Memo to US Haters

[SolidCactus]

While I do miss all those things that were listed, I'll be honest what means the most to me.

Cleanliness - US Planes are just very dirty in comparison to the other airlines. I just feel that a dirty interior means that maintenance isn't being done on a regular basis. NOW I know this is not true, I feel that way and I can't be the only one. The last US flight I flew was a 737-300 where during takeoff, the coffee maker started SPEWING water. The water rolled all the way to row 8 down the aisle. The flight attendant had to stand up during takeoff and brace herself between the bulkhead and the garbage can trying to catch the water into the trashcan. I had the first class bulkhead aisle seat. I asked her, "whats the deal with this" and she said "i've flown this plane before, this has always been a problem". HELLO! if US doesnt want to take the plane out of service to fix this crazy water leak, do they really want to take the plane out of service to fix the engines? Prove it to me... Charging for soda also makes me wonder...

The boarding process - PLEASE do away with the zones and just board like Continental (back to front by row). The US boarding process is the most disorganized clusterF I have ever experienced. I can remember US boarding pre America West, and even though we had zones back then, the passengers were just way more "normal" (experienced) and nobody ever charged the gates like they do now. Its just crazy now. Why even try to board with zones? Nobody follows it anyway? Just say, "now boarding, all zones".

For me, in all honesty, this is all it would take to win my business back. I really left because of cleanliness, and the nickel and diming just sends a really bad message... One of desperation, and I don't want to trust my life to the "desperate" carrier...

 

[US Oringinal]

ANYONE WHO THINKS THE EMPLOYEES WHO POST HERE ARE JUST "WHINERS" AND "RESIST CHANGE" AND DON'T UNDERSTAND "REVENUE" PRODUCTION: PLEASE READ THE ABOVE 4 POSTS! TEMPE MANAGEMENT(and I know you're here): READ THE ABOVE POSTS!!

Start paying attention to your frontline employees and your customers(and former customers).
Airline demand is softening dramatically and US has got to compete for passengers. And in order to survive, TEMPE must change the way they are doing things.....or we will not survive.....

 

[NCFL]

Start paying attention to your frontline employees and your customers (and former customers).

And pay attention to former employees who still care about the reputation of the US Airways name and the success of their ex-employer, no matter how callously it may have behaved.

 

[PHLFlyer]

Now these are productive posts.

Valid complaints and valid issues that I do hope our management reads.

I too miss the old days the way things used to be. It's sad to me to see employees on here hoping for a merger in order to rescue us from our management. Despite our improvement with on-time performance and baggage, it's no longer a customer service focus but a numbers focus. Management doesn't see uncomfortable or unhappy passengers, they only see numbers on a piece of paper that tells them how many seats we should have to make more money.

I have a feeling our management's main goal right now is to just keep us in business. I think the loss of FF perks, income from fees and on-board charges were all deals made in order to get bridge loans that kept us in business.

I get frustrated and embarrassed a lot these days for our company but then at other times I want to just be thankful that I still have a job.

And no, my initial post was not directed towards employees on this board to answer a previous posted question.

 

[NCFL]

I remember when I was first hired back in '89, I was SO proud to work for AL/US. I had a sticker on the back of my car, like practically everyone else in PIT, with the old rust NASA letters. I flew to DCA to go to the employee store on my day off to buy some stuff even with my meager $13k starting salary.

That continued for a long, long time. Quality branded merchandise was handed out by the company and actually used, and I bought more to supplement what was given for free.

But as time wore on, I became less and less proud of my company. I got a new car and didn't make a point of getting a new sticker. T-shirts suddenly became things to sleep in, not wear in public. I still used the big golf umbrella because it's big and functional, but I scraped the logo off.

It just wasn't worth the comments one received in public from complete strangers. "You work there? Well let me tell you about what happened to me..."

It's a pity when workers are ashamed of their employer. I suspect this must feel like what it did to work for EA in its final days when its service and product were so horrible. Long-time employees who remember the glory days but who were stuck with the reality that their beloved airline had fallen so far at the hands of horrendous mismanagement.

 

[SS255]

I disagree with your statement that the VFFs care only about the perks and not about the airline itself.

VFFs all over this board (and others) have been tilting at windmills lamenting the waning customer focus of the current management regime and its refusal to even acknowledge publicly there is dissention in the ranks. Post after post about how VFFs hate to see what management is doing to the front-line by tying their hands, making decisions that create difficulties in the day-to-day execution of their jobs (see thread on A330-200 seat pitch), continuous concerns about the deplorable ways Customer Relations communicates (or doesn't, as the case may be) with customers by sending form letters and automatic vouchers instead of actually listening and responding with empathy when a loyal customer presents an honest plea for help, etc.

.......

But look underneath the posts at the true meaning of the message and you'll find a common thread. These people WANT to do business with US because they LIKE the airline and have enjoyed a long-term relationship, but they feel betrayed and bewildered by the about face in customer focus. Say all of the bad things you want about East -- a lot of it deserved -- but it was intangibly customer focused in a way that Tempe just can't seem to grasp.

I'd bet you dollars to doughnuts that if US restored every single "Pre-Tempe" perk, but continued with its same arrogant stance that the customer is just a "revenue unit" not deserving of any personal consideration, rather than a human being, the same VFFs you are accusing of being perk-mongers would still be leaving in droves.

I agree with every word of your post (although I did not quote the whole thing, because it was so long. 🙂

I care about the US employees far more than I care about the airline itself. The airline is a corporation, but it is made up of people -- people who have families, and mortgages, and lives. My US employee (and former employee) friends are made up of both Easties and Westies, but in my own mind I do not distinguish by geographical location.

I flew across the country, TWICE, at a cost out of my own pocket of about $600 per trip, to attend retirement dinners of longtime US employees. One of those trips entailed flying through a Nor'easter in the dead of winter. It was one of those storms that messes up operations all over the East Coast, yet US did their darndest to get me there.....and on time, too. In fact, some of the attendee hopefuls could not make it due to the weather. People thought I was crazy for leaving the Southern CA sunshine to fly into the eye of the storm, but it was important to me to attend, and I know that the honoree was very appreciative of my efforts. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I felt a personal loss when I decided to move the bulk of my business to one of US's competitors. I felt like I was betraying all of these fine people who have treated me like I was more than a bean for the number crunchers to count. It was a very emotional decision for me. But with all of the cost-cutting measures that US has made over the past 3 1/2 years, I just felt that safety would be the next thing to be compromised. That is where I draw the line. In fact.....I have read more posts about emergency landings and other incidents on this board in the past few months than in the entire 4 years which I have been participating. Kinda makes ya wonder!

I hope that Management will read through this thread, and take these comments to heart. I know that your decisions are based upon what you feel will generate the most cash flow, but please do not lose sight of your most valuable assets -- your employees and your customers. Please make US an airline that people will feel proud to fly. The way things are now, I'm even embarrassed for merchants to see my US Airways Visa card, so I have stopped using it. How sad is that?

 

[US Oringinal]

THESE ARE GREAT POSTS!! Well thought out, specific, constructive, and realisitic. This kind of discussion is what got me on this board.

I will tell you this...from my perspective, there is some hope. And it comes in the form of the "East Coast Satellite Headquarters" that Tempe set up in PHL earlier this year.

I think prespective is changing quickly as economic factors change. I think there may be some "significant" changes to US's operation(especially our Int'l operation) and I think they will happen quickly beginning in the Spring. Impetus for the change:

- Star Alliance addition of Continental and US's recognition of how much revenue come from the alliance

-Greater cooperation between the City( mainly the smart, new mayor) of Philadelphia and US

-US's need to either become a "major international carrier" or become irrelevant

-Tempe's recognition of exactly HOW MUCH revenue is generated by our International operation

-The addition of some smart, airline-savvy people in PHL satellite hdqtrs

-The rapid "softening" of demand and revenue from "west" operation

-and in case you missed it...STAR ALLIANCE, STAR ALLIANCE, STAR ALLIANCE

We are almost constantly doing inflight surveys onboard our Int'l flights for Star Alliance. My guess: they want to know what is wrong with US customer service and they want US to fix it....

This all gives me BIG HOPE that we can begin to "rebuild" this airline and it's reputation into something we can take pride in again.....

 

[SS255]

We are almost constantly doing inflight surveys onboard our Int'l flights for Star Alliance. My guess: they want to know what is wrong with US customer service and they want US to fix it....

This all gives me BIG HOPE that we can begin to "rebuild" this airline and it's reputation into something we can take pride in again.....

If they want to know what is wrong with customer service, they should read this board and Flyertalk. The content which is posted on these bulletin boards can serve as a "to do" list.

There are alot of poster on Flyertalk, especially, who live in hub cities, yet still go out of their way to avoid US. That is very telling. So much for the "C" in "CRA." If they could correct some of their glaring mistakes, and turn around the perception of their airline, there might actually be hope. And some of us may come back.

Interestingly, I was chatting with some of my co-workers during our holiday potluck today, and one of them mentioned the "horrible" flight she was on where "they didn't even show a movie on a transcon." I asked her if she had flown on US, and she said "Yes. They were horrible. And they charged us for water."

Do I think US was really "horrible"? No. I truly think that she was exaggerating. (Granted, this was after I downed 10 Jello shots. ) But I do think that this infrequent flyer felt that the fact that they didn't show a movie or serve free non-alcoholic beverages contributed to an experience that was below her expectations (i.e. "horrible" in her perception). The elite flyers have been in on the joke for over 3 years, but there are only so many leisure flyers to trick before they, too, "get" the joke.

 

[drifterreno]

..and you know what's really sad Piney? I'm seeing and hearing more and more employees who are thinking like Tempe-- that customers aren't valued people who provide our welfare, they are REVENUE and that's it.

It's sad..but you're right...this attitude is becoming a real cancer on the airline

I have a question. Let's say you have someone onboard who is diabetic and their sugar starts to drastically go down. The passanger knows he is going to pass out and probably wind up in a hospital if he doesn't do something soon. He asks a FA for an orange juice to bring his sugar levels up. Will that FA then charge him for the orange juice or decide it is a medical emergency?? Remember if this pax passes out the plane will probably have to make an emergency non scheduled landing.

 

[US Oringinal]

We're told by the Sandfleas to use our "best judgement".

I don't know ANY F/A who would refuse ANY beverage to someone if they seem to need it. Matter of fact, if F/A's did so, they could put themselves in a position to be sued by that passenger. We are not in the postion to be medical surrogates--

So..for that reason...MOST F/A's are NOT going to argue with a passenger who says they NEED a beverage, but can't pay for it. They'll just give them the drink(as long as it's not a bloody mary..as in "I need a Bloody Mary, but have no bloody money")

......sorry if that interrupts the revenue stream Tempe, but no F/A is going to put themselves at risk to ensure your yearly bonu$!

 

[Dog Wonder]

What if I need a beer?

 

[SolidCactus]

I think that charging for beverages is just "tacky". That alone though, is not enough to keep me off of US. Cleanliness is the most important thing to me. I actually do feel US has become "reliable" over the past year. I am very impressed by the improvement.

Like SS said, us FF's are pretty OCD in general and we are very "addicted" to our carriers. We spend so much time in the air that we are proud to fly, and proud of the carriers we choose...

I'm from PA, and US has always been a very important company to our economy in PA, and I always flew US because of what they did for our state (jobs). I stuck it out as long as I could, much longer than some of my friends.

When I moved to CO in Oct, I can only say that I am very impressed by their operation. Very consistent. Great customer service. I am also surprised to see that they are doing the EXACT REVERSE of what US is doing. They are improving the seating on their entire fleet, the planes are spotless, even the 737-300s, they are adding IFE, and will have Satellite TV on all 737's by mid 2009. They already put more power ports, and personal IFE on the 757-200s. When I had my first 1.5 hr flight, I was amazed that we had a full meal in FC, AND when I did my first transcon in coach, I was amazed that we got a sandwich, small salad, and a pizza. All included in our ticket price.

They are doing everything they can to improve the customer experience.

Maybe US is right with the changes they are making? I don't know, only time will tell...

 

[HP2USFA]

There might be a few sour apples that might begrudge a person asking for a beverage claiming illness, but the vast majority of us would just as quickly comp you a water or juice if you were short or in need.

We're not all monsters. And we didn't make the choice to sell them.

We just do our jobs to the best of our abilities.

 

[US Oringinal]

The reason the F/A is defensive is because although most people are resigned to US's stupid ala carte program, a good number of people roll there eyes, are totally shocked, say"you gotta be kidding", or say "Ill never fly this airline again". WE HEAR IT EVeRY FLIGHT< EVERYDAY!!

So excuse the F/A if he's a little defensive--and feels that others think he's a monster. This is what happens when your company wages war on your customers and customer service, and throws you on the frontline to fight their battle(WHILE EARNING THEIR BONUSES FOR THEM)

TEMPE thinks that passengers are "getting use to" ala carte pricing or are "adapting" to it. The truth is, people are booking away from US because they are nickeled and dimed at every turn. And often charging $2 for a coke and having no movie on a 6-hour flight is often the LAST STRAW.

With the exception of charging for checked bags(which everyone seems to be doing)...the "ala carte" program is hurting USAirways far more than it is helping. TEMPE only sees money rolling in from it--but the frontline employees see the truth...PEOPLE HATE FLYING US!!!

Especially when they pay $15 for a "premium coach seat" and realize it is no different than the other seats, just closer to the front--same lousy legroom. Or when they have to pay $2 for a coke and $5 for a snack on a 6-hour flight. And then they have no movie or other entertainment.
PEOPLE DON'T LIKE PAYING EXTRA FOR THINGS THEY GET FOR FREE ON OTHER AIRLINES!!

That's why we are the BUTT of SWA's advertisements---and a smart, effect campaign it is.

TEMPE HAS TO WISE UP...PEOPLE DISLIKE US SO MUCH, THEY ARE BOOKING AWAY FROM US.......even the KETTLES

No one is "adjusting" to the "ala carte" program...they are just going out of their way NOT to fly US again. The only thing "adjusting" to the ala carte program are the TEMPE MGMT bonus checks!!

 

[Harry Callahan]

What the above poster said. Tempe give up this ala-carte crap. My last flt was on DL free drinks & snacks between ATL-STL (RT)
Why would any customer put up with this crap.