Giving Away Our Product...

[Air conditioned]

This is all about revenue.

I agree. From here on out, that's what is has to be.
I am certain that there are many ways that U can cut costs and increase revenue WITHOUT asking for more and more from the employees. Go right on down the line and look at everything from office supply costs to a different type of peanut and brand of napkin. After all of that is said and done, THEN report back to the employees and maybe they will be more willing to talk. But not before every single stone has been turned. This NRSP thing is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[ELP_WN_Psgr]

As someone who knows the child of a former WN officer very well:

Once they got to be age 21, the children of Exec VP and officers ceased to fly for free.

While they were flying free (pre-age 21) they were always space available.

WN doesn't take pets, so that is a wash.

I think you have hit upon something very significant in the enmity and bad feelings at your airline.

The management has tried to placate people with money for years and years and years while doing dumb things such as letting their freeloading relatives sit in F on a must ride basis.

That's dumb.

You have class warfare at US Airways, plain and simple.

At WN, management would just wander over to Love Field and get on a plane. If it was full, they might sit "4th hostess" to avoid bumping a paying passenger.

The President did it, the Exec VP did it, the VP Ground Ops did it...it was just the way life was. Southwest wanted the revenue...they needed it with Braniff throwing everything plus the kitchen sink at them.

The management type folks enforced a dress code on their family members. I know it sounds strange that WN would have a dress code, but they did. Starched, pressed jeans and a sport shirt were okay....but nothing worse than that.

There was never an entourage or a big to-do when management went somewhere on the plane. They didn't make an event of it. They went over to the field, chatted with the agents, and got on the airplane.

Harding Lawrence at Braniff allegedly use to throw a fit if he didn;t get his seat (6B) and he was always in F.

Southwest never had to worry about putting executives in F because they didn't have F.

Braniff is no longer among the living. WN is. Hmmmm.

It all starts with the culture. Your management all needs to go. The board needs to hire somebody like Lamar Muse to come up and show U how to run an airline. He offered to do it for AA. I bet you could get him.

My gut feeling is it is the only chance U has.

 

[BoeingBoy]

Here's a taste of what's offered:

Directors

Each director, director’s spouse and the director’s dependent children, as well as a limited number of non-eligible family members and unrelated persons, are provided free transportation on US Airways and reimbursement for federal and state income taxes incurred thereon. Additionally, these benefits are provided for retired directors.

Siegel

Under the agreement, Mr. Siegel is also entitled to fringe benefits (including but not limited to pass privileges for non-revenue transportation),

Elizabeth Lanier

At the time the agreement was executed, those benefits included on-line first class, positive space travel privileges for business and pleasure for Ms. Lanier and her eligible family members, as well as a limited number of non-eligible family members and unrelated persons, a gross-up payment (up to a maximum of $10,000) to cover her tax liability resulting from such travel, free access to US Airways Club facilities for her and her eligible family members

Neal Cohen

Mr. Cohen will also be entitled to fringe benefits, including but not limited to space positive and space available travel privileges in all classes of service and cabins on all air carriers owned by US Airways and any of its affiliates, including all carriers owned by any individual, entity or group that has entered into an agreement that constitutes a change of control

Need I go on?

Jim

 

[TomBascom]

The people running the airline ought to have to buy tickets (for themselves and their families) and sweat seat assignments and upgrades just like us customers.

No fair using a travel admin either... Log on to the website and use the "back" button, go ahead, I dare you! Try not to have a heart attack when the agent tells you what that walk-up fare from DCA to PHL is going to cost. Remember -- the company is covering it just so long as you can get the expense report approved. Dr. Bronner will understand and it probably won't take more than 45 days and 3 or 4 reminders to get processed...

How can they possibly understand the business when they're "above it all"???

 

[EyeInTheSky]

How can they possibly understand the business when they're "above it all"???

TomBascom, even lowly pimps know they shouldn't be wearin' out the ho's just for a freebie. Does that make a lot of these guys worse than pimps? Yup.

 

[hopethingswillbeok]

You would not know these folks are VP's unless you regonize their name, they travel on full first F8 tickets, so they are the last to be bumped if they are on the 757 that has been down graded to 8 seats.....plus this hides the fact you are taking oversales, while VP's and friends, yes some of them get to have friends travel first class space positive......so the next time you see a full F8 fare, it's probably a VP

 

[Smartest Loser]

I agree totally...THIS NEEDS TO STOP...!!! It's another perk upper mgt gets while the rest of us can't go on vacation because the flights are full.

How would it look to be sitting there in 1st class with 30 years plus and here comes Davey Boy with 2 years and he wants your seat...Guess what, he gets it.

Or even better, your family has been trying to get out of Rome for days your tired the kids are cranky. Your at the gate (on time), here comes the Wolf man. He walks up, says something to the agent...they pull a pax..he walks on...!!! Classic.

SL

 

[2aisle$mile]

Has the company even so much as glanced at the letter that Chris Fox wrote regarding this issue?? I would love to re-send it for him if he'd like Matter of fact, I think a petition should be sent around every stinkin' crew room and break lounge in the USAIRWAYS system and hand delivered to CCY by a furloughed employee, whose single yearly salary could be matched by the potential revenue displacement that a single "VP" could cause in our system. I feel that this policy needs to be one of the FIRST set of front teeth pulled in the greedy mouths of Usairways management and affiliates.

 

[W:EXCH:INVOL]

Mr and Mrs senior VP flew out of our station a few days back and I noticed, too, that they were using full coach/F8 confirmed tickets. Observations and/or questions---

Who foots the bill for the credit card used to purchase the tickets? If U is biting the bullet for this, aren't we screwing ourselves twice--once in not letting a paying customer PAY for the seat and then paying for it ourselves to have Mr VP's butt in a confirmed F/C seat?

Mr and Mrs sr VP were -both- Chairman's Preferred. Am I the only one who finds that employees of this company accrue paying-passenger status and, evidently the perks that go along with this status, very strange?

We were advised beforehand that we were NOT to ask Mr Sr VP any questions when he checked in.

I'll give him credit for being a good little soldier and using the kiosk, though!

 

[mweiss]

Wow. Insanity upon insanity. So they not only get NRSP, they also get the miles? So they can (I assume) give the gift of travel to people outside of their circle of perpetual free travel?

Shouldn't they just be given their own custom-outfitted 330 with bedrooms, full-featured entertainment centers, and luxury catering staff? Geez, it might even be cheaper!

 

[hopethingswillbeok]

Yes these people earn miles also, this is something the employees should be very upset about........Also who pays that F8 fare charged on that credit card, could that be included in our money that is lost....

 

[mweiss]

Plus US has to eat the interchange fee for the credit card purchase, which typically amounts to about 3%. On an F8, that isn't chump change.

 

[MrAeroMan]

Giving away our product...
By Chris Fox, President CWA Local 13302


How much does it cost us? – try $86,600 in one 6-day period...

Kudo's to Chris Fox. This is exactly what needs to be done. Put ridiculous cases of mismanagement and stupidity in black and white and then push the issue till it makes someone cringe when they hear it....then push some more. The only problem is this is the only place I've seen it.
Maybe the IAM, ALPA, AFA, CWA and TWU should all get together and combine their "lists" of stupid things like this and formulate a plan of attack. Take it to press, newspaper, television, radio....billboards etc. Pool your resources and keep beating the drum. IAM says they have 80 to 100 million reasons for management to listen to them. Why not tell the public what it is and force management to address it? Here's 86600 more reasons to make management answer for.
I have to admit it has gotten better especially with the IAM talking about the 80 to 100 million dollar cost savings issue and managements lack of response but it needs to be beaten louder.

 

[planejane]

I think we need to start an email campaign. Next time an article in any local paper appears, catch the email and send Chris Fox article to them. This is something that Lakefield should address. Why can't we ever get - I'll look into it and will respond in 2 weeks. Then in 2 weeks respond. Wouldn't they show the employees that someone is really listening? Why does this seem so out of reach? Anyone have Bronners or Lakefields email. I say we go for it? Do we really have anything to lose at this point?

 

[MrAeroMan]

Jane....I think that's a great idea. It's at least a start and you're right....What have you got to lose at this point?