Another VP to the rescue!

[Hopeful]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/American-Airlines-Names-prnews-3769521773.html?x=0&.v=1

Gee, we are told here if we want a better contract and better compensation, we should offer more productivity improvements...

What about this VP slot? This is necessary?

Works both ways!

 

[Rogallo]

No it doesn't. Tell us why, management defenders.

 

[Bob Owens]

This is probably one of the reasons why all our pay and headcount cuts arent reflected proprtionately in the amount AMR pays in wages. They keep inflating the ranks of management. Recently our Area director passed away, now everyone is wondering who will get the position when in fact they should simply eliminate the position and roll the whole East Coast into one division like it used to be when we were this size of an airline.

 

[Ken MacTiernan]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/American-Airlines-Names-prnews-3769521773.html?x=0&.v=1

Gee, we are told here if we want a better contract and better compensation, we should offer more productivity improvements...

What about this VP slot? This is necessary?

Works both ways!

Hopeful,

It is still amazing that management wants more productivity improvement but refuse to compensate us for those improvements. Very sad they are that blind/out of touch.

"It's the contract stupid!"

 

[eolesen]

What about this VP slot? This is necessary?

It's a slot that was left open for the past two months, but was finally backfilled. You probably don't see a need for it, but someone has to oversee the various IT systems. This one in particular oversees the Sabre replacement project. Not a small task by any means, and frankly, probably the most important IT project AA has ever undertaken. It's certainly the most business critical. An airline's res & ticketing system is their cash register, and the check-in system is what ultimately allows you to move customers thru the airport...

Outsource it all, you say?

Maybe you don't know what it was like in the mid 90's when AA let Sabre and EDS do all that work, but I do. Insourcing stuff like AA.com and the various GUI's used in Res during the early 2000's was a pretty smart move, and has no doubt saved millions per year over what Sabre and EDS were charging, and allowed AA to have a lot more control over how and when the work gets done.

Mock away if you must, but try to keep in mind that VP staffing at AA is still on par with what it is at WN. I haven't counted side by side lately, but at last check, both had about 40-45 VP's in total. AA hasn't added any new VP slots that I've noticed in the past couple years, and AA's a far more complicated operation and corporate structure than at WN...

 

[787nightmare]

I read an article some time back about Southwest, and I remember reading about how the layers of management were so thin and few.
It was remarking about how easy it was to get straight to the CEO as a manager at WN. I kept thinking..."that's the way it ought to be".

 

[Hopeful]

Ahhh, here's the reason they filled the slot...Looks like Monte Ford was holding both titles....But i'm sure he wasn't getting compensated for it.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/American-Airlines-Ranks-in-prnews-1962896613.html?x=0&.v=1


If AA was so technologically advantaged, they should try eliminating all the paperwork associated with aircraft maintenance. Electronic log books would be a great start.

 

[eolesen]

Monte wasn't carrying two titles. As I said, the position was vacated last month as part of the ripple effect started when Peter Bowler retired, and Garton moved to Eagle:

Garton replaced Bowler, Vihidi replaced* Garton, Friedman replaced* Vihidi, Leibman replaced Friedman, O'Keefe replaced Leibman.

* = Vihidi kept Planning, and added half of Garton's areas, with Friedman taking on the remaining half of Garton's areas.

The other ripple effect going on simultaneously was from Horton being named President:

Goren replaced Horton, Kreeger replaced Goren, Stache replaced Kreeger, DeCross replaced Stache.

Both DeCross and O'Keefe were L8's before all this, so those positions may or may not be backfilled.

-----

Agree that electronic logs would be a great idea, but there are lots of moving parts to get aligned for that to happen. Pilots have to agree to it, and so does the FAA. Who else is using it besides the upstarts?

 

[Hopeful]

Monte wasn't carrying two titles.

Agree that electronic logs would be a great idea, but there are lots of moving parts to get aligned for that to happen. Pilots have to agree to it, and so does the FAA. Who else is using it besides the upstarts?

Ok, the article said Ford was both CIO and Senior VP.....thought the new guy was filling that slot.


As for log books, I think UPS uses them. But really am not sure.
But Boeing even offers that capability as an option on new aircraft.

 

[will fix for food]

Ok, the article said Ford was both CIO and Senior VP.....thought the new guy was filling that slot.


As for log books, I think UPS uses them. But really am not sure.
But Boeing even offers that capability as an option on new aircraft.

Eagle is going all electronic. They are running the new electronic system side by side with the old paperwork system until the FAA is satisfied the system won't crash and all the records will be lost. Estimates are that will be a couple years. After that they are supposed to phase the electronic log books into the system.

 

[Bob Owens]

It's a slot that was left open for the past two months, but was finally backfilled. You probably don't see a need for it, but someone has to oversee the various IT systems. This one in particular oversees the Sabre replacement project. Not a small task by any means, and frankly, probably the most important IT project AA has ever undertaken. It's certainly the most business critical. An airline's res & ticketing system is their cash register, and the check-in system is what ultimately allows you to move customers thru the airport...

Well if its that critical somebody must have been doing it for the last two months, let them stay with it.
Everyone else in the company is expected to pick up the slack for those who left and werent replaced.

 

[star power]

Monte wasn't carrying two titles. As I said, the position was vacated last month as part of the ripple effect started when Peter Bowler retired, and Garton moved to Eagle:

Garton replaced Bowler, Vihidi replaced* Garton, Friedman replaced* Vihidi, Leibman replaced Friedman, O'Keefe replaced Leibman.

* = Vihidi kept Planning, and added half of Garton's areas, with Friedman taking on the remaining half of Garton's areas.

The other ripple effect going on simultaneously was from Horton being named President:

Goren replaced Horton, Kreeger replaced Goren, Stache replaced Kreeger, DeCross replaced Stache.

Both DeCross and O'Keefe were L8's before all this, so those positions may or may not be backfilled.

-----

Agree that electronic logs would be a great idea, but there are lots of moving parts to get aligned for that to happen. Pilots have to agree to it, and so does the FAA. Who else is using it besides the upstarts?

UA has been using a electronic logs since Apr/2000 with little problems, aircraft doesn't leave until a meter message is sent.

 

[eolesen]

Well if its that critical somebody must have been doing it for the last two months, let them stay with it.
Everyone else in the company is expected to pick up the slack for those who left and werent replaced.

Funny you mention that, Bob. Patrick was the guy filling in for Maya. And now he's the guy named VP.

Aren't you glad to see that sometimes management thinks just like you?

 

[Bob Owens]

Funny you mention that, Bob. Patrick was the guy filling in for Maya. And now he's the guy named VP.

Aren't you glad to see that sometimes management thinks just like you?

So in other words they just gave him a big raise. Good to see they do have money and can afford to give raises! Now we want ours!

 

[eolesen]

So in other words they just gave him a big raise. Good to see they do have money and can afford to give raises! Now we want ours!

Promotions have just about always resulted in raises, so feel free to do what he did, and apply for a higher responsibility position, Bob. I'm sure there's probably one posted somewhere on Jetnet.