether your DUI is a reflection of a larger problem is not for me to judge, however IN this time of reflection, please do not forget about your loyal employees. We have ALL sacrificed and are told how great we are, but your actions speak differently through terrible working conditions and the WORSE contracts in the industry.
If you REALLY want to make amends for any embarrassment you may have caused the employees, take a hard look at this letter. Make US Airways the BEST airline. Change the poor imaged ONCE AND FOR ALL. CAL did it. SO CAN WE!!
I respect you for being honest with the employees. Now show us some TRUE respect and LISTEN to our concerns and settle these contracts with the pay and benefits we deserve.
LCC_#1
Did I insult you? Call you a "Rube" or in any way do anything more than say what I thought WITHOUT insulting or impugning your intelligence? Extend me the same courtesy please. quote]
