Make US Our US

[EMBFA]

The thread about TWA got me thinking. Would US employees ever see themselves as a family like they did, or like Deltas recently?

Its a serious question. US (at least the east side, all I'm exposed to) is dysfunctional. The employees are beat down and jaded. There's no energy left. I think the general feeling is... all of that sacrifice... for THIS? A chaotic operation? A 'brand' thats become the laughingstock of the industry? Shrinking and outsourcing instead of growing? And the worst contracts in the industry. THIS is what all of that blood sweat and tears was for? A profitable airline thats in shambles, employees worse off than before.

You have to admit that the DAL employees "Keep Delta My Delta" campaign was pretty impressive. Would anyone ever rally together like that for US Airways?

Everyone talks about the 'family' they came from and how much pride they had at Piedmont, or PSA, or America West, or Eastern, or America West, or MidAtlantic... but no one ever seems to feel that way about US Airways itself. Is it because its not an iconic name like Delta, United, and American? Is it because US has never been considered a pioneer, never had exotic routes, was never really considered 'glamorous'? No one ever talks proudly about the flag like they do about speedbirds, meatballs, smiles, lazy U's and widgets.

Why is it that other airlines have been through dark or darker times (see TWA), but they never had the indifference we all seem to feel for our airline now. Management-labor relations are one thing. Mgmts come and go with all thier crazy ideas and incarnations, but the employees are there through all of it. As an employee do you feel any ownership or kinship for the airline? Again, serious question. I know at one point I used to smile when I saw one of our planes taking off. Now it gives me heartburn. Are we all too beaten down to reclaim this place or what?

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

What a great thread starter!
Let me see, where to start?
IMHO, if you were in PIT or CLT the majority of time, it probably wasn't that bad, for the rest of us it seems that it has been going down hill for a long time. I know that that isn't entirely true- but the bad does out weigh the good.
I, for one am waiting for the next UAL rumor. Where is he when you need him?
PIT is suffering what many have already been through(who would have ever thought this would happen?) If the DAL thing went through CLT would have been next.
Who knows what is next? I've come to look forward to things these days. At least I'm not contemplating a mid life career change- for a change.

 

[2clippedwings]

The thread about TWA got me thinking. Would US employees ever see themselves as a family like they did, or like Deltas recently?

Its a serious question. US (at least the east side, all I'm exposed to) is dysfunctional. The employees are beat down and jaded. There's no energy left. I think the general feeling is... all of that sacrifice... for THIS? A chaotic operation? A 'brand' thats become the laughingstock of the industry? Shrinking and outsourcing instead of growing? And the worst contracts in the industry. THIS is what all of that blood sweat and tears was for? A profitable airline thats in shambles, employees worse off than before.

You have to admit that the DAL employees "Keep Delta My Delta" campaign was pretty impressive. Would anyone ever rally together like that for US Airways?

Everyone talks about the 'family' they came from and how much pride they had at Piedmont, or PSA, or America West, or Eastern, or America West, or MidAtlantic... but no one ever seems to feel that way about US Airways itself. Is it because its not an iconic name like Delta, United, and American? Is it because US has never been considered a pioneer, never had exotic routes, was never really considered 'glamorous'? No one ever talks proudly about the flag like they do about speedbirds, meatballs, smiles, lazy U's and widgets.

Why is it that other airlines have been through dark or darker times (see TWA), but they never had the indifference we all seem to feel for our airline now. Management-labor relations are one thing. Mgmts come and go with all thier crazy ideas and incarnations, but the employees are there through all of it. As an employee do you feel any ownership or kinship for the airline? Again, serious question. I know at one point I used to smile when I saw one of our planes taking off. Now it gives me heartburn. Are we all too beaten down to reclaim this place or what?

These are very valid questions that deserve to be answered. Frankly, at this point, I'd like to see management step (stumble) up to the plate and turn a new leaf. A fresh attitude for the spring etc. No tacky pins, just a mission statement and actual follow through LEADING BY EXAMPLE.

I was TWA. Pride and Dignity. Enough said.

Please let me finish out my career with an airline I can be proud of.

I am an optimistic realist.
Despite all of the valid complaints on this board, the seeds of them are borne because employees want to be able to take pride in a job well done.

 

[EMBFA]

It just seems like other airline employees will gripe about management or circumstances, but are quick to defend THIER airline- they feel an identity with it and a certain sense of loyalty to the name if nothing else. It doesn't seem like that here...

Clipped, your right, obviously this wouldn't be the most popular page if employees and customers really didnt care. I just wonder if that could be channeled differently...

 

[N965VJ]

<SNIP>
Everyone talks about the 'family' they came from and how much pride they had at Piedmont, or PSA, or America West, or Eastern, or America West, or MidAtlantic... but no one ever seems to feel that way about US Airways itself.

That’s a thoughtful question.

USAir in the 80s was busy buying up PSA and Piedmont, while being Warren Buffet’s darling for a short time.

The RustHeads got used to apologizing for things not being the way they used to be.

Sadly, that seems like a good job skill these days.

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

Of the many endearing memories? that the surviving airline has, the ones who have been merged still harbor what things might have been -espeacially after 2BKs. LCC is a comglomeration of ,at least, 4 airlines. Some had better reputations than others. Who knows how things would have turned out if things had been different. No use looking backwards. This is where we are at now, best not to dwell on the past.
I don't know if TWA ever bought anyone so I can't speak for them but there have been instances, NWA and ?( I forget-Republic?.),DAL and Western( Are you a RD((Real Delta)) or a Western Delta?) et al. where there isn't quite the warm feeling in the heart for the surviving entity.
As we are experiencing now, when the focus(Mecca-PIT to PHX) has shifted(Why are there so many adverts from the west instead of Alabama?) the memories are bound to change. Some for the better, some for the worse. For me, the sooner we move on the better.

 

[BoeingBoy]

My 2 cents on the OP question....

Given human nature and the "mongrel" nature of US, I think it's understandable that many employees have the "warm and fuzzy's" for the airline they started with.

All the other major airlines have had a merger here or there, but not to the extent that US has (hence the "mongrel" label). There was All American Airways, the original US. Then Mohawk and Lake Central joined the fold. Then PSA and Piedmont were absorbed - mergers that resulted in less than 40% of employees at that time being pre-merger US and even less non-Mohawk/Lake Central. The Shuttle brought ex-Eastern folks into the fold. Now HP is part of the fold. So a rather large majority of current US employees didn't start with US.

Jim

 

[legacy-to-LCC]

rarely in the world of commerce do Passion and "work" collide... financial gain is never Passion.
usair (former iteration my emphasis) Transcends a company, it Transcends an airline. indeed, it is a heritage, and a heritage not to be confused with the commercial, mba definition of the concept.
the Love of flight is what defines the parameters of our heritage. and, quite frankly, nobody has ever done it better. and, in many ways, nobody ever will...

 

[mga707]

I don't know if TWA ever bought anyone so I can't speak for them but there have been instances, NWA and ?( I forget-Republic?.),DAL and Western( Are you a RD((Real Delta)) or a Western Delta?) et al. where there isn't quite the warm feeling in the heart for the surviving entity.

TWA took over Ozark in 1986. Before that you have to go all the way back to 1940 and Marquette Airlines!

Yes, NW bought Republic in 1987. Republic was much like US in that it too was an amalgamation of many former "Local Service" carriers: North Central, Southern, and Hughes Airwest (which was itself a combination of Bonanza, Pacific, and West Coast).
NW, on the other hand, was like TWA in that they had not previously merged with anyone, although a Northwest/National merger got pretty close back in the '60s...

 

[EMBFA]

Good point BB. I was hired in the Wolf era, they were all about the flag, impressions of excellence, the gray and navy and a classy, business image... never really thought about it but us late 90s/early 2000s hires were some of the only F/As hired on at "US Airways" as opposed to one of the merged carriers or 'USAir'. We really saw US as on the same level as the bigger carriers, at least thats how it was hyped to us and it seemed like it at the time. Most of that generation is gone... theres probably only a handful of F/As who have been "US Airways" thier whole career.

I think personally a reason for the disconnect is that it doesnt feel like US Airways is an airline at all, but a franchise of poor, confusing and inconsistent operations. How many different companies wear our uniform or fly our passengers? I don't feel any comraderie with them, and I'm quite sure they couldn't give a damm about our company. That and the overall chintziness of everything these days... ok, its low-cost... stop bragging about it. Since when did "low-cost" become something to brag about on a banner? Or put in employee communications? I don't want to be seen as "low-cost", or "business casual", that translates to "cheap" and "sloppy" to me. Thats kind of ruined the little bit of connection I felt to it. It doesnt feel like its ours, and we dont really want a part of it anyway.

I think pride and morale are different things but they certainly affect each other.

 

[BuffaloJoe]

TWA took over Ozark in 1986. Before that you have to go all the way back to 1940 and Marquette Airlines!

Yes, NW bought Republic in 1987. Republic was much like US in that it too was an amalgamation of many former "Local Service" carriers: North Central, Southern, and Hughes Airwest (which was itself a combination of Bonanza, Pacific, and West Coast).
NW, on the other hand, was like TWA in that they had not previously merged with anyone, although a Northwest/National merger got pretty close back in the '60s...

On Republic, I was on its first flight from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Denver, July 1, 1979. They were giving alot of stuff out on that flight, wish I would have keep mine.

Hughes Airwest- The "Top Banana" in the West! Didn't airwest merge with Republic after the Southern-North Central merger when they formed Republic? I think they went with Republic about a year later.

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

the Love of flight is what defines the parameters of our heritage. and, quite frankly, nobody has ever done it better. and, in many ways, nobody ever will...

As I stand here(with a beer in hand),for the life of me, I do not know what this refers to.

 

[Aryeh]

One may be inspired by the Delta "family" and others. One may wish US folks could project something similar or wonder if it were possible.
A US "family" is possible but it's not something one makes or assembles. And it's not something that's forced.
Like any family, a US family must develop organically. Despite the inevitable bumps and changes, there would have to be relationships among the workforce that are, well, sort of tribe-like. That is, a culture that’s enduring.
This may be possible at US far, far down the road. But now, no way. We are of so many families, with no connections, shared values. We have no parentage to speak of. Most of us have had so many "parents," absent parents or revolving doors of parents. There is no identity that is common to all, strong and has endured.
Who know about the future. But if a family develops, like DL or TW, you'll know it when you see it.

 

[a320av8r]

Great post and question.
How about "WE are US" or in the singular "I am US".
Because WE truly are.

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

Many already have their family. We are not as young as we used to be.