More Schedule/Aircraft Cuts?

USAirBoyA330

Veteran
Aug 23, 2002
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Anyone have any thoughts about Management taking the fleet below 279 the minute the war starts? United says it will cut another 10% in that case. U is getting 5% of the payroll costs differed so, and it would seem by the time they started to pull down the schedule, the war would be ending (hopefully). I just finished a 4 day and every single leg was OVERSOLD. Not one seat on the aircraft.
On a side note someone in CCY needs to take a look at SJU. We can''t add flights fast enough and ALL are oversold it seems. We constantly give away free tickets. Just to get 1 VOL it took 3 roundtrip tickets...it''s absurd. Once out of bankruptcy I hope management finally looks up the term WIDEBODY AIRCRAFT.
 
Speaking of giving away seats, we have so many crew moving positive space from the hubs, and we're into denied boarding so frequently, why don't we have a Dash-8/RJ just moving crew Phl-Clt, etc? Wouldn't that be cheaper than giving up the revenue and then paying the customer compensation?
 
Wouldn't at all be surprised if management is threatening ALPA with possible "forced Majeur", especially with the pension issue still looming over their heads.
 
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On 3/17/2003 6:22:19 PM Hubturn wrote:

Speaking of giving away seats, we have so many crew moving positive space from the hubs, and we're into denied boarding so frequently, why don't we have a Dash-8/RJ just moving crew Phl-Clt, etc? Wouldn't that be cheaper than giving up the revenue and then paying the customer compensation?
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Think about it! Why would you want crewmembers on someone else's seniority list affecting your job security. It reminds me of when the Teamster had a convention years ago and they named Delta their offical carrier. While over 10,000 NWA flight attendants were their largest local!!
 
You've got oversold flights now because last weekend was the beginning of spring break. In a couple of weeks, the planes won't be nearly as full.

Also, FWIW, I don't see management shrinking the airline just because they have the opportunity to do so. If they need to, yes, but all the "heavy lifting" of the bankruptcy is done. If U's stated plan to be an airline with competitive costs is truly the plan, then they need all the size that's not unprofitable.
 
I can't imagine business falling off much more due to the pending war. Most if not all that are afraid to fly due to 9/11, are still not flying. The largest drop has been in business travel that remains flat with or without a war in Iraq. The major factor here is the fuel cost that hopefully will head lower soon after the invasion as it did in 1991.
 
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Reuters) - US Airways Group Inc. (UAWGQ) said on Tuesday it has taken steps to ensure that any war with Iraq would not slow its bid to emerge from bankruptcy by the end of the month.

The No. 7 U.S. airline is confronting objections to its restructuring proposal before winning approval of the plan from Judge Stephen Mitchell of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

``War has a profound impact on the airline industry,'' John Butler, the airline's chief bankruptcy attorney, told the court. ``We are dealing with war contingencies ... to make sure this company can get through any kind of disruption.''

Butler said the company was doing all it can to stabilize itself ahead of its plan to emerge from bankruptcy by March 31 and the contingencies could include a 5 percent pay deferral for employees

"and a further reduction in fleet size."

President Bush gave Iraqi President Saddam Hussein until late Wednesday U.S. time to leave Iraq or face an invasion to eliminate alleged weapons of mass destruction. Saddam, who denies having such weapons, rejected the ultimatum.