You know, all I see here is bickering, fighting, namecalling, fingerpointing, etc. etc. etc. But NOBODY has any ideas or opinions which might be helpful in making the best of the situation and making it work. Until each side finally realizes they have to RESPECT the other, there is no hope.
Then again, perhaps that is the master plan-they sit back and watch the fighting and then sell pieces off-they make their money and go home at the end of the day, with total disregard for the employees and customers.
That said, someone mentioned further back the effective competition HP provided against WN. This is true-HP was a step up from WN, and offered a slightly better product, at slightly higher prices. Note the word SLIGHTLY. Since the merger, management has tried to implement the HP formula system wide, and they were too shortsighted to realize that it won't work in the east. In doing so they failed to properly manage the expectations of the east customers, and wasted time trying to compete with the wrong type of airline.
East and West are two completely different animals. For the West, the main competition was WN, and they did a good job competing. In the East, however, WN was never the prime target of competition, although they became A competitor when they came east, particularly in PHL. The problem was that Tempe kept trying to compare themselves to WN in the east, while the true focus should have been on competing with AA, DL , UA, CO, etc. So instead of one upping WN, we are three downing the others, yet in most cases, they charge more than the competition for what everyone agrees is an inferior product.
The first step in righting the ship is to find a way to get labor on the same page. They won't be able to make everyone happy, but you need to boost morale. Give the employees the tools they need (a reservation system which works would be a good first step). Provide adequate staffing levels, and get workrules and shift schedules which are more productive-then you can afford to increase wages--the productivity savings would negate the higher cost of the wage increases.
Once you have happy (or happier) employees with the right tools, then you can work on righting the rest of the ship. Happy employees are more likely to yield happy customers. NOW you can start adjusting schedules, fixing the underlying problems with the operation, and getting back on track.
Another big step will be to finally decide what they want to be-- A full service carrier, with a competitive fare structure and product, or a step up from an LCC, in which case the fares would have to come way down, and I could see eliminating F class altogether, PROVIDED they increase legroom. At least then US would have an identity-right now it is all over the place, and has taken the worst of both models to create the current hybrid.
The right tools to do the job have always been there -- an outstanding route network, some of the best employees in the business, and a loyal customer base. I truly believe that Tempe thinks the HP way is the only way, and they refuse to realize that they have made a mistake and need to try to start over. In that regard, either they are way over their heads, or their plan is to do just what they are doing--nothing - to make it better, so they can sell it off get their payday and go home.
I was US' biggest fan, and to a certain degree I still am. Based on the current state of the operation, however, I can not currently give US the lions share of my business because they cannot be counted on to get me where I need to be RELIABLY, and if/when they fail to do so, I have no confidence that I will be provided with adequate customer service to resolve the issues.
While I have technically moved on, I still plan on flying US when the schedule/pricing dictates, so there is still a chance I will see some of my good friends out there, but until or unless they can get their act together out in Tempe, I will never see a Chairmans Preferred card with my name on it again.
My best to you all.......
