Doug Parkers first TownHall in PHL

[Planenuttz]

Doug Parker had his first town hall meeting in PHL today. Anyone who went have any thoughts or comments on his visit?

I myself am almost happy to hear him say that one of the reasons the merger is is working because of the paycuts at usair east over the past few years bringing them to the rates those of us at usair west are at. I beleive that he is right in saying its a new world in aviation and the days of the overly high payrates (at any company) are over. I say happy because i think its refreshing for us to hear a little reality every once and a while.

Doug and his team are not here to restore usair to what it was, but rather bring it to a level just above America West was at.

I was also disheartened to see people almost mad at him for their situation. One employee saying he had no new equipment, asking.. demanding.. where it was. Only to be shut down when he was told he got the equipment he was promised. And to hear the audience grumble and still not be happy becasue its not te best equipment was even worse.

I just want to work for one of the best airlines and I do believe PHL will be the make or break station for USair. Hopefully we can all work together and make that happen.

 

[USCREW]

...I just want to work for one of the best airlines ...



You DO work for one of the best airlines. I believe that soon, the new US Airways will be a force to reckon with

 

[SoftLanding]

Doug Parker had his first town hall meeting in PHL today. Anyone who went have any thoughts or comments on his visit?

I myself am almost happy to hear him say that one of the reasons the merger is is working because of the paycuts at usair east over the past few years bringing them to the rates those of us at usair west are at. I beleive that he is right in saying its a new world in aviation and the days of the overly high payrates (at any company) are over. I say happy because i think its refreshing for us to hear a little reality every once and a while.

Really not too much to do about "overly high payrates", as it has to do about working efficiently.

Need I mention Southwest Airlines?

SoftLanding

 

[Old PSA]

Actually, I would take a little issue (though not much since the efficiency issue is much more impacting then the pay issue) with the thought that WN employees are highly paid. While it is true that they top out higher that just about everyone else, the average wage that WN pays is not. In fact it computes to being in the lower middle of the airlines. Reason behind this is there continual growth. By adding 15%+- new employees each year, their average pay is at about the 6-7 year mark. This has been creeping up as their employee growth has slowed down. Several years ago, it was around the 5 year mark. WN management has already acknowledged this may be a problem in the future and is looking at was to deal with it. Nice to see someone's management trying to find a solution before it becomes a contentious problem.

 

[PITbull]

Doug Parker had his first town hall meeting in PHL today. Anyone who went have any thoughts or comments on his visit?

I myself am almost happy to hear him say that one of the reasons the merger is is working because of the paycuts at usair east over the past few years bringing them to the rates those of us at usair west are at. I beleive that he is right in saying its a new world in aviation and the days of the overly high payrates (at any company) are over. I say happy because i think its refreshing for us to hear a little reality every once and a while.

Doug and his team are not here to restore usair to what it was, but rather bring it to a level just above America West was at.

I was also disheartened to see people almost mad at him for their situation. One employee saying he had no new equipment, asking.. demanding.. where it was. Only to be shut down when he was told he got the equipment he was promised. And to hear the audience grumble and still not be happy becasue its not te best equipment was even worse.

I just want to work for one of the best airlines and I do believe PHL will be the make or break station for USair. Hopefully we can all work together and make that happen.

I'm sorry, did anyone hear him say that "its a new world in aviation and the days of the overly high payrates (at any company) are over INCLUDING SENIOR EXECS...OR WAS THAT JUST SOME OVERSIGHT?

Are you HAPPY to hear "reality" once in awhile???? They harp on employees wages never getting an increase in their careers...that should make folks happy????

Geez, I surely wouldn't want to work for the best airline in the industry, and be at substandard wages...that some reality to live with my friend.

Put down that koolaide! Dougie's no movie star, shttz the same as everyone else. He doesn't want you to walk away with any dulusions of Grandeur ...its JUST FOR THEM.

Slave, please go in the hole and collect the garbage. Thanx.

 

[diogenes]

What PitBull said.

And while WN's average may be lower, in overall dollars and at TOS they are paying their guys more. They can do it because they have a superior business plan, resulting from superior management. Of course, the BP at US is the employees fault.

A better way of putting it -

if you could transfer to WN with your current seniority, would you jump, or work for "one of the best airlines"?

 

[UPNAWAY]

What PitBull said.

And while WN's average may be lower, in overall dollars and at TOS they are paying their guys more. They can do it because they have a superior business plan, resulting from superior management. Of course, the BP at US is the employees fault.

They also get a lot more out of their employees that and growth are the key. We could all be bumped to their pay level tomorrow and how many of us would be as productive as them? If they doubled our salaries tomorrow would you work twice as hard?
It isn't pay it is culrure and that will take about ten years to total change

 

[tadjr]

UPNAWAY states : They also get a lot more out of their employees that and growth are the key. We could all be bumped to their pay level tomorrow and how many of us would be as productive as them? If they doubled our salaries tomorrow would you work twice as hard?


Reply- We've had this particular discussion many times in the past (most was pre merger during the bankruptcy(IES). Its hard to compare WN to the other carriers productivity because of the different models and business plans. Hub and Spoke vs nonHub and Spoke. International vs domestic only. No ticketing or baggage agreements vs interline/Star/Codeshares, etc.
Its very likely that an agent at a US counter has in the past week been on hold with someone (help desk/international reissue/Dividend Miles dept, etc) for anywhere from 30 mins to an hour dealing with 1 customer with a problem. It might be a complicated one, or it might just be that their call to rez started with a connection with Manilla or Mexico City and has spiraled out of control from there. They might have tried to book online at US.com and now have that magical reservation with a ticket that has gone poof into cyberspace. They might be on a UA codeshare that is actually being flown by CO or a US codeshare that is being flown by UA or HP or an HP codeshare being flown by US or UA or ???? Get the pix? If all we did was book, sell , ticket, checkin and go on US only, we wouldnt spend half our day at work sometimes getting deals corrected. When they can get the etickets to associate to the records to associate to the right flights, then we can talk about productivity. In the mean time, I have a line to work cause my 1 agent help in ticketing has been on the phone for an hour and the guys in the First/Preferred line are giving me the evil eye.

 

[diogenes]

dude, US agents can turn a B737 just as quick as WN - they aren't supermen.

The difference is, due to hubbing, US agents handle fewer flights per day than WN agents - that's why WN is more productive, not the culture. I can't work a plane that ain't there, no matter how good, or rotten, my attitude is.

I don't know how it works now, but I never went to any meetings where I had a say in route structure, a/c orders, etc.

The bottom line is, the US model is less efficient than WN's, and with other costs (a/c prices, fuel, landing fees, etc.) being equal, labor has to subsidize the business plan.

Of course, one would think managment would pitch in, too.

 

[Henderfuzz]

I think from what I see this can be a great airline.
We do need to make some adjustments in pay for all but we dont need to go overboard. We on the east have taken some pretty big hits in salery and benefits.
The west managment also needs to understand that there is a lot of good experienced people on the east side that have good ideas and want to make this thing fly. Sorry for the pun. Ive already got the impression that they dont see the east as having any kind of good ideas on how to make this thing work.
As a whole I think we can beat the pants off WN if we all work together and be as efficiant and aggressive as we can be.
One thing I still see as one of our problems is our express network. I would love to see all of those guys gone and expand our mainline. This would of course take time but anything is possible.

 

[EricLv2Fish]

I've met some of my counterparts on the East and I'll say we have more in common than I would have ever thought. Great bunch of guys and gals. They have the same concerns we do and they are every bit as dedicated. Hope I still have a horse in this race and get to meet them in the near future.

 

[delldude]

Doug Parker had his first town hall meeting in PHL today. Anyone who went have any thoughts or comments on his visit?

I myself am almost happy to hear him say that one of the reasons the merger is is working because of the paycuts at usair east over the past few years bringing them to the rates those of us at usair west are at.
bingo....proof UAIR was setting their sights on lame Labor Agreements.....Jerry's Kid's
I beleive that he is right in saying its a new world in aviation and the days of the overly high payrates (at any company) are over. And so you are willing to prostrate yourself in the vision??
I say happy because i think its refreshing for us to hear a little reality every once and a while.
someone needs a reality check....I'm so happy :blink:

Doug and his team are not here to restore usair to what it was, but rather bring it to a level just above America West was at.
so then you say AWA wasn't what Uair was??we now have to clean up something found on the bathroom floor?

I was also disheartened to see people almost mad at him for their situation. One employee saying he had no new equipment, asking.. demanding.. where it was. Only to be shut down when he was told he got the equipment he was promised. And to hear the audience grumble and still not be happy becasue its not te best equipment was even worse.
funny ,heard this same old diatribe in 1992-1995-2002
I just want to work for one of the best airlines and I do believe PHL will be the make or break station for USair. Hopefully we can all work together and make that happen.

suddenly I'm all touchy feely....anyone want a big Uair hug??

 

[luvn737s]

Who defines overly high payrates? How about unreasonably low fares? How about excessively irrational business decisions? If the market allows fares to rise and there is no generous profit sharing in place then it is excessively naieve to expect wages to remain unnecessarily low.

 

[Walmartgreeter]

U is making money now because of ticket prices...nothing more. The low rates of pay in the east were simply leverage to get investors on board to ramp up the "new" company. The company is now "ramped up," with management drinking from the fire hydrant of bonuses and perks. Now it is simply labor's turn to reap the fruits of their sacrifices. Is the company rolling in moneys?..no. But management's obsene Christmas gifts to themselves are proof enough it is time to take care of ourselves for a change! Greeter.

 

[PhxMama]

UPNAWAY states : They also get a lot more out of their employees that and growth are the key. We could all be bumped to their pay level tomorrow and how many of us would be as productive as them? If they doubled our salaries tomorrow would you work twice as hard?
Reply- We've had this particular discussion many times in the past (most was pre merger during the bankruptcy(IES). Its hard to compare WN to the other carriers productivity because of the different models and business plans. Hub and Spoke vs nonHub and Spoke. International vs domestic only. No ticketing or baggage agreements vs interline/Star/Codeshares, etc.
Its very likely that an agent at a US counter has in the past week been on hold with someone (help desk/international reissue/Dividend Miles dept, etc) for anywhere from 30 mins to an hour dealing with 1 customer with a problem. It might be a complicated one, or it might just be that their call to rez started with a connection with Manilla or Mexico City and has spiraled out of control from there. They might have tried to book online at US.com and now have that magical reservation with a ticket that has gone poof into cyberspace. They might be on a UA codeshare that is actually being flown by CO or a US codeshare that is being flown by UA or HP or an HP codeshare being flown by US or UA or ???? Get the pix? If all we did was book, sell , ticket, checkin and go on US only, we wouldnt spend half our day at work sometimes getting deals corrected. When they can get the etickets to associate to the records to associate to the right flights, then we can talk about productivity. In the mean time, I have a line to work cause my 1 agent help in ticketing has been on the phone for an hour and the guys in the First/Preferred line are giving me the evil eye.

John, Phx rez is a nightmare and gettig worse by the minute. We are averaging 140 calls in que ALL DAY and many pax are fed up with long hold times and poor customer service. Agents are totally burnt out- I mean how many times a day can you deal with "I've been holding for an hour what the **** are you people doing?" The new web is all 401 tkt stock and Manilla agents can only basically assign seats on those rez. A phx agent must make all the changes but cannot assign seats so many pax need to get xfrd. Due to our system if a pax is trvling east flight and has no info they end up being xfrd to Manilla and than when its discovered it is 401 tkt stock pax is xferd again. Great customer service!Many of us have disregarded any reprimands for high talk times and I have advise my sup-I dont want to hear it, my job is to service these pax and after having been xfrd and disconncted I will not be party to a continued debacle and frustration on their behalf. It took me 32 min with east CSD to upgrade a preferred on west flight and 037 tkt. He needed to catch a flight and I promised him I would get his upgrade and aisle seat. There were 7 seats avail. I refused to let east CSD agent release me and advised I would hold to give him his seat. When a pax is very grateful for the help and wants to speak with a sup the ext they gave us to xfer does not work. We are extremely understaffed and it is not getting any better. If you need to speak with an agent I suggest you settle in for the long hold time and take names of everyone you speak with. I know how hard so many work to make this airline function and the frustration of pax not booking with us due to the inability to answer the calls makes me sad. Someone in upper managment needs to realize the dire straits of its rez centers and get these systems straightened out NOW. The west side rez centers are a disgrace to all who do their job now or in the past have done their jobs to the best of their ability. I dont know who can pass this info on but try to call at 10am east or pacific time and see how long you hold. Try the reg 800 number. How can anyone see what a good job you do when we cant get them tktd on our flights?