Aircraft UPGRADES

[SKY HIGH]

US Airways aircraft upgrades make to-do list

As US Airways hits the two-year anniversary of its merger with America West, the airline says in its employee newsletter the company's "Board of Directors has approved several capital projects, meaning the airline will be dedicating significant finances toward several improvements." Among the projects, US Airways says it will upgrade the interiors of its Boeing 757s to offer a "more consistent" product. The carrier says it will ultimately have two separate configurations for the 757s, "one each for Europe and Hawaii." US Airways also says "overhead bins will be extended, leather seat covers installed, bulkheads, sidewalls and galleys will be re-laminated and lavatories will be refurbished."

The airline also plans to update its Airbus aircraft "to create a common interior fleet across the network and bring West aircraft to East maintenance cycles. Like with the 757s, US Airways says "overhead bins will be extended, leather seat covers installed, bulkheads, sidewalls and galleys will be re-laminated, and lavatories will be refurbished." US Airways also said a "major interior upgrade" is coming to its Boeing 767 fleet, though it did not list details.



Only stating opinions

 

[Itestwell]

US Airways aircraft upgrades make to-do list

As US Airways hits the two-year anniversary of its merger with America West, the airline says in its employee newsletter the company's "Board of Directors has approved several capital projects, meaning the airline will be dedicating significant finances toward several improvements." Among the projects, US Airways says it will upgrade the interiors of its Boeing 757s to offer a "more consistent" product. The carrier says it will ultimately have two separate configurations for the 757s, "one each for Europe and Hawaii." US Airways also says "overhead bins will be extended, leather seat covers installed, bulkheads, sidewalls and galleys will be re-laminated and lavatories will be refurbished."

The airline also plans to update its Airbus aircraft "to create a common interior fleet across the network and bring West aircraft to East maintenance cycles. Like with the 757s, US Airways says "overhead bins will be extended, leather seat covers installed, bulkheads, sidewalls and galleys will be re-laminated, and lavatories will be refurbished." US Airways also said a "major interior upgrade" is coming to its Boeing 767 fleet, though it did not list details.
Only stating opinions

Hold up..... "leather" or "pleather"??? :mf_boff:

 

[CLT-Douglas]

It will be nice to have better looking seats that's for sure. What does "overhead bins will be extended" mean? What's the time frame for the refurbished interiors?


No mention of individual IFE either not that I was expecting it. If they can't afford it, then why don't they form a partnership with a company who can such as Apple and have the new Ipod touch installed at every seat. They would make a great IFE system. It would give apple a captured audience to test them out with free music and video. If anyone wants to purchase songs or video it could be forwarded to the persons Apple store account and uploaded to their player next time they dock their ipod onto their computer. US could advertise the Ipod much like Airtran does XM radio, and they could also paint a Apple theme plane in return.

 

[PHX PHLyer]

No mention of individual IFE either not that I was expecting it. If they can't afford it, then why don't they form a partnership with a company who can such as Apple and have the new Ipod touch installed at every seat. They would make a great IFE system. It would give apple a captured audience to test them out with free music and video. If anyone wants to purchase songs or video it could be forwarded to the persons Apple store account and uploaded to their player next time they dock their ipod onto their computer. US could advertise the Ipod much like Airtran does XM radio, and they could also paint a Apple theme plane in return.

Yeah, what was with all of that revolutionary seat back entertainment system starting in early '08 stuff? You think they would have made mention of that here considering they have mentioned it a few times before. :down: Maybe they will only come in the new airbus deliveries first for awhile and thus not considered a capital improvement to the existing fleet. Either way.....I'm gonna be p*ssed off if that revolutionary IFE doesn't come to fruition! :angry:

 

[Itestwell]

Either way.....I'm gonna be p*ssed off if that revolutionary IFE doesn't come to fruition! :angry:

I am gonna be p*ssed off if the company does not start negotiating in good faith with its pilots and flight attendants. I don't care about TV's. :blink:

 

[Travelpro72]

The company needs to be able to do BOTH and negotiate fair contracts while focusing on the service and operation of the airline. While we'd all find the negotiations most important the rest DOES tie in to upgrading this airline to be at least sub standard. As for the "extend the overheads", I'm afraid to even find out. We don't think they are gonna install new overheads with the psu's and ever thing do we? Hell no they will be new doors of some type I'm guessing.

 

[vantheman63]

The company needs to be able to do BOTH and negotiate fair contracts while focusing on the service and operation of the airline. While we'd all find the negotiations most important the rest DOES tie in to upgrading this airline to be at least sub standard. As for the "extend the overheads", I'm afraid to even find out. We don't think they are gonna install new overheads with the psu's and ever thing do we? Hell no they will be new doors of some type I'm guessing.

Here's the bottom line: THE COMPANY NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF IT'S EMPLOYEES FIRST, NOW AND AT ONCE!!!

I'm as pi$$ed about them crapping all over the good professionals and people that make the airline go as I am at how they have destroyed the service. They have a crappy product....and they are at war with VFFers and high yield pax...and they are NOT acting as though they care about their employees.

I heard Colleen Barrett from WN (I actually paid to hear the speach) say, "we put our employees first, ahead of our pax, then we put our customers next....stockholders and investors come last. And our investors are smart enough to know, if we take care of our employees and customers, the money will be there."

And I understand Larry Kellner at CO just gave a speach in IAH and said the EXACT same thing.

Meanwhile, the rocket scientists at The Sand Castle keep lying to everyone...and crapping all over employees and customers...

No wonder I moved my travel dollars....and didn't let the door hit me on the a$$ on the way out.

Sad thing is....I can leave and take my dollars with me....the employees are stuck with this "management." (They aren't really leaders, thats for sure.)

Sad

 

[Harry Callahan]

Van, as you very well know it is sad for the employees left at this place. Thanks for your feelings toward employees.

 

[CynicalResAgent]

The overhead bins will be extended to 6 feet deep to be able to hold more cargo(*increased revenue*). On another note this will reduce headspace to an industry low 2 feet high but were sure passengers wont mind as the aircraft will have to make an additional fuel stop anyway.

 

[SS255]

Yeah, what was with all of that revolutionary seat back entertainment system starting in early '08 stuff? You think they would have made mention of that here considering they have mentioned it a few times before. :down: Maybe they will only come in the new airbus deliveries first for awhile and thus not considered a capital improvement to the existing fleet. Either way.....I'm gonna be p*ssed off if that revolutionary IFE doesn't come to fruition! :angry:

Today's "revolutionary IFE" will be antiquated by the time US installs it.

 

[Itestwell]

Here's the bottom line: THE COMPANY NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF IT'S EMPLOYEES FIRST, NOW AND AT ONCE!!!

I'm as pi$$ed about them crapping all over the good professionals and people that make the airline go as I am at how they have destroyed the service.
Sad

Exactly. Treat the employees fairly first, and then worry about seat back TV's or whatever. Tempe just fails to acknowledge how much the battered morale is killing this company slowly. Rather frightening, really.

Until then, bring a good book. People still read books, right? :blink:

 

[Travelpro72]

Oh don't get me wrong, I'm all about being treated well. This company has a long way to go. What I meant was with all the VP's and Presidents in this goddamn company they should be able to focus on BOTH. The one who focuses on interior and appearance has NOTHING to do with who deals with us at the table. Those at the table or whomever is in charge of them you need to pick up the pace or this won't be pretty as time goes by. Hell, like it's great now. What the hell was I thinking. Oh yeah, as for the extended bins, maybe they'll house the new lie flat seat. ^_^

 

[EMBFA]

The new interior is pretty drab... Now, while it's currently on only about ten aircraft, they should have a design contest to design an interior color scheme... they should have done the same with the livery. Both are juvenile and amateur looking.

There should be a consistent look and feel to all aircraft, from the material and color used on premium seats to the shade of the bulkheads, and the pattern of the side panels.

Airbus has a new interior for it's 320 family of aircraft that the new a/c will come in. I believe the bins are slighly larger. Older aircraft (by the sounds of it- the HP Airbii) could use the interior upgrade. Ashtrays and no smoking signs? Yeah, time to catch up...

The 767, as embarrassing as it is, isn't worth a major cabin upgrade as it's gone pretty soon. Seats are another story- they can be swopped into other aircraft.

The 757s will be a small fleet but serve a different mission- they should upgrade to the larger overheads and better galleys found on the ATA aircraft. I'm surprised they want two configs for such a small fleet... I would think the flexibility would outweigh the attraction of a few extra seats for the Hawaii service, but they have have thier own way of thinking.

Upgrade of course implies better seats, ligher in weight and more comfortable, and more visually appealing cabin components that give the illusion of space. By this standard, the cabins have so far only been downgraded under this administration's watch.

They have a unique opportunity for a new and consistent upgrade here as they essentially have well over half of thier fleet arriving new- be it used A340s, the 320s to replace the 320/737s, new Airbus widebodies, and the Embraers- plus the small fleets of 757s and A330s. Now is the time to do it. I'm thinking IFE has gone by the wayside as it would be introduced with new seats, rather than put new stuff in to have to tear out and re-do it. Actually, come to think of it, that's the Tempe way, so you never know...

 

[Twicebaked]

Ashtrays and no smoking signs?

Ashtrays are required by the FAA. This would be in case someone would light a cigarette..... they would need to put it somewhere and NOT in the lav trash bin to start a fire.

Although no smoking signs are not required at everyseat they are required to be placed in certain areas of an aircraft.

 

[UWCactus]

There are no full new interiors currently in our a/c, that will begin sometime in the next two months, probably November will begin the process. Two configurations of the B757 are probably attributed to the lower revenue yield for certain markets.