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On 4/2/2003 6:12:57 PM PineyBob wrote:
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On 4/2/2003 5:25:50 PM X-U wrote:
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Bob,
With all due respect, you do not support U employees. You have not seen an employee concession you did not like. It is quite natural for a consumer to want lower prices/better benefits for themselves. Just quit trying to act like you are on the "side" of the employees and you "support" the company. You are out for number one. You want what everyone wants, a superior product for the lowest cost (preferably free). You are more than happy to see employees/vendors/airport authorities take a hit, but when it comes to someone losing frequent flyer miles when they are traveling on a cheap fare you throw a fit. I don''t mind that as a consumer you want the lowest fare; I want the most value for the products and services I buy too. Just quit acting like you give a rat''s arse about US Airways or it''s employees. If you are worried that they will see a cockroach pin and treat you any less, don''t worry. I am sure they will treat you with the same high standard of service they treat all passengers.
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X-U,
With all due respect in return, I have one question for you. Just exactly when was it you aquired the mind reading skills required to know what I think or feel?
"You are more than happy to see employees/vendors/airport authorities take a hit, but when it comes to someone losing frequent flyer miles when they are traveling on a cheap fare you throw a fit."
Happy? You know this exactly how? Do I want my preferred carrier to survive? YES I DO! You honestly think I take any joy in others misery? Listen, I went through the Steel industry shakeup in the ''80''s, I saw friends and neighbors lose their houses, people still bitter 20 years later because Bethlehem Steel FIRED them 29 years, 364 days into their job, exactly one day short of retirement, unlike the pilots those folks got NO PENSION of any kind! For some it was the only job they ever had! Some went to work for less than a third of what they made. One of the reasons I encouraged taking the "hit" was because I saw the alternative first hand. I saw the UAW at Mack Trucks sell its members down the river in favor of the John Deere work group. You''ve got people out there on food stamps and kids eligible for school lunch programs after this blood bath. I base my opinions on research and my own life experiences. For you to imply that I do not care clearly shows you know
NOTHING about me as a businessman or a person.
As for the hit on FF miles, I squawked because I could! Just like when a company posts record profits a union will come on hard and strong for better terms for their group. Which they should. I was in a position to win my battle, unfortunately you weren''t and I''m sorry.
You want what everyone wants, a superior product for the lowest cost (preferably free).
If I wanted what you state above I would have zero segments on US instead of over 100 each the last 2 years and 32 so far this year. If I was indeed so self oriented I would have flown other airlines between now and the BK filing. fact is I have exactly 4 segments not on US since BK filing. US is my carrier of choice not because of price it is because of value. Superior route structure where I need to go. And a superior FF program. In fact no less than my nemisis B. Ben Baldanza stated that one reason US was able to come out of BK was due to the extreme loyalty of its Dividend Miles members who kept flying. Directing all of my flights to US during BK cost me personally as some of my travel is non-business. How much money did you put on the table directly out of your pocket to help keep the doors open? Did you take a flight and pay for it out of your pocket to help? Or did you sit and whine? Did you convince 3 of your co-workers to sign up for a silver challenge when they were already CO gold level? Did you convince your own mother to take her vacation to a place US flies to? 3 more fares @ $400.00 ea. Don''t tell me about the concessions, everybody took that hit. What did you personally do to help US recover?
If you are worried that they will see a cockroach pin and treat you any less, don''t worry. I am sure they will treat you with the same high standard of service they treat all passengers.
Actually the thought never crossed my mind. Most US employees that see it either ask for one, how to get one or say thanks you for the business! US employees do have courage and class. That''s why about 25% of the pin sales go to US employees. If you think I am so pro management I suggest you check out the thread where I absolutely took Chris Chiames apart for revealing a posters name who is alleged to be a union leader.
Next time you choose to attack me or my motives I suggest you come armed with facts instead of preconcieved notions and a negative attitude. It would be most appreciated. Thank you for posting.
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I never said you were pro management. I said you were pro-consumer, furthermore I said I don''t blame you for being so. In prior posts you threatened to take your business elsewhere if you didn''t get what you want. That is your right as a consumer. You can just dispense with the phony "I feel your pain" posts when you aren''t willing to see a low-yield ticket lose frequent flyer miles. If US Airways is truly your carrier of choice, they wouldn''t have to bribe you with FF miles to keep your loyalty. While you may think a FF program is cost neutral, it is not. Extra resources means extra costs for all of the perks like dedicated reservations, check-in, Dividend Miles account administration etc. If US Airways had no FF program, or only awarded miles to high-fare passengers, would you still fly on them? If your answer to that question is no, then what about if they had the lowest fare, but still no FF miles? While you have said you are willing to pay a slight premium to get the added value you feel US Airways offers, like any consumer you have a limit to how high that premium will be. The problem is that the cost of the product that US Airways is producing is still above the revenue that the consumer is willing to pay for that product. Cities are being cut
(AZO, MAD) or converted to Express. Your decision will soon be to ride a US Airways Express Regional Jet and get your Frequent Flyer miles, or ride a low-fare carrier''s B-737 or A-320. As a consumer you are certainly free to express your opinions, but your actions may have effects that you don''t intend. If you don''t let a company cut costs in one area, they will cut in another. When they cut to the point that they no longer suit your needs, as a consumer you find a different provider. That is the nature of the free-marker system. While you will be able to say how you lived through the airline shake-up of the ''00s, I don''t expect you to lose any sleep over the
the employees who actually experienced it.
BTW my "contribution" to the recovery was my stock, once worth $80/share that I can now use to wallpaper the bathroom.