1. While putting new interiors, seats, bins, carpet, etc. into our domestic fleet was intended to make us competitive, were the passengers willing to pay more? Given the fact that a vast majority just look at price, our airplanes would be just as full if we had not done the interior upgrades. As for the 767-300s, enhancing those may be justified because they fly international where the yields are higher and we have to compete against the foreign airlines as well as DL, UA, etc.
2. The TWU actually gave up midnite cabin in the late 1990s. They were having so many problems with theft that AA begged the TWU to take midnite cabin back; only to contract it out again in 2003. It is easier to replace the AMTs than it is to replace the ramp. At NW, over time, they have reduced their AMTs by about half so only about 4,000to 4,500 remain. And they want to cut the remaining 4,500 in half which means that they feel they only need 2,200. That 2,200 can be easily replaced by the management people they are training and scabs (newhires, those currently there who will cross, and those laid off who feel they were screwed by AMFA). There are plenty of out of work AMTs. Just look at all those former UA AMTs in IND who were shaking their fists in the air when they were making $30/hr at UA but are now humbly working at AAR in IND in the same hangar on the same UA planes for the same UA managers for a LOT less. As far as ramp, the contractors are having a very difficult time finding people because of low wages and no benefits and a vast majority can't pass the drug tests and backgroud checks. In fact, at my previous station, they came over and asked if we wanted to work for them on our days off. Needless to say, no one was interested. So if the ramp was to walk, they would have to hire and process(backgroud and medical check, drug test, and finerprints for customs) and train (classroom portion and government mandated dangerous goods and hazardous awareness training) thousands of people all at once. Over at USAir, they gave the company everything it wanted. Large numbers of their long time employees have left or are leaving and they are having problems finding people to replace them. At my former city,US was right next to us and I can tell you they were (and probably still are) having big service problems with passenger baggage. So they can try to replace ramp but it would take a long time and be very very messy because when the ramp walks the crap hits the fan right of way.
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