AA grounds the sp80 fleet....

[ual777fan]

Somebody tell me why the hell the VP of friggin advertising was making the apology and not the CEO/President??

How insulting to every customer, how insulting to every employee. If you run the show the buck stops with you, if you can't face the music for what you've done, then you don't belong in your position, and you're just a rat-bAAstard!

Would someone please just get it over with and fire that glorified baggage handler already???

/rant

Apparently the intrepid CEO of our airline (ours because you work for it, and I fly on it way too much for my own good) is in Los Angeles at a meeting of the OneWorld honchos to welcome Mexicana into the OneWorld alliance. I kid you not.

Mexicana’s invitation to join oneworld was sealed at a ceremony today attended by its Chief Executive Officer Manuel Borja with his counterparts from all ten of oneworld’s established member airlines and oneworld Managing Partner John McCulloch during a meeting of the group’s Governing Board in key alliance hub Los Angeles.

Mexicana is the biggest non-US airline operating at Los Angeles, which is its biggest hub outside Mexico.

Mexicana with the Click Mexicana network will add 26 destinations to the oneworld map - 24 in Mexico plus Bakersfield (California, USA) and Edmonton (Canada)....

Besides Mexicana Chief Executive Officer Manuel Borja, Iberia Chairman and Chief Executive Fernando Conte and oneworld Managing Partner John McCulloch, scheduled to attend today’s ceremony were:
• Qantas Chief Executive Officer Geoff Dixon (current chairman of oneworld’s Governing Board)
• American Airlines Chairman and Chief Executive Gerard Arpey
• British Airways Chief Executive Willie Walsh
• Cathay Pacific Airways Chief Executive Tony Tyler
• Finnair Chief Executive Jukka Hienonen
• Japan Airlines Group Chief Executive Haruka Nishimatsu
• LAN Group Chief Executive Enrique Cueto
• Malév Chief Executive Peter Leonov
• Royal Jordanian Chief Executive and Deputy Chairman Samer Majali.

See link here: http://www.avionews.com/index.php?corpo=se...mante=index.php

I really wish I was making this up. What I want to know is what the hell is Arpey doing in Los Angeles when his airline is experiencing an almost epic operational meltdown? Surely he didn't need to be at that OneWorld meeting in person. This is why you have deputies...

 

[FrequentFlierCA]

Lots of sense here on this topic, with the exception of those conspiracy theorists who (joking, I hope) insinuate that this was about fuel. No flights, no revenue.

It is especially galling that the FAA did this over a non-safety issue. As another poster rightly pointed out, this could have waited until the next C-check. Or been done in a coordinated and methodical way that would not cause losses for AMR and inconvenience for thousands of pax.

Also looks like AA has done a good job taking care of customers. Alternate bookings, reimbursement and vouchers are all on the table. I suspect that other legacies may not have been as generous and forthright. AA still has my confidence and consumer loyalty.

 

[CubsFanJohn]

I do agree Arpey could have done it from LA, just get a few cameras or something, the wonders of technology these days.. But Arpey was prorably at the OneWorld CEO's confrence, which was in LA today. The only reason I know is that they introduced MX as a new member. You would think Arpey would be at SOC then again it's Management were talking about.

 

[flyhigh]

In this day in age is it really necessary? I wonder how he got there of course but is it really necessary for him to be sitting in Dallas? What would you like him to do...fix the planes too? As for Garton, he actually oversees all of Marketing which includes (typically) a lot of the PR functions.

Does it look bad for Arpey to be there sure (if he actually is...it does only say he is "scheduled" to be there). I think it's being a little nitpicky to demand he be standing over your shoulder.

I'm betting he's likely dealing with chatting with FAA folks and his ops folks, etc and Garton was available.

 

[ual777fan]

In this day in age is it really necessary? I wonder how he got there of course but is it really necessary for him to be sitting in Dallas? What would you like him to do...fix the planes too? As for Garton, he actually oversees all of Marketing which includes (typically) a lot of the PR functions.

Does it look bad for Arpey to be there sure (if he actually is...it does only say he is "scheduled" to be there). I think it's being a little nitpicky to demand he be standing over your shoulder.

I'm betting he's likely dealing with chatting with FAA folks and his ops folks, etc and Garton was available.

It's probably not necessary, but it is a PR disaster in the making. Bob Crandell could have been at an IATA conference (should there have been one) during the last F/A strike (in 1993?) but he wasn't. He was out there at DFW rallying the troops. Arpey sitting in LA at the OneWorld CEO's conference (something he could easily attend via conference call from DFW) while his airline is half shut down doesn't look good.

 

[mrman]

Lots of sense here on this topic, with the exception of those conspiracy theorists who (joking, I hope) insinuate that this was about fuel. No flights, no revenue.

It is especially galling that the FAA did this over a non-safety issue. As another poster rightly pointed out, this could have waited until the next C-check. Or been done in a coordinated and methodical way that would not cause losses for AMR and inconvenience for thousands of pax.

Also looks like AA has done a good job taking care of customers. Alternate bookings, reimbursement and vouchers are all on the table. I suspect that other legacies may not have been as generous and forthright. AA still has my confidence and consumer loyalty.

I suggest you go to flyertalk and see the customers response. Big issue is that phone res system is hanging up on them after being put on hold. Also you may want to check the customers views on the local Dallas TV websites.

 

[eolesen]

A couple thoughts...

First... If the airline can't operate with an executive out of town, you're screwed. Having Garton in front of this is probably not a bad idea. I'm pretty syre CrapComm reports up to him.

Second... Yes, Arpey was at the oneworld meeting. Crandall backed out of an IATA meeting. Difference is that Crandall knew what was going down with the APFA, and Arpey probably didn't.

Third... I have it on pretty good authority that Arpey left for LAX yesterday morning. He was already enroute before the wheels started to fall off the bus.

Fourth... Anyone else find it interesting that Bob Reding wasn't the public face of all this?... Isn't he responsible for Flight, Safety, Maintenance, and Operations?

Last....

A few good reasons why I think Arpey stayed behind.... With as many flights being cancelled as were cancelled starting about the time he arrived in LAX, you wind up in a catch 22 where you either:

[*]bump paying customers to get your CEO back in town
[*]risk having him being seen getting off a private jet or another airline's flight (Headline: AMR CEO Afraid To Fly Own Airline)
[*]let him continue with business as usual, since he's already there and there's no easy way to get him home

 

[WingNaPrayer]

[*]let him continue with business as usual, since he's already there and there's no easy way to get him home

Let him go Greyhound . . . . it's what he's turned this airline into!

(Sorry to hijack your post you made some good points - but he's still a twat!)

 

[TWU-GOTTA-GO]

Well yet another revision to the paperwork has just been ordered by the feds....

But the company is on the news blaming the mechanics for this whole mess... :down:

 

[tech2101]

But the company is on the news blaming the mechanics for this whole mess... :down:

Link please.

 

[CubsFanJohn]

Any word on if any of the MD-80's are back in the Skies yet?

 

[ual777fan]

Well yet another revision to the paperwork has just been ordered by the feds....

But the company is on the news blaming the mechanics for this whole mess... :down:

You can't just tease us like this. What have the Fed's ordered this time? How much longer will it keep the Super 80's on the ground?

From what I heard, they weren't blaming the mechanics, they were blaming the FAA's overnight changing of the standards from the spirit of the rule to the letter of the law.

 

[ual777fan]

Any word on if any of the MD-80's are back in the Skies yet?

Last word I heard, from the papers no less so take it with a grain of salt, was that 32 of the planes had been inspected and brought into compliance, no word on whether or not they are back in the air...

 

[PRINCESS KIDAGAKASH]

The rework is not going to well. Several airplanes they thought would be a quick fix have turned into full blown redo's. I've heard the FAA is even rejecting safety wires because of too many turns per inch. All it takes is one little mistake installing the protective covering and it all has to be done over. This whole thing is turning into a big fiasco with no end in sight.

 

[TWU-GOTTA-GO]

You can't just tease us like this. What have the Fed's ordered this time? How much longer will it keep the Super 80's on the ground?

From what I heard, they weren't blaming the mechanics, they were blaming the FAA's overnight changing of the standards from the spirit of the rule to the letter of the law.

Can't answer the timeline as this is just happening....

On the DFW local news they were blaming the mechanics...