I was going to post this on the Swami-thread but thought maybe it warranted it's own.
Our worklife has taken on the bizarre feeling of a bad Saturday Night Live skit. The company usually ends up doing the right thing, or at least halfway, but only after huge PR fallouts with the employees, or worse, thier remaining customers. They don't listen to feedback or imput from the employees of one of the nation's most experienced airlines. I only see the onboard servives side of things but I assume they are like this in all areas. Whether it's a seeminlgly small issue or a major one, they just seem to f-up every time, apologize, and take the advice already given to them.
Reviewing the last year.
* The company decides the merger is a perfect occasion for a new uniform. US Airways has had the same uniform with minor differences since the early 80s. America West also has an outdated uniform. Other airlines like Delta bring in designers for a fresh, modern, global makeover. US Airways, with its new 'business casual' brand that has alienated everyone but those who came up with it, designs one itself, in-house. The uniform resembles cheap golf apparel, not international flight crew. They post pictures of models wearing ill-fitting samples posing under a tree outside of headquarters. Employees are mortified.
Result: Apologies, company admits it was a poor effort, hires designer to produce new uniform. Designer is told to go business casual even though most employee focus groups were requesting something more on par with peers.
* They randomly decide to replace coffee creamers with powdered cream. Whether it was a cultural difference or a true cost savings, who knows. Flight Attendants respond that the customer base will not respond well to this cheapening. They go ahead and do it anyway.
Result: Customer complaints, they bring back the basic amenity of cream for coffee.
* In the middle of stalled contract negotiations, with morale at an all-time low, they launch cheesier-than-Velveeta co-marketing campaigns with hotel pie in thier premium cabin, coupons for ice cream and other nonsense, expecting the lowest compensated F/As in the industry to schill product for these companies for free. They are surprised with the negative response.
Result: Apology letter from VP of Inflight Sherri Shamblin.
* Inability to properly staff, a problem that has plagued the original US Airways (the incredible shrinking airline) for years, rears its ugly head for the annual transatlantic season. Understaffed in Philly and the three Shuttle bases, they decide to displace F/As from understaffed Philly to the Shuttle cities, and displace F/As from CLT and PIT to PHL. They have the dubious distinction of being the only airline with more of it's flight attendant seniority list on furlough than active and working. Regardless, they send displacement notices out to the hundreds of affected F/As.
President Scott Kirby is all but attacked by an angry horde of F/As in CLT after admitting that he was completely unaware of the displacements before going into an employee Q&A session. Sherri Shamblin makes a brief appearance to declare that she has nothing to do with it, passes the buck to someone else.
Result: After re-tweaking the numbers, company discovers that rather than disrupting the lives of hundreds and thier families, they can simply call 50 people back to work from thier extensive furlough list.
* Company decides to reconfigure Airbus narrowbody aircraft to America West standards (or lack thereof). By removing first class seats and reducing seat pitch, a few more "revenue producing" economy class seats can be stuffed into the cabin. This is to be accomplished by removing galleys and closets. F/As advise that the largest airline in the frigid northeast that also runs a premium business Shuttle may want to reconsider removing coat closets. They point out that half a galley is not enough space for the service.
Botched deconfiguration leaves 2.5 overhead bins for entire first class cabin. Skimpy wall divider has food preparation and galley lights in full view of customers. Bins are filled with catering supplies there is no room for in the galley. First class passengers are appalled when told there is nowhere to hang thier coats, except maybe on a wall to be crushed by a reclining seat. Customers flood the company with complaints, frequent flyers jump ship for other carriers.
Result: Apologies all around, to customers and employees. Slight modification has emergency equiptment in food compartments and video equiptment moved to someone elses overhead bin in coach. Bins still filled with potato chips and garbage bags. Odd cooking-show style galley remains, company announces that they will bring glassware back to domestic first class, then realizes there is nowhere to put it so never mentions it again.
* Company decides to cut costs by introducing a new trash pick-up bag that resembles a Hefty, but has a tendency to break, spilling trash on either floor, flight attendant, or customer. F/As advise bag is not trash receptacle but rather piece of trash itself. Costs are increased as crew simply double bag to avoid breakage.
Result: Apologies, promise of new bag, still hasn't materialized.
* Learning nothing from the narrowbody debacle, company takes its supposed aircraft configuration expertise to the transatlantic market. Again, removal of Envoy Class seats on A330 aircraft will facilitate more Economy seats. This will be accomplished by reducing seat pitch to bottom-of-the-industry pitch. Cabin crews point out that US's international product is already far below even other US carriers. Company does it anyway. Last several middle row customers have to turn sideways into the aisle to lower the tray table, customers are nearly sliced in half when person in front reclines with tray table down.
Result: Another slight modification undoes death trap seating config.
* Company agress to transport Swamis to a convention. Sends out highly offensive crew mail requesting that female flight attendants hide in the galley and avoid contact with them in accordance with thier beliefs. Offends majority female workforce.
Result: Apologies, letters to Swamis saying they cannot guarantee no female contact on domestic United States flight in 2007.
Our worklife has taken on the bizarre feeling of a bad Saturday Night Live skit. The company usually ends up doing the right thing, or at least halfway, but only after huge PR fallouts with the employees, or worse, thier remaining customers. They don't listen to feedback or imput from the employees of one of the nation's most experienced airlines. I only see the onboard servives side of things but I assume they are like this in all areas. Whether it's a seeminlgly small issue or a major one, they just seem to f-up every time, apologize, and take the advice already given to them.
Reviewing the last year.
* The company decides the merger is a perfect occasion for a new uniform. US Airways has had the same uniform with minor differences since the early 80s. America West also has an outdated uniform. Other airlines like Delta bring in designers for a fresh, modern, global makeover. US Airways, with its new 'business casual' brand that has alienated everyone but those who came up with it, designs one itself, in-house. The uniform resembles cheap golf apparel, not international flight crew. They post pictures of models wearing ill-fitting samples posing under a tree outside of headquarters. Employees are mortified.
Result: Apologies, company admits it was a poor effort, hires designer to produce new uniform. Designer is told to go business casual even though most employee focus groups were requesting something more on par with peers.
* They randomly decide to replace coffee creamers with powdered cream. Whether it was a cultural difference or a true cost savings, who knows. Flight Attendants respond that the customer base will not respond well to this cheapening. They go ahead and do it anyway.
Result: Customer complaints, they bring back the basic amenity of cream for coffee.
* In the middle of stalled contract negotiations, with morale at an all-time low, they launch cheesier-than-Velveeta co-marketing campaigns with hotel pie in thier premium cabin, coupons for ice cream and other nonsense, expecting the lowest compensated F/As in the industry to schill product for these companies for free. They are surprised with the negative response.
Result: Apology letter from VP of Inflight Sherri Shamblin.
* Inability to properly staff, a problem that has plagued the original US Airways (the incredible shrinking airline) for years, rears its ugly head for the annual transatlantic season. Understaffed in Philly and the three Shuttle bases, they decide to displace F/As from understaffed Philly to the Shuttle cities, and displace F/As from CLT and PIT to PHL. They have the dubious distinction of being the only airline with more of it's flight attendant seniority list on furlough than active and working. Regardless, they send displacement notices out to the hundreds of affected F/As.
President Scott Kirby is all but attacked by an angry horde of F/As in CLT after admitting that he was completely unaware of the displacements before going into an employee Q&A session. Sherri Shamblin makes a brief appearance to declare that she has nothing to do with it, passes the buck to someone else.
Result: After re-tweaking the numbers, company discovers that rather than disrupting the lives of hundreds and thier families, they can simply call 50 people back to work from thier extensive furlough list.
* Company decides to reconfigure Airbus narrowbody aircraft to America West standards (or lack thereof). By removing first class seats and reducing seat pitch, a few more "revenue producing" economy class seats can be stuffed into the cabin. This is to be accomplished by removing galleys and closets. F/As advise that the largest airline in the frigid northeast that also runs a premium business Shuttle may want to reconsider removing coat closets. They point out that half a galley is not enough space for the service.
Botched deconfiguration leaves 2.5 overhead bins for entire first class cabin. Skimpy wall divider has food preparation and galley lights in full view of customers. Bins are filled with catering supplies there is no room for in the galley. First class passengers are appalled when told there is nowhere to hang thier coats, except maybe on a wall to be crushed by a reclining seat. Customers flood the company with complaints, frequent flyers jump ship for other carriers.
Result: Apologies all around, to customers and employees. Slight modification has emergency equiptment in food compartments and video equiptment moved to someone elses overhead bin in coach. Bins still filled with potato chips and garbage bags. Odd cooking-show style galley remains, company announces that they will bring glassware back to domestic first class, then realizes there is nowhere to put it so never mentions it again.
* Company decides to cut costs by introducing a new trash pick-up bag that resembles a Hefty, but has a tendency to break, spilling trash on either floor, flight attendant, or customer. F/As advise bag is not trash receptacle but rather piece of trash itself. Costs are increased as crew simply double bag to avoid breakage.
Result: Apologies, promise of new bag, still hasn't materialized.
* Learning nothing from the narrowbody debacle, company takes its supposed aircraft configuration expertise to the transatlantic market. Again, removal of Envoy Class seats on A330 aircraft will facilitate more Economy seats. This will be accomplished by reducing seat pitch to bottom-of-the-industry pitch. Cabin crews point out that US's international product is already far below even other US carriers. Company does it anyway. Last several middle row customers have to turn sideways into the aisle to lower the tray table, customers are nearly sliced in half when person in front reclines with tray table down.
Result: Another slight modification undoes death trap seating config.
* Company agress to transport Swamis to a convention. Sends out highly offensive crew mail requesting that female flight attendants hide in the galley and avoid contact with them in accordance with thier beliefs. Offends majority female workforce.
Result: Apologies, letters to Swamis saying they cannot guarantee no female contact on domestic United States flight in 2007.
