Does this development portend the end of US and The Star Alliance?
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Travelpro72
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I know that people are trying to push the idea that US is so important to star BUT if US is such a strong link in their own right, why were they not included in the UA/CO deal? I see mention of UA and their strengths and CO for theirs. Of course in news articles the spokesperson from star isn't going to admit that they don't need US. I still see star looking at US as, stay....fine, leave....fine. It doesn't make or break star.
signals
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SS, point taken. Thanks!
TP, I believe...and get ready because it is just my opinion...that the UA/CO deal is just a smoke screen. Why would 2 airlines of the same nation(USA) and team(STAR) that have this sought after anti-trust agreement want to merge? Why didn't US seek or apply for this same agreement? I truly believe in the US/UA merger because it would benefit US as a whole and has been in the making since 1998. UA is in such shambles that they have an online petition to oust Glenn Tilton(?) as their CEO. I have said that if US resolves the pilot issue, UA will be happy to merger.
Now as far as US being kicked out of the Star Alliance, one has to wonder what would happen to the status quo of the pilots that fly these exceptional aircraft?
CLTBWIDAYSYR
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I have some good friends working at Star at the HQ in FRA. Here's the gist of what I was told: we weren't asked because we don't do anything. We show no interest in being an integral part of the alliance. We pay our membership dues and that's it. Everybody else takes part. We don't. We don't attend meetings, we don't utilize their joint purchasing power, we don't even bother to spend the money at Heathrow to allow our Envoy Class customers to use the Star Alliance lounge there (for the record, we're the only Star carrier that flies to Heathrow that doesn't give Star lounge access to its business class customers). In short, we do nothing to capitalize on our membership.
Here's the story they still tell at the office in FRA. Meeting of all Star carriers in LAX. Management from every Star carrier from all over globe fly thousands of miles to attend--save one airline. Want to guess who didn't bother to show up? That'd be the airline with a HQ a mere 50 minute flight from LAX. We're the joke of the alliance.
Here's the story they still tell at the office in FRA. Meeting of all Star carriers in LAX. Management from every Star carrier from all over globe fly thousands of miles to attend--save one airline. Want to guess who didn't bother to show up? That'd be the airline with a HQ a mere 50 minute flight from LAX. We're the joke of the alliance.
When they did the "re-branding" (really more like de-branding) there was a letter in About US or one of those things asking why none of the marketing stuff had "A Star Alliance Carrier" on it, and why the hub airports hadn't bothered to update the SA displays with new members etc. The response was along the lines of "Oh yeah! I guess we could put that on there."
USstew23
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I forgot all about that.. just proves more and more the complete idiots we have running this ship!! Helen Keller had better vision!
JAMAKE1
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N965VJ
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How could *that* have ever happened, given the businesslike decorum that Tempe is famous for?
CLTBWIDAYSYR
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Not sure about that, but I can tell you that several people I spoke with said consensus at * is that (DP) is pretty full of himself. Gotta love the fact that the CEO of an airline with lackluster service standards (and a money loser) would have the nerve to insult the leader of a true world-class carrier that is making billions in profits.
USA320Pilot
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On April 28 US Airways president Scott Kirby spoke to a group of pilots at the CLT Training Center in a Crew News session.
Regarding the Star Alliance Scott indicated Continental’s acceptance in Star required “unanimous†airline support and US Airways voted “(yes) because it’s a good thing for US Airways.†In the short-term US Airways’ Star membership has been extended for 5 years.
In the longer term Scott said after United and Continental complete their antitrust review there will be “more opportunity (for US Airways) to work with Continental†and US Airways will become more “deeply embedded with United and it commits them to the domestic portion of the alliance.†Scott continued, “it means it will have more opportunity for us†and “don’t believe everything you read (in the media).â€
Regards,
USA320Pilot
Regarding the Star Alliance Scott indicated Continental’s acceptance in Star required “unanimous†airline support and US Airways voted “(yes) because it’s a good thing for US Airways.†In the short-term US Airways’ Star membership has been extended for 5 years.
In the longer term Scott said after United and Continental complete their antitrust review there will be “more opportunity (for US Airways) to work with Continental†and US Airways will become more “deeply embedded with United and it commits them to the domestic portion of the alliance.†Scott continued, “it means it will have more opportunity for us†and “don’t believe everything you read (in the media).â€
Regards,
USA320Pilot
Right now I tend to believe more from the media than anything that comes out of Tempe... :down:
USA320Pilot
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jimntx
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I loved this statement from Mr. Wallach...
"In 1997, for example, United Airlines served 39 international destinations, flew 151 wide-body aircraft to mostly international destinations and employed 92,000 workers. Now, 12 years later, United has cut its international destinations by 23%, shed 40 wide-body international aircraft and reduced its workforce by 46%. There could not be a starker illustration of the Star Alliance's effect on American jobs and the losses will continue with no end in sight."
So, high costs, bad management, bankruptcy, and September 11, 2001 had absolutely nothing to do with United's current state. It was all due to membership in Star Alliance. Well, I'm glad we cleared that up. (And, we haven't even mentioned the current recession.)
Oh, and that 23% reduction in International destinations? As Mark Twain said, "There are lies. There are damn lies. And, then there are statistics." It's interesting how he used percentages or actual numbers depending on which sounds worse. To switch around...Their international destinations are now only 30 instead of 39, and the reduction in widebodies is 26%. It sounds to me like maybe they are using a/c a little more efficiently.
"In 1997, for example, United Airlines served 39 international destinations, flew 151 wide-body aircraft to mostly international destinations and employed 92,000 workers. Now, 12 years later, United has cut its international destinations by 23%, shed 40 wide-body international aircraft and reduced its workforce by 46%. There could not be a starker illustration of the Star Alliance's effect on American jobs and the losses will continue with no end in sight."
So, high costs, bad management, bankruptcy, and September 11, 2001 had absolutely nothing to do with United's current state. It was all due to membership in Star Alliance. Well, I'm glad we cleared that up. (And, we haven't even mentioned the current recession.)
Oh, and that 23% reduction in International destinations? As Mark Twain said, "There are lies. There are damn lies. And, then there are statistics." It's interesting how he used percentages or actual numbers depending on which sounds worse. To switch around...Their international destinations are now only 30 instead of 39, and the reduction in widebodies is 26%. It sounds to me like maybe they are using a/c a little more efficiently.
