Hector Shakes Up Inflight

Things are already improving according to Onion News Network ticker:

“US Airways lauded for decision to stop beating its customers with reeds.â€￾


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I hope Hector makes a serious difference in the way this company treats it's passengers and it's flight attendants. Two things that would prove it to me and to others very quickly:

1) provide f/a crew rest bunks on the A330-200 like all the other major airlines do on their longest-haul aircraft. Until this is done, it's telling us clearly that the company DOES NOT care about the well-being and safety of it's crews...gettting that extra $$ for cargo is more important to Tempe then the safety, proper rest, and well-being of F/A"s..

2) Increase the seat-pitch (if only by an inch or so) on our wide-body fleet in economy. The current seat-pitch on our Trans-Atlantic flights is RIDICULOUS and possible dangerous...not too mention just unbelievably uncomfortable! Every T/A trip I work I hear many passengers shake their heads and say"never again" because of the lack of leg-room on these long-haul flights.

If Hector addresses these 2 concerns in a substantive way..then I will believe he is here to effect serious change...Until then, my feeling is he is just here to enhance the amount of revenue the company can generate from Inflight...
 
I hope Hector makes a serious difference in the way this company treats it's passengers and it's flight attendants. Two things that would prove it to me and to others very quickly:

1) provide f/a crew rest bunks on the A330-200 like all the other major airlines do on their longest-haul aircraft. ......

2) Increase the seat-pitch (if only by an inch or so) on our wide-body fleet in economy. .......

If Hector addresses these 2 concerns in a substantive way..

I seriously doubt that Hector has any pull whatsoever in these two issues. The rest bunk issue is really going to come down to what the FAA determines is legal for crew enroute rest purposes and whatever contractual issues that may exist that address this issue. Also, FWIW, I don't see the company being amenable to giving up cargo space and weight capacity unless it is required to do so. Let's face it, they are looking for whatever revenue they can generate from wherever they can get it. The real answer, for now, is to not bid the trip if you think it is unsafe. The reserves will be "stuck" with it but at least that **may** send a message to the company. (I doubt it, but at least a lineholder won't be voluntarily accepting the trip and its conditions.)

As for the seat pitch issue that again comes down to what is legal. If passengers hate it that much their wholly valid choice is to not book US again. That will send the loudest possible message but until they do US will continue to cram as much revenue capacity as it can onto each and every aircraft.

I don't see where Hector has any purview in these matters.
 
The crew rest issue is in the grievance process as we speak. Hector SHOULD weigh in and ask the company to give the F/A's the proper tools to do our jobs...and that includes proper crew rest areas. Unless you've worked back to back red-eyes each over 12 hours in legnth, you have no room to comment on whether or not crew bunks are a necessity....

And the same thing on the seat-pitch issue...If Hector and US management is serious about improving customer service and the overall perception of our airline by Int'l travelers, it needs to reconfigure the economy sections of our aircraft....otherwise we will continue to be the airline of last resort for travellers across the Atlantic...
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But you're probably right...Tempe rarely sees the benefit to getting our customers to come back...
 
2) Increase the seat-pitch (if only by an inch or so) on our wide-body fleet in economy. The current seat-pitch on our Trans-Atlantic flights is RIDICULOUS and possible dangerous...not too mention just unbelievably uncomfortable! Every T/A trip I work I hear many passengers shake their heads and say"never again" because of the lack of leg-room on these long-haul flights.

"Never Again" only applies when US is equal to or more expensive than the other options. People will put up with an awful lot to save a few bucks. I wouldn't, but most would.

I will not even consider flying US across the pond if doing so in Y is even a remote possibility. You could not pay me enough money to do so.