It's The Leadership, Stupid!

[LCC_#1]

Yesterday I had the opportunity to deadhead on a flight from BOS-LAS, a westie flight. We Easties were nervous about the kind of reception we would get. We all just sat down and minded our own affairs. The f/a's were older and one heavier, but nice to us, giving us water and small chit chat. If I didn't know better I would think I was with an East crew as we extend the same courtesies. Hell, the captain even gave up his seat and sat JS so another passenger would get on the oversold flight.

The precedures were followed as we have all be told and we we're off on the almost 6 hr flight west. I was able to spend a few moments and take a peek at galleys and seats. The AB was one of the newer 319's, so it was very nice with all leather seats and very nice f/c seats. After we took off I was able to see that the A f/a was able to actually have some privacy with a fc galley cutain as he prepared the food and bevs for f/c. Low and behold, the fine folks in f/c had glassware. Gee, don't I work for the SAME company? Where was my glassware on MY SAME US AIRWAYS FLIGHTS?? Where are my curtains? Can I PLEASE have a place to scratch if I need without all of f/c seeing?

Then coach service started. The f/a's did their WEST PROCEDURES as per the STILL seperate inflight procedures. They do a complete bev services and are to give the whole can. They did. They cleaned up and then sold snacks with coffee/water on top. That's procedure and they did as they are instructed. Hummmmmm, I fly for US Airways as well. Our procedure tell us to give a cup of soda with the BOB, and then coffee/water. In both classes, those flying on West metal get more. We STILL have TWO procedures and guess which group looks cheap and stingy?

After the service the f/a's chilled out in the back with us and we all discussed various topics but ALL agreed that the company's management team has lost it and are out of touch with what is going on. I mentioned how I was going to catch a nap as we now had 30 hrs in Vegas and I wanted to enjoy every moment. The B f/a mention how they couldn't nap on a DH. I explained that we could. I dozed off for a few and then the f/a's did their arrival service...like the East. All is good. The captain even had the same concerned discussions...MINUS senority.

LAS was fun but I couldn't help but stop and think about how HORRIBLE our leadership is. So you merge with a company that has a bad reputation and has gone thru 2 chapter 11's. You decide to keep that name and take control of the operation of the NEW US Airways. From that day forward the company is in the hands of Doug Parker and company. You mention that you want to take the best of both carriers. Sounds good, however the only thing taken from US Airways was the crippled name. Every change is now reflected on US Airways...not the management team that mostly came from AWA. Passengers and the press only know that US Airways is doing this or that. They start bad mouthing about how much worse US Airways has gotten when "US Airways" or the company we KNEW as "US Airways" has nothing to do with these decisions. To them it's just an affirmation of how bad US is. Meanwhile, it is business as usual out west and so all the AWA are wondering what the big deal is while the East is falling apart. After TWO YEARS...TWO YEARS people, our a/c look worse, the computer system is archaic and we have a mangement team that can't even make a simple decision like which inflight procedures to implement. We as a company are so bare boned that the agents are loosing it. Morale has been ALLOWED to tank. A TRUE leader doesn't allow that. A TRUE leader takes the time to undertsand WHY morale sucks and WHY the employees no longer have pride in what we do or how we look.

I may get completely blasted for this, but this company was at it's best when Stephen Wolf was in charge of the daily ops. He looked the part as a CEO...not some sloppy looking goon that IS Doug Parker. Wolfman would never tolerate the sloppy looks of this company. Look at the the male employees of US...especially East. Most look just like the CEO picture in the US Airways mag...sloppy and unkept.

When Wolf was in charge, he DEMANDED and EXPECTED excellence AND we had the TOOLS to provide that excellence expected. Funny we made money when we were polished and given the tools to do our job. Now we have no tools, have a CEO that is sloppy and ignorant to what the company needs and only makes money BECAUSE of being the lowest paid and having the WORST contracts in the industry.

A TRUE leader would had elevated the company down troden instead of making things worse. He EXPECTS excellence and settles for nothing less. A TRUE leader understands that no matter how pretty the outside of the a/c is, you must take care of the interiors...both literally and figuratively. You will NEVER run a complete airline if you continue to run seperate carriers. A TRUE leader would have these contracts settle and would make us TRULY ONE AIRLINE!! A TRUE leader understands that every year the price of everything goes up and their employees need pay that equals cost of living. A TRUE leader PAYS you well and expects RESULTS in return. Parker is getting BACK what he is giving...ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AND A SLOPPY OPERATION!! A TRUE leader would do as Delta and bombard the web, press, and FF's about all these changes you are promising with real deadlines packaged in an online video explaing and getting everyone excited. This team only talks the talk. They NEVER walk the walk.

I walked away from my last trip feeling badly for the West employees. They are carrying the burden of an incompetent man who was CEO there before here and has basically ripped out the pages from the old US Airways management team book on how NOT to run an airline. Westies, 99% of us thought those days were gone. I PROMISE you THAT is why we on the East are angry, tired, sloppy, aloath, and have lost all HOPE in this company. I think both sides have many MORE reasons to be united than to be divided.

Whether it is labor issues or service issues, THE MANAGEMENT TEAM is responsible for the new US Airways. The buck stops with Doug Parker, Scott Kirby, and the entire upper management team.

IT IS TIME FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO EITHER CRACK THE WIPE ON UPPER MANAGEMENT OR FIRED THEM!!

 

[autofixer]

Here is what I took from the post: Probably a CLT Captain. It is amazing we still have Captains scabbing the rest of us. We need to start a wall of shame and post the names of Captains who are scabbing ,ie, sitting on the JS on deadheads, S.E. taxing, etc. They are basically telling me and my family to go get screwed. The union has set up a three prong program, follow it Captains! Stop with the "I've got mine, now you get yours" Lcc attitude.

As far as management goes, they are terrible, always have been, always will be. LCC is nothing more than a shell game. A place to hide money and funnel it into management's pockets. Always has been, always will. No airline people running this place, only robber barons, always has been, always will.

 

[LCC_#1]

Wolf was/is no boy scout, but the OP's points are accurate.

And make NO mistake, THAT is what I'm speaking of. Wolf and Gangwal will always go down in history as the team with no plan B.


And AUTOFIXER, you're post makes no sense. The Capt. only sat on the j/s because he didn't feel like a middle seat for almost 6 hrs...something that isn't fun.

AND, anyone who read the entire post would know that I am a f/a and am about as critical of this management team as anyone here.

What part of the heading of my topic screams scab? You are waaaay off base on this one. May I suggest you actually READ the entire post as opposed to taking one line and REACTING.

 

[tadjr]

That whole post and thats all you got from it? Maybe we should just include pix next time so its easier to comprehend.
Great post LCC. Every time I hear we're one company, but..... I just want to scream. We are not one company and wont be until they get their s**t together and actually start running things as one. Do we do it this way or that? Is this a "new policy" situation or "old policy" task? We have no direction and it seems like we are on autopilot just like before the attempted UA merge. Until Tempe wakes up, takes charge and makes some IMPORTANT decisions and actions, we're just going to continue coasting along and trying to appear we're one big happy family. I understand wanting to take things slowly, but 2 years and so many unresolved issues (and the ones they have decided on for the most part are c$*p ones) makes you wonder what Dougies real intention for the long haul is.

 

[philly rocks]

They should have just sent Chavez in from Venezuela, now we need the national guard. Wolfe was no saint , but a heck of alot better than the sandcastle that is about to be wiped out by a big "WAVE">

 

[autofixer]

And AUTOFIXER, you're post makes no sense. The Capt. only sat on the j/s because he didn't feel like a middle seat for almost 6 hrs...something that isn't fun.

AND, anyone who read the entire post would know that I am a f/a and am about as critical of this management team as anyone here.

What part of the heading of my topic screams scab? You are waaaay off base on this one. May I suggest you actually READ the entire post as opposed to taking one line and REACTING.
[/quote

I agree somewhat, however, a little pain of actually sitting in a center seat for the "cause" is not asking too much. I see these guys every day in CLT...selfish old men who have been Captains for well over 20 years and now live in absolute FEAR of losing their seat, every minute of the day. They are going to save the airline personally and it does not matter who's head they step on to do it. They are scabs for the following reason: The union has set up a plan to be followed and they are ignoring it for their own selfish reasons, just like walking across a picked line set up by the union. No I stick by my previous thought, they are SCABS. I apologize for getting off topic; however, this jerk sitting on the jumpseat set me off, and trust me, the center seat on an Airbus is much more confortable than a jumpseat for 6 hours.

And tadjir, I understand just fine, In my World the rest of this crap does not matter as long as scabs are going to undermine the cause. And since we are insulting each other, it is spelled pictures not pix.

 

[legacy-to-LCC]

That whole post and thats all you got from it? Maybe we should just include pix next time so its easier to comprehend.
Great post LCC. Every time I hear we're one company, but..... I just want to scream. We are not one company and wont be until they get their s**t together and actually start running things as one. Do we do it this way or that? Is this a "new policy" situation or "old policy" task? We have no direction and it seems like we are on autopilot just like before the attempted UA merge. Until Tempe wakes up, takes charge and makes some IMPORTANT decisions and actions, we're just going to continue coasting along and trying to appear we're one big happy family. I understand wanting to take things slowly, but 2 years and so many unresolved issues (and the ones they have decided on for the most part are c$*p ones) makes you wonder what Dougies real intention for the long haul is.

spot on!
DoUgIe's intentions--if it isn't abundantly obvious--are to merge, merge, merge!! the reality is that he is incapable of managing an airline!! he sees $$ y nada mas!!
i've been terribly critical of DoUgIe's "team". and, i should--we ALL should...i shouldn't "miss the forest for the trees", though...i remember, with a warm heart, reading posts from a f/a who used to buy implements on his/her own dime to strengthen the hawaii product...the obvious question is: if they (the Anti-Christ DoUgIe team) knows the team of talented professionals they pay is willing to do that, why pay more? free labor.
at the end of the day, i look forward to working with the "westies"!! i think they have a lot of much needed enthusiasm, energy, and talent to supplement with us "easties"!! the combination of these workforces is insurmountable...
we just need NEW leadership!!
DoUgiE needs to GO!! buh bye, ####...don't trip over the duct tape, you drunk!!

 

[JMM]

Glad you had a good trip on a west flight. We are not a bad group, just have crappy management that I think actually pits us against each other. We have always had glassware and curtains and are reminded that we need to use the curtains .... why you do not have them? Who knows? Bad management. Lastly, no, we are not supposed to sleep EVER while in uniform. We all do it anyway, but the official rule is NO! After years of management through fear we usually follow the rules, it is just easier. And, yes, we give the can as often as possible.

 

[legacy-to-LCC]

I may get completely blasted for this, but this company was at it's best when Stephen Wolf was in charge of the daily ops. He looked the part as a CEO...not some sloppy looking goon that IS Doug Parker. Wolfman would never tolerate the sloppy looks of this company. Look at the the male employees of US...especially East. Most look just like the CEO picture in the US Airways mag...sloppy and unkept.

When Wolf was in charge, he DEMANDED and EXPECTED excellence AND we had the TOOLS to provide that excellence expected. Funny we made money when we were polished and given the tools to do our job. Now we have no tools, have a CEO that is sloppy and ignorant to what the company needs and only makes money BECAUSE of being the lowest paid and having the WORST contracts in the industry.

if you get "blasted" it is because people don't want to confront the reality that is DoUgIe!!
i think, i believe, that more are with you on this one than you could possibly imagine!!
continue to fight the dominant paradigm (that is DoUgIe!!!!!!!!!)

 

[freedom]

This is going to sound crazy but i still believe in doug parker , i think we've just hit a rough spot.

 

[BoeingBoy]

I've said it before, and here's an article saying the same...

"As for expenses, U.S. Airways (LCC 29.21, -0.13, -0.4% ), Comair and American Eagle carried the highest unit costs while JetBlue, Southwest and Spirit were the lowest."

Marketwatch Article

When an airline's unit costs are up there among the higher cost RJ operators it's hard to afford being a competitive full service airline, much less a "low cost full service" airline.

Keep in mind that the BTS, on whose data the article is based, still reports US separately from HP due to the two certificates.

Jim

 

[2BorNot2B]

post the names of Captains who are scabbing ,ie, sitting on the JS on deadheads,

What is the problem with a deadheading crew member voluntarily using the JS to accomodate a Revenue Pax, or even a non-rev for that matter?? To accuse such a person of being a "Scab" is wrong in every sense of the word, IMHO!

2B

 

[LCC_#1]

What is the problem with a deadheading crew member voluntarily using the JS to accomodate a Revenue Pax, or even a non-rev for that matter?? To accuse such a person of being a "Scab" is wrong in every sense of the word, IMHO!

2B

While it is a great help to the company, it sends a message to management that we are happy to break our contracts and gives them leverage in future negotiations. Believe me, they are like the cops...they will use everything you say and do against you. And BTW, had management planned appropriately staffing wise, this would not had happened...so by helping them out, we reward poor management skills.

 

[BoeingBoy]

While it is a great help to the company....

Maybe it's just me, but I see this as walking a fine line. One could just as easily say that the Capt was helping a customer get where they wanted to go in a timely fashion.

Who knows - maybe that same Capt uses "three engine" taxi all the time to send a message to the company. He may even be one of the pilots who run the APU the entire time they're on the airplane - whether on the ground or in the air - and I know a number who do.

As I've said before, the pilots are in the unique position of being able to send a strong message to the company and look out for the passengers' best interests at the same time......

Jim

 

[LCC_#1]

Maybe it's just me, but I see this as walking a fine line. One could just as easily say that the Capt was helping a customer get where they wanted to go in a timely fashion.

Who knows - maybe that same Capt uses "three engine" taxi all the time to send a message to the company. As I've said before, the pilots are in the unique position of being able to send a strong message to the company and look out for the passengers' best interests at the same time......

Jim

Im with you on this one, Jim.