Doug Parker's Reply to my Email.

[flybynite]

I have to agree. The baby boeings might be getting a little long in the tooth but they have functioning galleys and(gasp!) closets. Too bad they pulled the boarding music and videos off most of them.

 

[Fly4Free]

Ok, all the FFer's out there.. you know how bad the airplanes really are. There's only so much you can do. Give the company a break, they went out and are buying replacement aircraft. They are also working in the interim to fix the issues that plague the existing aircraft. Below is an excerpt from an internal memo from DP.



3) Interiors/Onboard Offering: The financial distress of the former US Airways left the interiors of the international fleet, particularly the 767s, in worse condition than any of us would like. In May, we approved a $20 million program to upgrade our widebody interiors. Unfortunately, it takes more than a year to receive and install the parts and new seats, which means that we won't see these interior improvements until next year.

As we upgrade the airplanes, we're also bringing consistency and upgrades to the onboard product. Our new program rolls out in January and includes new and upgraded Envoy Class meals, wines and amenities. Later next year, we'll begin installing new near-lie-flat seats and handheld InFlight Entertainment units in Envoy, along with new InFlight Entertainment computer servers and flat monitors in Economy on the B767 fleet. Also next year, we'll be moving to common galley configuration for increased stowage and oven space on the transatlantic B757 ETOPs aircraft.

So those are the primary problems and what we're doing to address them. Rest assured that we care very much about these issues and will ensure that they are addressed. Our international routes have been extremely successful this summer despite our operational challenges and we have exciting plans for future expansion. We know full well, though, that we can not expect to remain profitable in the international markets if we operate as we did this summer, nor can we expect profitable expansion.

I am confident that we'll get there because I know how badly each of wants to see it happen. Thanks for all you're doing to take care of our customers.

Doug

 

[WCT]

W'ell I give him some credit for actually admitting to the mistakes, we have failed the flying public, and calling for the immediate fixes to a/c and mx. I know they should have already been implemented, but changing interiors does take time. The only reason the closets were ripped out of the smaller Airbus' is because they had time to put them out of service without causing major chaos in the operation. These planes aren't flying International destinations, Transatlantic. I know it all is excuses, but I hope that they are finally getting there act together, and improvement is on the horizon. One can only hope?!

 

[Zarah]

E190- The E170 was a dream to work, each F/A had thier own galley. The packout in the back made sense. You had a closet up front. You had boarding music. Fast forward to the Tempe ordered version- I can just picture them on the phone with Embraer. "Closet? NO, we hate closets! G2? No way, we only want two galleys, put the thinnest bulkhead you can find there. So, where IS Brazil anyway?" I for one refuse to use the overhead bin for stowage of food and beverage items, so I throw them on the jetway. If we don't have enough, oh well, the company failed to prepare for the service they expect us to offer. First Class overhead bins are for First Class bags, not pretzels and garbage bags. Same goes for underseat stowage in coach.

Ah, the B737, dirty and decrepid, but there's space for galley supplies, coats, bags...
[/quote]

I have worked this plane 3 times. Each time I have one beverage cart with 1 BM mix and 1 Tonic. The second cart is always just full of empty drawers.

I use to love working the 170. The 190 makes me twitch.

 

[WCT]

I have to agree. The baby boeings might be getting a little long in the tooth but they have functioning galleys and(gasp!) closets. Too bad they pulled the boarding music and videos off most of them.

We had a couple of your old US Air 37's with closets. Ripped them out before the merger. We use to love those planes. It is only a matter of time they will rip them out of yours, just to get some extra coach seats!? All of our Airbus a/c on the West never had closets. I for one love the 319, only 124 seats!! Best to work when full and easy. When we get new a/c, you on the East will be happy with the interiors, all leather seats. Nice. More of the West planes are newer, most have space savor fabric seats, but all planes 06' and up have leather seats in first and coach.

 

[phlus2]

Ok, all the FFer's out there.. you know how bad the airplanes really are. There's only so much you can do. Give the company a break, they went out and are buying replacement aircraft. They are also working in the interim to fix the issues that plague the existing aircraft. Below is an excerpt from an internal memo from DP.

So let's see - as someone else already stated on this board - they certainly didn't waste any time ripping first class seats out of the 320 - took out half the galley space - took out the closets - filled the overheads with video and other equipment - added seats to the 330 to make the seat pitch hardly enough for a small child let alone an adult - just to mention a few of the changes. Are these things all "upgrades" to the in flight experience?

BUT - it took them two years to decide to "upgrade" the interiors of the aircraft that fly to Europe.

Give me break! Defending these people is a joke. Hope the Kool Aid was good.

 

[nycbusdriver]

Below is an excerpt from an internal memo from DP.

3) Interiors/Onboard Offering: ...

Internal memo?

Isn't this the directly from the letter Doogie sent to all the FF's? What's so "internal" about that?

 

[Dog Wonder]

Internal memo?

Isn't this the directly from the letter Doogie sent to all the FF's? What's so "internal" about that?

Yes it is. But that doesn't keep the ever efficient Chugalug from feeding the same tripe to gullible employees.

Once in a while, he finds an employee who believes him.

 

[BoeingBoy]

It's part of his "The dog ate my homework" reply to employee emails that's being discussed in the other thread. But since we're talking about the 767 Envoy upgrades that take so long, here's how UA is doing:

July 23 - announces that international business class will be outfitted with new lie-flat "suites" - press release.

October 29 - unveils first airplane with the new "suites" will enter service - press release

Just over 3 months from announcement to roll-out, with 1 aircraft per week being refurbished after that - from 767's to 747's. And Dougweiser wants everyone to believe it takes a year to get these seats........

Jim

 

[missthe727]

Ok, all the FFer's out there.. you know how bad the airplanes really are. There's only so much you can do. Give the company a break, they went out and are buying replacement aircraft. They are also working in the interim to fix the issues that plague the existing aircraft. Below is an excerpt from an internal memo from DP.

OK---Fly4Free,

Put away your pom-poms and quit the rah-rahing.

1) This is not from an internal memo. It's from the letter from Doug that was previously posted on this board titled "Doug Parker's reply to my e-mail." Check it out, the thread is still up.
2) Tempe lies.

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

E190- ""....so where IS Brazil anyway?"

No that you mention it, "QIK" lacks availability diplays for most cities in Brazil, including the capital city.

 

[LCC_#1]

Our new program rolls out in January

Fly4Free,

The seven words above represent all that many of us despise about the Tempe team. They have lost ALL credibility. They can never set a date and just do it. The "initiatives" were suppose to start in the fall of this year. Now it's January and mind you he said they would be spread out over the next year.

Next, the 767 seats. Does anyone really think our huge fleet of 9 will be redone this winter? You would think we had 30 767's the way they drag their butts.

And lastly...GLASSWARE. We have it. I know that on full authority from a young man who works in catering. Put the pea pickin glassware on the a/c. Doesn't fit? Never stopped catering from cramming sh*t in the galleys before. The issue with glassware is not glassware but consistancy and the inability to set a date and stick with it. June 2006 was when we were to see the glassware back. Then it was pushed to November 2006, then January 2007. Hummmm, what's todays date?

Either this company has NO credibilty at ALL, or we have the greenest bunch of employees in catering and marketing...and don't get me started on the latter. I suspect the problem is both. If you aren't sure WHEN you're going to implement something, don't flood the FF email list with times and dates.

As I have said in many threads before, management acts like the irresponsible parent that keeps saying they'll do this or that and never following thru. After a while, you don't believe a thing they say.

 

[tadjr]

Unfortunately, it takes more than a year to receive and install the parts and new seats, which means that we won't see these interior improvements until next year.

As we upgrade the airplanes, we're also bringing consistency and upgrades to the onboard product. Our new program rolls out in January and includes new and upgraded Envoy Class meals, wines and amenities.

Does it also take a year to order the new wine, food and amenities or since the rest of the plane looks like sh&t, why should we bother upgrading anything else? It would make more sense to go ahead and upgrade what you can NOW instead of waiting, but then I guess the bottom line would be hit by a few dollars and they cant have that until they get every last penny out of us this season.

 

[jerseyfinn]

Tempe lies.

That pretty much sums up the ethos, the attitude, and the methodology of this management team. Tempe clearly has no clue how to merge the two distinctly different airlines that it chooses to acquire. We're two years into this thing and the whole operation remains a mess. It turns out that it's not as easy as DP and his hotshots thought it would be to apply the HP way to an entirely different airline in the east. They've more or less stopped in their tracks and the result is the product meanders and management continues to deny or downplay its own mistakes and errors. A lot of pax have stuck it out with US ( partly out of habit and lack of alternative choices ). What we get in return are filthy planes, a tattered TA product, unreliability, and a proliferation of lies, denials, and excuses for things which could and should have been addressed more directly.

So we're beyond "patience".

Just as Phlus2 notes, Tempe can reconfigure the A3** planes pretty quickly when revenue is the goal, but when it comes to stepping forward & stand behind a product, they equivocate and issue an e-mail when the cacophony of complaints gets too loud. We're beyond being loyal pax. We're pissed off and for the time being, we're stuck with the new and imporved US which actually died a long time ago. What we're experiencing here is an aviation version of Weekend at Bernies. But we're the ones getting our heads whacked and not the dead guy.

Barry

 

[Richard]

Please note--the duplicate threads have been merged.

PLEASE check before starting threads to see if your subject is already being discussed.

Thank you.