I read in an article recently from the Denver Post, that there are those who give Tilton a "glowing review" and who think UA's "glass is half full." They say "United Airlines is still in business, so he's done very well."
Being an outsider is viewed as an advantage in an industry like ours. They go on to point out that "comparisons with US Airways aren't fair because United is so much bigger and more complex."
United was less prepared for Chapter 11 than US Airways, he said, because the company's leadership change occurred just four months before United entered bankruptcy protection.
"At this point, everything has been accomplished that can be expected in a complex reorganization." "As for vision, Neidl and Baird said Tilton has expressed the right vision for United: building on its strength as a premier carrier with global reach and a core customer base of business travelers." "Glenn Tilton is going to be successful through quiet determination."
"It's not like there's some great vision out there, ideas on the table he's not taking advantage of. His basic idea is that if you ride out this economic cycle, there will be room for two great nationwide megacarriers, and United will be one of them."
"Tilton is changing United's culture by listening to labor's concerns and shaking up management. Tilton also is taking a leadership role in the airline industry's effort to get pension-fund relief in Washington."
The article goes on to say, "Tilton and team turned their focus to boosting revenues. They've since seen three consecutive months of rising sales, with August looking equally strong." "The company also is pushing forward on refinancing its fleet of 500 aircraft, renegotiating airport leases, tweaking its flight schedule, confronting a $4 billion pension shortfall and securing financing for its emergence from bankruptcy in early to mid-2004."
It concludes with, "the centerpiece of our business plan is our route network, which is the best in the world, and primarily serving the business customer through that network."
I think someone posted a few of the negative comments on Tilton. Of course there are a few who don't like Tilton, like Gordon Bethune and Mike Boyd. But people like them never have anything good to say about UA, so that's expected. You can't put much weight in what poeple like them say. Overall it sounded very positive, like Tilton has been well received.
Since UA has recently been profitable, at least from a daily cash flow point of view, and has been increasing it's cash balance significantly in recent months, you can't really argue with his supporters. IMO Tilton has done an outstanding job considering the task at hand. But it would be good to hear the perspective of actual customers on Tilton's performance.
Jetz
