AWA + USAir = Total Mistake

[rsv4ever]

Don't forget about the time they bought a 747 and transported one passenger from PHX to Nagoya!

 

[USCREW]

Don't forget about the time they bought a 747 and transported one passenger from PHX to Nagoya!

Well, that's cost-effective! That would be a dream trip to work tho!

 

[REACC1]

Back when the stations were going to SHARES training a large number of agents in all of the class told the instructors that SHARES was not capable of handling USAirways east.
We all came back to the stations and told management SHARES was not capable of handling USAirway east. THEY NO LISTEN

Also, the instructors stated in class, the second day, that wether it worked or not, it was going to cutover. SO WRONG.
Went home feeling the impending doom. Gave me a better insight on whom I was working for. It was hard to believe for a while.
Interesting note, for a while after cutover, you could actually access Sabre availibility. It was extremely helpful. Now it is completely cut off. Shares is so limited and inane.

 

[REACC1]

Hmmm Since Travis "Christ" is VP of marketing now does that make the "Killer B's" (B Ben Baldanza & Barry Biffle) the Anti Christ?

Hey, Barry's a nice guy, with a good head on his shoulders. He works for someone else now. 😀

 

[cageyjames]

Don't forget about the time they bought a 747 and transported one passenger from PHX to Nagoya!

You are so off on your "facts" it isn't even funny.

1. HP's route ran from PHX-HNL-NGO.
2. There where upwards of 100 folks on those flights to HNL from PHX (despite the fact 99 folks got off in HNL, the airplane headed on to NGO).
3. You left out all the cargo HP was flying on that 747 (I believe it was those little cactus plants they sell at the airport shops at Sky Harbor destined for collectors in Japan).
4. Those old "Bird of Paradise widebodies" were wonderful, I recall because they got the airplanes before the routes (unlike US and their current bid for Asia service) that they ran them on PHX/LAS - JFK (before getting HNL and later NGO service). I mean what other airline was inane enough to run 747s between PHX and JFK? What a wonderful world we lived in back then?

So please get your facts right before posting, those were wonderful days and I remember dancing in the aisles every time I flew HP. You didn't need a lick of sense to run an airline back then unlike the professionals at US currently. If only we'd see "Bird of Paradise" widebody service again to HNL and to NGO I bet we could pack 2 or 3 folks in those 747s these days (plus I'm sure they need to replace their little cactus plants over there in Nagoya).

 

[john john]

You are so off on your "facts" it isn't even funny.

So please get your facts right before posting,

http://www.psa-history.org/awa/history.html

America West managed to stave off bankruptcy in 1990, but 1991 would not be so kind. Beauvais, continuing the Asian strategy, pursued a route application to Tokyo which was not approved. Honolulu was designated a hub, and the Bird of Paradise service was instead extended to Nagoya on February 27. Nagoya, instead of leading passengers into the "Heart of Japan", would prove to be the breaking point for America West. The route proved to be a money-loser, with the first flight carrying one passenger to Nagoya, leading to an almost immediate service reduction to three weekly flights (from daily).

 

[USCREW]

http://www.psa-history.org/awa/history.html

America West managed to stave off bankruptcy in 1990, but 1991 would not be so kind. Beauvais, continuing the Asian strategy, pursued a route application to Tokyo which was not approved. Honolulu was designated a hub, and the Bird of Paradise service was instead extended to Nagoya on February 27. Nagoya, instead of leading passengers into the "Heart of Japan", would prove to be the breaking point for America West. The route proved to be a money-loser, with the first flight carrying one passenger to Nagoya, leading to an almost immediate service reduction to three weekly flights (from daily).

Why did this flight do so poorly?

 

[philly rocks]

Because it wasn't going to NRT (Narita) silly!

Latin America is the ticket, the amount you collect in excess baggage pays for the darn plane!

Getting back to Nagoya, if you were a business traveller to Japan, would you fly Usairways, JAL or All Nippon?

Get the hint?

 

[USCREW]

Because it wasn't going to NRT (Narita) silly!

Latin America is the ticket, the amount you collect in excess baggage pays for the darn plane!

Getting back to Nagoya, if you were a business traveller to Japan, would you fly Usairways, JAL or All Nippon?

Get the hint?

If you were a common non-business traveler, you'd choose the least expensive! My family and their friends fly to Asia often and believe me, there is NO loyalty to any airline.

 

[AWA320]

Because it wasn't going to NRT (Narita) silly!

Latin America is the ticket, the amount you collect in excess baggage pays for the darn plane!

Getting back to Nagoya, if you were a business traveller to Japan, would you fly Usairways, JAL or All Nippon?

Get the hint?

There is just a little bit more to it than that. Right at the time AWA started that service the gulf war broke out. Now from what I understand, the asian community will not travel internationally on carriers who's country is involved in war. Maybe there is the fear of being shot down, I really don't know. There was another question of which carrier's were running transcon's in a 747. A bunch!! People's express was one, who remembers them??? Not fully a transcon but have done 747 on UAL to both DEN and ORD. Who remembers Tower Air?? SFO to JFK in you guessed it the 74.

 

[USCREW]

There is just a little bit more to it than that. Right at the time AWA started that service the gulf war broke out. Now from what I understand, the asian community will not travel internationally on carriers who's country is involved in war. Maybe there is the fear of being shot down, I really don't know.

I don't think so, otherwise all the other legacy carriers would have had their Pacific routes reduced to nothing. It sounds like AWA's flight did not make it from the start.

 

[cageyjames]

http://www.psa-history.org/awa/history.html

America West managed to stave off bankruptcy in 1990, but 1991 would not be so kind. Beauvais, continuing the Asian strategy, pursued a route application to Tokyo which was not approved. Honolulu was designated a hub, and the Bird of Paradise service was instead extended to Nagoya on February 27. Nagoya, instead of leading passengers into the "Heart of Japan", would prove to be the breaking point for America West. The route proved to be a money-loser, with the first flight carrying one passenger to Nagoya, leading to an almost immediate service reduction to three weekly flights (from daily).

You are going to tell me they weren't carrying little cactus plants in the cargo hold? Hey I was on those 747 flights to HNL back then (sorry, no need to go to Nagoya) so I remember their business model.

Actually that old business model seems to have been revived by Parker and his band of idiots.

 

[Travels2mch]

4. Those old "Bird of Paradise widebodies" were wonderful, I recall because they got the airplanes before the routes (unlike US and their current bid for Asia service) that they ran them on PHX/LAS - JFK (before getting HNL and later NGO service). I mean what other airline was inane enough to run 747s between PHX and JFK? What a wonderful world we lived in back then?

I rode a 747 once from SFO to LAX....it was 1981 and on Pan Am......$39. Awesome ride!

 

[US1YFARE]

Don't forget about the time they bought a 747 and transported one passenger from PHX to Nagoya!

Do you think he got the whole mini?

 

[REACC1]

Actually, you're WRONG, Barry Biffle is a GREAT guy. I had dinner with him a few times. I fly Spirit a few times a year, and I do it because I LIKE the idea of throwing his new employer a couple of bucks.

In fact I'll go out on a limb and wager you that if you asked all the Frequent Flyers here who they miss or would want back the most it would be Mr Biffle.

Personally I hope they take Spirit public and Barry makes a few MILLION. Actually BBB is a pretty decent guy too once you forgive that one comment and actually spend some time with him. Brad Beakley who stayed on is also one of the good guys.

There are some good guys left in the Executive Suite they're just coveredd in Dougie Doo or Scotty Poo 😛

He actually talked to me like a human being. Completely blew my mind. Oh and didn't stab me in the back.
It is out there folks!
Barry is a class act.