January 14 Airline News

[chipmunn]

[SPAN][SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]Airline loses expected to continue[/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]ARLINGTON (US Airways Today) - Major U.S. carriers are expected to post large fourth-quarter losses and are likely to accrue a record full-year deficit of $9 billion, according to a Dow Jones report. The nine major carriers will report a combined net loss of $2.5 billion in the quarter that ended Dec. 31, according to UBS Warburg airline analyst Samuel Buttrick. The Air Transport Association (ATA) predicts losses of at least that much. Faced with an economic slump more than two years ago and the 2001 terrorist attacks, carriers face a long road back to profitability.[/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]According to predictions by ATA's chief economist David Swierenga, airlines with annual revenue of $100 million or more will lose a combined $3 billion to $6 billion in 2003, with the exact amount dependant in part on the political situations in Iraq and Venezuela. He views 2004 as the first chance for airlines to break even. The nine major U.S. carriers lost a combined $6.4 billion during the first nine months of 2002, on top of a deficit of about $3.2 billion during the fourth quarter of 2001. Even with a spike in December holiday travel, Buttrick predicts that any gains will likely be reversed in the current quarter, since January and February are traditionally weak months for airlines.[/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]Low-Cost Airlines Oppose Alliance - Executives Worry That Marketing Plan Is Anti-Competitive[/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]WASHINGTON (Washington Post) - The chief executives and their representatives from seven low-cost airlines sought support from the Bush administration yesterday in their campaign to derail a proposed marketing alliance by Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines and Continental Airlines. [/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]Complete Story: [A href=http://www.usaviation.com/idealbb/editor.asp?sessionID={C248E51F-4BDE-4F41-8C0F-FC53F81D1907}&catD=9&forumID=37&topicID=3210&action=&quote=&file=&type=topic&mode=edit&pageNo=&replyID=&richTextActive=0#_top]http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51960-2003Jan13.html[/A][/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]Alliance to be decided this week[/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]ARLINGTON (US Airways Today) - The Department of Transportation (DOT) this week is expected to decide whether to approve the proposed code-share and marketing alliance between Northwest, Continental and Delta. The decision follows a lengthy review process that began last summer. The DOT last month extended its review for a fifth 30-day period, citing competitive issues that had been raised. Although the review could be extended for another 30[/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]days from the Jan. 21 date, the DOT yesterday advised the Senate Commerce Committee that the agency is not expected to further extend the review period.[/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]UAL sets limit on sale of shares, Plan's trustee opposes a cap, Company to submit POR, Airline seeks to block sale ofcompany[/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]CHICAGO (Tribune) - UAL Corp. on Monday agreed to permit the trustee of its employee stock ownership plan to sell up to 12.9 million shares of company stock.[/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]The Elk Grove Township-based company, the parent of United Airlines, said that is the maximum number of shares that can be sold without jeopardizing a tax benefit that United hopes to use to aid its recovery from bankruptcy.[/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]Complete Story: [A href=http://www.usaviation.com/idealbb/editor.asp?sessionID={C248E51F-4BDE-4F41-8C0F-FC53F81D1907}&catD=9&forumID=37&topicID=3210&action=&quote=&file=&type=topic&mode=edit&pageNo=&replyID=&richTextActive=0#_top]http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/printedition/chi-0301140220jan14,1,6747919.story?coll=chi%2Dprintbusiness%2Dhed[/A][/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]United Considers Changes[/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]ARLINGTON (theHub.com) - United is considering elimination of a supplementary retirement plan and other benefits for pilots as talks continue on long-term labor savings, according to a Dow Jones news report. United has in place interim wage reductions with all of its labor groups, including a 29 percent pay cut for pilots. Also under consideration are plans to eliminate a pilot defined contribution account similar to a 401(k) plan, and increasing the number of hours that pilots can fly monthly while lowering the monthly guaranteed minimum number of hours pilots can fly. The airline is proposing changes in benefit plans and work rules with all of its unions to cut losses as required by lenders during its bankruptcy, according to the report.[/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]Similarly, American CEO Don Carty told the Senate Commerce Committee last week he hopes to begin re-examining and restructuring some labor contracts soon to further cut costs at American. The airline’s pilots are already in contract talks.[/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]Northwest Airlines to test sale of meals on flights[/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]ROMULUS (AP) - Northwest Airlines wants to find out if coach-class passengers will pay for meals on flights that don't currently offer them. [/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]The 30-day experiment begins Wednesday on a dozen flights, including three daily departures from Detroit to Phoenix and from Detroit to Las Vegas, The Detroit News reported Tuesday. [/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]Complete Story: [A href=http://www.usaviation.com/idealbb/editor.asp?sessionID={C248E51F-4BDE-4F41-8C0F-FC53F81D1907}&catD=9&forumID=37&topicID=3210&action=&quote=&file=&type=topic&mode=edit&pageNo=&replyID=&richTextActive=0#_top]http://www.nj.com/newsflash/business/index.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?g6368_BC_MI--Northwest-Meals&&news&newsflash-financial[/A][/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]US Airways renews attempt to change pension rules[/SPAN][SPAN] [/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]PITTSBURGH (Post-Gazette) - US Airways, its unionized pilots and their allies in Congress today will try to jump-start legislation that would permit the bankrupt carrier to stretch out $3.1 billion in payments to its employee pension plan over 30 years.[/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]Complete Story: [A href=http://www.usaviation.com/idealbb/editor.asp?sessionID={C248E51F-4BDE-4F41-8C0F-FC53F81D1907}&catD=9&forumID=37&topicID=3210&action=&quote=&file=&type=topic&mode=edit&pageNo=&replyID=&richTextActive=0#_top]http://www.post-gazette.com/businessnews/20030114usair0114p3.asp[/A][/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]Airline struggles to fund pension[/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]PITTSBURGH (Tribune Review) - US Airways is facing an important week, as the bankrupt carrier struggles to resolve the issue of how to fund its pension plan sufficiently to gain bankruptcy court approval of its overall bankruptcy reorganization plan. [/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]Complete Story: [A href=http://www.usaviation.com/idealbb/editor.asp?sessionID={C248E51F-4BDE-4F41-8C0F-FC53F81D1907}&catD=9&forumID=37&topicID=3210&action=&quote=&file=&type=topic&mode=edit&pageNo=&replyID=&richTextActive=0#_top]http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/business/s_112577.html[/A][/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]A New Tune[/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]ARLINGTON (theHub.com) - US Airways has created new theme music entitled “Transformation†that is debuting at a time when every employee is looking toward the future of the company. The investment is a smart, economical move since US Airways owns the complete rights to the new score, and will enjoy a long-term cost savings. The previous theme music dates back to the early 1990s and the musicians who played in the piece were not owned outright by US Airways.[/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]US Airways advertising department worked with California composer Alan Pasqua to create the new music, which was performed by the Salt Lake City Orchestra, and is extremely versatile. The score evokes a feeling of calmness, while remaining aligned with our overall corporate identity of being classic and sophisticated. The music’s versatility will allow for many uses, since it is scored in a variety of time segments and has been created in multiple versions: Traditional, Caribbean, European/Parisian, and Latino. [/SPAN][/SPAN][SPAN][BR][BR][/SPAN][SPAN][SPAN]Employees may have already heard this new music on the Reservations line, on the January inflight level-off video, or in the safety videos on most of our video-equipped fleet. It is currently featured in radio commercials in the Boston, Philadelphia and Washington markets as well as in some smaller markets. It also plays as part of the pre-game show for the Philadelphia 76ers, for whom US Airways is a program sponsor. US Airways advertising department, along with our ad agency, began work last year toward this goal. The new theme music can soon be heard on theHub.[/SPAN][/SPAN][A href=http://www.usaviation.com/idealbb/editor.asp?sessionID={C248E51F-4BDE-4F41-8C0F-FC53F81D1907}&catD=9&forumID=37&topicID=3210&action=&quote=&file=&type=topic&mode=edit&pageNo=&replyID=&richTextActive=0#_top][/A][/SPAN][/SPAN]

 

[RowUnderDCA]

Changing the music is SOOOO overdue, even in bankruptcy. That's a good move!

 

[DCAview]

Actually, I'll be sorry to hear the old music go. I liked it -- it was no "Rhapsody in Blue," but I thought it was pretty good and soothing.

Amazing that changing the music can save some cash, but every little bit helps!

 

[usfliboi]

Is this the new Chips COrner NOw?

 

[Light Years]

I=============

 

[delldude]

[P]
[BLOCKQUOTE][BR]----------------[BR]On 1/14/2003 1122 AM RowUnderDCA wrote:
[P]Changing the music is SOOOO overdue, even in bankruptcy. That's a good move![/P]----------------[/BLOCKQUOTE]
[P][/P][EM]i was kind of fond of the parrot playing the piano for that other airline[/EM].[EM]maybe we can hire the red rose tea band?[/EM]

 

[delldude]

?

 

[N513AU]

I think the new song is called "Requiem for an Airline"

 

[atc]

Does anyone know the name of the old theme song? Better still, post it somewhere? I always liked it.

 

[RowUnderDCA]

I didn't say I didn't 'like' the old music ... it's just kind of tired.