An Open Letter to The Great Employees of US Airways

[DrBeth]

An Open Letter to The Great Employees of US Airways

Dear US Airways Employee,

Today US Airways put your financial well being in jeopardy yet again with its latest announcement regarding treatment of its most loyal customers. Below is the text of the announcement.

"As part of our continuing efforts to provide valuable benefits to our frequent flyers, US Airways is making a change to our Dividend Miles program. We're making these changes to offset record fuel prices and rising airline related expenses while maintaining the benefits you've come to expect. Beginning May 1, 2008, Dividend Miles will award the actual number of miles flown rather than a minimum number of miles flown for each segment. Also, members who redeem miles for award travel within 14-days of departure on usairways.com will be assessed a quick ticketing fee.

Here's a summary of the policy changes:

Accrual
* Tickets purchased on/after March 1, 2008 for travel on US Airways on/after May 1, 2008 will earn the actual number of miles flown and will no longer earn a minimum of 500 miles per segment.
* Tickets flown on partner airlines after May 1, 2008 will earn the actual number of miles flown.

Tickets purchased prior to March 1, 2008 will continue to earn the 500 mile minimum for travel after May 1, 2008. Accrual on flight segments greater than 500 miles in length are not impacted by this change.

Redemption
* Members redeeming miles for award travel online within 14-days of departure will be assessed a quick ticketing fee of $50 per ticket.

A quick ticketing fee of $75 per award ticket will continue to apply for award tickets purchased from US Airways Reservations. Chairman's and Platinum Preferred members booking within 14-days (both online and by phone) are exempt from the fee.

Dividend Miles members still get award travel for as low as 25,000 miles. And, we offer the most generous Preferred upgrade windows in the industry. Earn miles when you fly to any of our 230 destinations in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. You can also earn and redeem miles to the nearly 900 destinations served by the Star Alliance.

Thanks for continuing to fly with US."

These actions will, in our opinion, drive more high yield customers away from US Airways. Frequent flyers are the lifeblood of any airline including Southwest. Any action undertaken by management that has the potential to drive loyal customers away ignores the 43% revenue premium generated. Continued losses like those in the 4th Quarter reflect the defection of large numbers of business travelers to other carriers. This weakens your ability to negotiate raises and places the very survival of the organization in jeopardy. With two bankruptcies in recent memory, the employees have endured more hardship, both emotional and financial, than one should in a lifetime. Once again the prospect of financial hardship looms for airline workers and US Airways as a result of its view of customers as the enemy, with employees ranking a close second.

Let your management know how you feel, that you resent your job being placed at risk yet again. At FFOCUS we remain committed to the concept of Employee Satisfaction plus Customer Satisfaction equals maximum shareholder return on investment. This latest move will ensure that none of the above comes to fruition.

Sincerely yours,
FFOCUS Policy Board

 

[N965VJ]

Very well stated.

Trust me; this is much more important than glassware in F at this point, especially if Parker means what he says about sitting out the current merger dance.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

Another brilliant move by the morons in Tempe. Tell the frequent fliers out there WHY ON EARTH should they stay with this airline? You guys in Arizona are frickin' clueless on the loyalty of the remaining customers at US Airways. Are you intentionally trying to crash and burn?

Later,
Eye

 

[beachboy]

This rag tag operation in it's current form needs to be uthinized. It's a harsh statement but honestly, I would rather see it go under than have Tempe screw, touch or botch one more simple thing that our vauled customers expect and pay for.

 

[YVINTERN]

This airline is becoming more of Ryan Air everyday I check my e-mails...I went to FRA this week and I kind of wish we went the Lufthansa route...sure they are the luftwaffe but they run a tight operation and deliver what they promise...including a jolt out of their clubs when I saw FREE booze

 

[DrBeth]

Another brilliant move by the morons in Tempe. Tell the frequent fliers out there WHY ON EARTH should they stay with this airline? You guys in Arizona are frickin' clueless on the loyalty of the remaining customers at US Airways. Are you intentionally trying to crash and burn?

Later,
Eye

Even in times like this, there is always something to laugh about, like your "motivational" image here! I love it and the sad thing is you are probably right.

 

[GroundedBoricua]

An Open Letter to The Great Employees of US Airways



Let your management know how you feel, that you resent your job being placed at risk yet again. At FFOCUS we remain committed to the concept of Employee Satisfaction plus Customer Satisfaction equals maximum shareholder return on investment. This latest move will ensure that none of the above comes to fruition.

Sincerely yours,
FFOCUS Policy Board

I think the emploees have let them know of their fustration, but the problem is that no one in Tempe(or previosly Crystal City) listen. :blink:

 

[back2CLT]

I find it somewhat ironic groups like FFocus, who brag about how they are able to exploit US Airways frequent flyer policy, are now the ones grumbling that their ability to exploit the system has been mitigated. Come on, all you guys talk about is how you get the most miles for the fewest dollars to screw the airline, and now bitchin that they eliminated one of your tactic.

As a long time flyer from the glory days of Piedmont, I remember days of 750 (or was it 1,000....that was a long time ago) miles minimum segments. Yes, I loved it, but I accumulated miles based on my need to travel places, not because I was worried about how many short segments I could fly to score a free trip or be rewarded with upgrades. I guess I've come from the mentality of "if you want something, you earn it".

All that said, I do find this decision to be incredibly stupid, and suspect that it will alienate a certain group of flyers. What I find most puzzling is that this is most likely to affect Shuttle flyers, which is the one real prize of the system. They will suffer the high-cost of being cheap. As for me, I care about getting to my destination in the most direct, quickest manner. Most oftern, US or JetBlue fit that bill. Anyone who thinks NW, AA, or DL are any better, has a case of "grass is greener" syndrone. I can't comment on WN, UA or CO since i haven't flown them in a long time.

 

[PHLfa88]

An Open Letter to The Great Employees of US Airways

Dear US Airways Employee,

Today US Airways put your financial well being in jeopardy yet again with its latest announcement regarding treatment of its most loyal customers. Below is the text of the announcement.

"As part of our continuing efforts to provide valuable benefits to our frequent flyers, US Airways is making a change to our Dividend Miles program. We're making these changes to offset record fuel prices and rising airline related expenses while maintaining the benefits you've come to expect. Beginning May 1, 2008, Dividend Miles will award the actual number of miles flown rather than a minimum number of miles flown for each segment. Also, members who redeem miles for award travel within 14-days of departure on usairways.com will be assessed a quick ticketing fee.

Here's a summary of the policy changes:

Accrual
* Tickets purchased on/after March 1, 2008 for travel on US Airways on/after May 1, 2008 will earn the actual number of miles flown and will no longer earn a minimum of 500 miles per segment.
* Tickets flown on partner airlines after May 1, 2008 will earn the actual number of miles flown.

Tickets purchased prior to March 1, 2008 will continue to earn the 500 mile minimum for travel after May 1, 2008. Accrual on flight segments greater than 500 miles in length are not impacted by this change.

Redemption
* Members redeeming miles for award travel online within 14-days of departure will be assessed a quick ticketing fee of $50 per ticket.

A quick ticketing fee of $75 per award ticket will continue to apply for award tickets purchased from US Airways Reservations. Chairman's and Platinum Preferred members booking within 14-days (both online and by phone) are exempt from the fee.

Dividend Miles members still get award travel for as low as 25,000 miles. And, we offer the most generous Preferred upgrade windows in the industry. Earn miles when you fly to any of our 230 destinations in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. You can also earn and redeem miles to the nearly 900 destinations served by the Star Alliance.

Thanks for continuing to fly with US."

These actions will, in our opinion, drive more high yield customers away from US Airways. Frequent flyers are the lifeblood of any airline including Southwest. Any action undertaken by management that has the potential to drive loyal customers away ignores the 43% revenue premium generated. Continued losses like those in the 4th Quarter reflect the defection of large numbers of business travelers to other carriers. This weakens your ability to negotiate raises and places the very survival of the organization in jeopardy. With two bankruptcies in recent memory, the employees have endured more hardship, both emotional and financial, than one should in a lifetime. Once again the prospect of financial hardship looms for airline workers and US Airways as a result of its view of customers as the enemy, with employees ranking a close second.

Let your management know how you feel, that you resent your job being placed at risk yet again. At FFOCUS we remain committed to the concept of Employee Satisfaction plus Customer Satisfaction equals maximum shareholder return on investment. This latest move will ensure that none of the above comes to fruition.

Sincerely yours,
FFOCUS Policy Board

I'm Kinda Confused...What Does This Have To Do With The Employees? Would you PLEASE Blow Your Hot Air Twards The Appropriate Channels!! Thank You! <_<

 

[N965VJ]

I'm Kinda Confused...What Does This Have To Do With The Employees? Would you PLEASE Blow Your Hot Air Twards The Appropriate Channels!! Thank You! <_<

 

[jimcfs]

I'm Kinda Confused...What Does This Have To Do With The Employees? Would you PLEASE Blow Your Hot Air Twards The Appropriate Channels!! Thank You! <_<

The answer is simple. The decision the braintrust in the SandCastle make have done NOTHING to retain US Frequent Flyers... they only chase them away. This "enhancement" to DM will make them flee to other carriers in droves (who will also treat them right). The other carriers are licking their chops at the possibilities. For example... why will anyone pay the fares to fly the Shuttle, say LGA-BOS, and not get the 500 mi minimum for it? They can fly DL or take the Acela (probably for less) and get better service and get full FF credit. Granted the 500 mi min is only 1 piece of the puzzle... but with all the other "enhancements" that have been done in the past 2 years, those who haven't left have finally been given the reason to leave... and they are from what we have seen in the past 24 hours.

So, without the loyal FF base, who is going to fly US? With the former loyal US flyers going elsewhere, there won't be enough pax to keep this airline in business. That's how if affects the employees... without passengers, you folks don't have a job. That should piss you off. I don't think that's "hot air", PHLfa88... that's your paycheck we're talking about, when all is said and done.

 

[BoeingBoy]

I'm Kinda Confused...What Does This Have To Do With The Employees?

For those like you who apparently don't care about pay, benefits, or even having a job down the road - nothing.

For everyone else, it's important whether those high-yield, short-haul fliers (paying from 50 cents to well over $1 a mile for their tickets) see this as just another reason to take their travel dollars elsewhere. Without them, there is no airline, no job, no paycheck.....

Jim

 

[SS255]

I think the emploees have let them know of their fustration, but the problem is that no one in Tempe(or previosly Crystal City) listen. :blink:

At least after the Black Tuesday announcement, CCY developed enough common sense to realize just how much it was going to cost them in revenue. They revoked the policy within a few days.

 

[SS255]

For those like you who apparently don't care about pay, benefits, or even having a job down the road - nothing.

For everyone else, it's important whether those high-yield, short-haul fliers (paying from 50 cents to well over $1 a mile for their tickets) see this as just another reason to take their travel dollars elsewhere. Without them, there is no airline, no job, no paycheck.....

Jim

And an even worse scenario is that the management comes after the employees next! It might be better for the airline to just wither away and die, and let the employees make a fresh start, than to browbeat the employees again with yet another round of concessions! After all, if all US has left are the folks who automatically book the cheapest flight no matter what, how is this airline going to stay in business?

 

[vantheman63]

I'm Kinda Confused...What Does This Have To Do With The Employees? Would you PLEASE Blow Your Hot Air Twards The Appropriate Channels!! Thank You! <_<

I suppose if you could care less about where the high yield and loyal customers and where they spend their money, it means nothing to you.

But consider this.....

CO: PVD-ABQ on January 26, 2008 - Fare Paid = $1,309.76 (2 tickets, $0.284 revenue per mile)

US: ABQ-PVD on February 2, 2008 - Fair Paid = $331.16 (2 tickets, $0.059 revenue per mile)

Follow this logic, if you can......

Your a life-long employee. You care about your comapny. You care about your job security and you have pride in your job and company.

Which ticket(s) would you have preferred your company sold? The Continental Airlines ticket(s)? Or the US Airways ticket(s)?

Why?

Which set of tickets is healthier for the airline?

Why is it that a customer would pay RADICALLY different airfares on one airline then another? (Yes, I could have scored a cheapy ticket on CO...but I actually CHOSE to fly in F)

What would US Airways need to do to earn a passenger like me, who is COMPLETELY okay with spending a thousand bucks to fly somewhere?

All things considered.....if you could drink from a nice glass, eat from nice china with decent food....and it was the same price as a product that offered fewer amenities, which product would you chose?

And if one airline cared enough about your loyalty to offer a better loyalty program then the other....and the prices were the same, which would you pick?

Bottom line, because I know you're not ignorant, you know the answers here. And US Airways, Tempe Style, has demonstrated time and time and time again, "if they are going to leverage ANYWHERE, it is off the employees and the customers."

The way I see it, it's time to "snuggle up" with your customers....(a.) to hang on to them for dear life and (b.) because they have more in common with you then you know....