Meeting with Doug Parker Yesterday (11/5/10)

[Art at ISP]

As some of you may know, I have been on the Star Alliance MegaDO since Wednesday, visiting Houston, Phoenix and Seattle through this afternoon.
Yesterday, we flew from IAH to PHX where Doug Parker and senior manager met with my 150 or so fellow participants and me. I will say that I was surprised that Doug agreed to meet with what he must have known was going to be a hostile crowd (I had been warned by the event organizers not to be too tough on him), and he actually came up to me to say hello.

During the Q&A after the presentation Doug was asked about the policy of charging elites for Choice Seats (to his credit, he did agree to take a further look at that as he appeared to be misinformed about parts of that policy), and he was asked about the pilot integration. He didn't say much, except to say that it was still out of the company's hands.

You can read the blog entry on the meeting here: http://www.starmegado.com/2010/11/05/breakfast-with-doug-parker/

Interestingly enough, as Doug tells it, both the merger of DL and NW, and UA and CO are thanks to him...but we all know about that. He also mentioned that the company had record profits this year, but that they need to be prepared for another downturn in the industry. The total profit year to date, however, was roughly equal to the amount collected in baggage fees.... hmmmm....

The big thrill of the day for me however was our visit to Everett, including a landing in a charter 757 at PAE, and being among the first members of the public to actually get on board a 787 Dreamliner (test aircraft ZA003)...sorry Doug, that was just a bit more exciting.....

 

[SS255]

I will add to Art's post that we were very warmly and hospitably received by the members of the US management team who were in attendance. Thank you to all who were involved in organizing, executing and attending this event. It was much appreciated!

 

[PHL]

A few months back either here or on flytertalk, a poster claimed to have been on a US flight with Doug. He was able to get a few minutes with him and cornered him on the choice seating. Doug's response then was the same as it is described in the blog, suggesting that the others will soon be charging their elites for the good seats. It sounds like, on this topic, Doug didn't really follow after from that unplanned run-in with a customer/passenger and had to tap dance around that subject again. Maybe he'll get the hint now that this is a serious issue for the bread and butter fliers. GIVE THEM ACCESS TO THE GOOD COACH SEATS.

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

. GIVE THEM ACCESS TO THE GOOD COACH SEATS.

There are good Y seats? (Other than Y+ on UAL)

 

[PHLfa88]

As some of you may know, I have been on the Star Alliance MegaDO since Wednesday, visiting Houston, Phoenix and Seattle through this afternoon.
Yesterday, we flew from IAH to PHX where Doug Parker and senior manager met with my 150 or so fellow participants and me. I will say that I was surprised that Doug agreed to meet with what he must have known was going to be a hostile crowd (I had been warned by the event organizers not to be too tough on him), and he actually came up to me to say hello.

During the Q&A after the presentation Doug was asked about the policy of charging elites for Choice Seats (to his credit, he did agree to take a further look at that as he appeared to be misinformed about parts of that policy), and he was asked about the pilot integration. He didn't say much, except to say that it was still out of the company's hands.

You can read the blog entry on the meeting here: http://www.starmegado.com/2010/11/05/breakfast-with-doug-parker/

Interestingly enough, as Doug tells it, both the merger of DL and NW, and UA and CO are thanks to him...but we all know about that. He also mentioned that the company had record profits this year, but that they need to be prepared for another downturn in the industry. The total profit year to date, however, was roughly equal to the amount collected in baggage fees.... hmmmm....

The big thrill of the day for me however was our visit to Everett, including a landing in a charter 757 at PAE, and being among the first members of the public to actually get on board a 787 Dreamliner (test aircraft ZA003)...sorry Doug, that was just a bit more exciting.....

What does the pilot intergration Really have to do with you? And his response was just as it should have been!

 

[violet]

A few months back either here or on flytertalk, a poster claimed to have been on a US flight with Doug. He was able to get a few minutes with him and cornered him on the choice seating. Doug's response then was the same as it is described in the blog, suggesting that the others will soon be charging their elites for the good seats. It sounds like, on this topic, Doug didn't really follow after from that unplanned run-in with a customer/passenger and had to tap dance around that subject again. Maybe he'll get the hint now that this is a serious issue for the bread and butter fliers. GIVE THEM ACCESS TO THE GOOD COACH SEATS.

About a year ago my boyfriend, a Chairmans Preferred and corporate executive himself, got stuck sitting next to Kirby in 1st on a flight from PHX to PHL. Kirby wouldnt shut up about how difficult it was to run an airline and how no one understands his job despite my boyfriend putting on headphones and trying to do work. My boyfriend was furious not only because Kirby wouldnt shut up but because I am a flight attendant who has seen her quality of life dwindle under the sandcastle regime of disrespect.

To have someone who is mismanaging the company complain about no one understanding HIS tough job all the while he has no understanding the the plight of people who actually ARE the airline speaks to this guy's lack of character! My boyfriend's only escape was the lavs in the coach section of the plane....pretty bad when the coach lavs are preferable to the company of our leader.

 

[SparrowHawk]

What does the pilot intergration Really have to do with you? And his response was just as it should have been!

Well since its inception FFOCUS has always felt that the key to good customer satisfaction was employee satisfaction. With the current group of Tempe Frat Boys, Employees and Customers have been noticeably on the short end of the stick. The pilot integration from a strictly customer centric perspective hurts customers as it doesn't allow US to flly certain routes or open up new markets effectively. Besides which as a customer, I'm allowed by virtue of the money I spend to ask any question I so desire whether some negative employee on a web site likes it or not.

 

[Jester]

I'm sorry... I don't get it, and I have been reading this stuff for a few years now.

This whole "involvement" with a company for which one strongly disagrees reminds me somewhat of a troubled marriage or a serious relationship, but it is neither! It is as if there is some emotional, romantic connection and the drama of the children of divorcing parents by being a frequent flyer with US Airways and people just can't let go!

I know many people will say, "If you don't like it, then go somewhere else," which I never found particularly customer friendly. However,I am having a hard time getting my arms around this seemingly strong bond to the point of traveling across country to meet the CEO and bitterly complain online to other aggrieved frequent flyers about all the perceived problems with the airline that many have loathed to fly anymore.

So getting back to the relationship angle and my offering of hackneyed romantic slogans... one can't force love... other fish in the sea... he's just not that into you... why pay for the milk when you have the cow at home... time to move on... I dunno, I'm not getting it.

So Consoles Jester.

 

[Itestwell]

Guys, FFOCUS still has pictures of "dirty seat backs", "broken seats", and "long customer service lines" from ~2003, when US was in the doldrums (yet they claim to be advocates for all airlines now, not just US).

They can't even update their HOME PAGE. Come on.


Take it for what it's worth.

 

[N965VJ]

A few months back either here or on flytertalk, a poster claimed to have been on a US flight with Doug. He was able to get a few minutes with him and cornered him on the choice seating. Doug's response then was the same as it is described in the blog, suggesting that the others will soon be charging their elites for the good seats.

That was on FT, and Parker specifically said E+ was going away at UA.

Guys, FFOCUS still has pictures of "dirty seat backs", "broken seats", and "long customer service lines" from ~2003, when US was in the doldrums (yet they claim to be advocates for all airlines now, not just US).

2003? Are you forgetting the epic thread started by a FA here with the "Images of Incompetence" about 2-3 years ago?

 

[Onestep2flt]

That was on FT, and Parker specifically said E+ was going away at UA.




2003? Are you forgetting the epic thread started by a FA here with the "Images of Incompetence" about 2-3 years ago?

Parker does not run UA. They may be getting rid of seat but Parker must focus on US. Sure, know what the competition is doing but mind your own shop.

As far as pictures of dirty US planes from three years ago. Well, Although US has made some improvements in the interiors of their aircraft, I myself still find them some of the worst maintained among the carriers I have been on recently. You can add all the pleather you want, but you have to do scheduled maintenance and cleaning as well. So those pictures still have merit. Nice reminder to management that passengers do care what the plane looks like.

Again, I do believe they have made some improvement. They have a long way to go.

 

[Art at ISP]

You know, I tried to put a positive spin on this thread. Do we have issues with US? Yes we do. Do we have some issues with other carriers? Yes we do.

By the way, the preface to my question was to congratulate Doug, his team and the fine employees of US for their remarkable turnaround in financial and operational performance.

I said first up that I gave Doug, Andrew, Donna and their team a lot of credit for agreeing to host us the first place. They provided a nice breakfast for us, and we were their guests at the Botanical Garden with some time to walk around before the flight up to Paine Field (Boeing). I thought Doug was very gracious-he walked up to me when he saw me and greeted me warmly.

I had spoken to Andrew Nocella about the Choice Seats issue prior to the presentation. There is an obvious disconnect between this team and their customers. At the end of the day, Andrew and I agreed to disagree. Mind you I prefaced my point by saying that I understand some of the ancillary fees are here to stay, but that to single out your most frequent customers to make them pay for something which no other carrier does (and they do NOT plan to), puts them at a competitive disadvantage. While other airlines DO charge for premium seats in one form or another, NOT ONE other than US charges its top tiers for those seats. I specifically asked Doug if he prefers to have my $15-$20 today over the $15-$20K I might spend with him over a year, and his answer was, "well when you put it that way, NO." The fact that some of his assumptions about how that worked were wrong according to others in the room and the fact that he agreed in front of the whole room to take another look at the Choice Seats policy as relates to top tiers may leave the door open to some modification in future. I will also add that we have it on good authority that not only does NO other airline plan to charge top tiers for choice seats, but E+ is in fact staying (topic for another thread in another forum).

Also telling during the discussion of baggage fees was the fact that the total collected from baggage fees was more or less equal to the amount of the YTD profit....you can draw your own conclusions from that.

With regard to the question about the pilots integration, that did not come from me- it came from someone else (not that I care who asked it), and it was a perfectly legitimate question as the lack of such integration prevents necessary capacity adjustments and potential expansion to keep up with the other airlines.

This was overall a positive event - I think the fact that they hosted us in the first place was a positive step, and perhaps some new doors are open for dialogue. As nice as it was to see Doug and the management team on Friday morning, however, it was overshadowed by our being the first group on "general public" members to actually get on board the 787 Dreamliner at Boeing.

By the way, regarding FFOCUS, we no longer concentrate on US Airways - we advocate for customers of all travel providers, and work to the benefit of the traveling public--your misconceptions are very old and not consistent with our current mission. We may have gotten our start in that manner, but those days are long gone...

My BEST to you all.

 

[SS255]

For those of you who did not have the pleasure to attend this event, Art's last post summed it up very nicely. Everybody from US was wonderful. They went above and beyond to make us feel welcome, and really lived up to the slogan "I make US fly."

Many of us in attendance DO fly US, even if it is not the airline to which we credit our miles. And we have a vested interest in US succeeding, continuing to be profitable, and investing some of those profits in the employees and the customer experience. This particular group is a very important resource. How US intends to leverage that resource is ultimately up to them. But I hope that after getting the chance to meet some of us in person, they will choose to work with us instead of what we have perceived up until now to be working against us. If they are willing to engage in dialogue with us, they might actually find some of our feedback to be very enlightening.

 

[AstroLounge]

What does the pilot intergration Really have to do with you? And his response was just as it should have been!

TOTALLY AGREE! Really don't understand WHY any passenger would even be concerned with the topic or even interested............it has NOTHING to do with them. Even another airline employee........nobody cares what You think Could, Should, Would need to be done. I certainly don't lose sleep over Holiday Inn changing their logo and wouldn't choose to NOT stay at one of their locations because "I" don't really care for their new logo. People are absolutely amazing and pathetic at times. The Pilot Issue at US pertains to the PILOTS O-n-l-y at US and No One else. And let's really stop the silly notion of having ANY type of Nonsense Interest in H-o-w it will be resolved. Unless You are a pilot...........NO ONE gives Two *'s what You think on the matter. And that is REALITY! Face It!

 

[dash8roa]

Did anyone ask about the processing fee to redeem miles?No other carrier I can think of is insulting their best customers with this slap in the face.As long as the frequent flyer is redeeming their miles on line without using a res agent,there should be no fee.