OK, what's really going on in Tempe(r)

[phasersonstun2]

Management is doing a "don't worry, be happy" with the SHARES debacle, so I have to believe they are otherwise distracted; the question is

WHAT?

 

[aquagreen73s]

Management is doing a "don't worry, be happy" with the SHARES debacle, so I have to believe they are otherwise distracted; the question is

WHAT?

United? Seriously...you pose a great question.

There's been a lot of wailing (rightfully so) but I think the concern is far beyond just our company. What we're seeing today and what we've seen over the past two decades for that matter is a systemic devaluation of our way of life. We're already seeing the bulk of good, solid American jobs being shipped overseas. Likewise, we're witnessing the disintegration of our culture. Schools are failing despite the fact we have talented people able and willing to teach. The backbone of America is working more than ever before yet struggles just to pay basic expenses. On top of all that, our global sovereignty is in steep decline. We depend on oil from Arabia to fuel our economy and we depend on the Chinese government to fund our deficit spending. It's already apparent that the political change last Novemeber will not result in much of a difference. Washington is beholden to special interests and Wall Street. I guess it's fitting that our Treasury Secretary is none other than a Goldman Sachs exec. Goldman makes billions just being a middle man. Their employees reap untold fortunes just swapping paper. Gone are the coal miners, the shipbuilders, the airplane factories, textiles, steel mills, etc. The vision for today extends no further than the day after tomorrow. So in reality, what's going on at the new USAirways is actually consistent with what's going on in America in general. Pretty scary.

http://jameshowardkunstler.typepad.com/clusterfuck_nation/

scroll down to this comment:

"The airlines have pared down their employee ranks about as far as possible. The scene at the Maui airport this Sunday was a cluster -- largely due to the fact that United airlines had only one person manning the ticket counter, and 98 percent of the visitors have to check through luggage. A couple more rounds of oil price spikes and the airlines are going to be lying tits up with glazed eyes. Perhaps aviation will then reorganize itself on a smaller scale serving only the elite, for a while, anyway. In any case, that will be the end of the mass middle class consumer phase of commercial aviation -- and also of mass middle class type tourism."

 

[barbeetantrums]

Gone are the coal miners, the shipbuilders, the airplane factories, textiles, steel mills, etc. The vision for today extends no further than the day after tomorrow. So in reality, what's going on at the new USAirways is actually consistent with what's going on in America in general. Pretty scary.

http://jameshowardkunstler.typepad.com/clusterfuck_nation/

Actually, there are many coal mining jobs in Appalachia and mining companies are desperately looking to hire. They are paying well but there are few willing to take these jobs. These companies are also having trouble finding people with the work ethic to stick with these jobs. Some mining companies are contemplating hiring migrant workers as today's Generation Nintendo wants nothing to do with hard work.

 

[EMBFA]

Ok, all very interesting, but how about more rumors and speculation. Northwest? United?

 

[BuffaloJoe]

Actually, there are many coal mining jobs in Appalachia and mining companies are desperately looking to hire. They are paying well but there are few willing to take these jobs. These companies are also having trouble finding people with the work ethic to stick with these jobs. Some mining companies are contemplating hiring migrant workers as today's Generation Nintendo wants nothing to do with hard work.

My Grandfather was a coal miner in PA and from what I heard, it is very hard work.

 

[USFlyer]

Management is doing a "don't worry, be happy" with the SHARES debacle, so I have to believe they are otherwise distracted; the question is

WHAT?

System conversions are always painful. Best thing you can do is push forward, stay positive and work to resolve the issues. I've seen the best planned upgrades go awry. This type of stuff isn't easy, and fact is there are very few IT folks out there who really have both the IT and business acumen to think of every possible thing that could go wrong.

 

[barbeetantrums]

I think Doug Parker is contemplating resigning in the near future and he will dump this afterbirth in Scott "Scooter" Kirby's lap. Everything for a good while will be crisis control. No mergers for the foreseable future. There is a recession coming and we will need to batton the hatches and prepare the lifeboats for any contingencies. Scooter is a numbers guy. The Ultimate Beancounter. Life under this youngster will not be any better and could actually be worse.

 

[jimcfs]

Actually, there are many coal mining jobs in Appalachia and mining companies are desperately looking to hire. They are paying well but there are few willing to take these jobs. These companies are also having trouble finding people with the work ethic to stick with these jobs. Some mining companies are contemplating hiring migrant workers as today's Generation Nintendo wants nothing to do with hard work.

I've lived in WV since '91, Barbee... and that's not what we hear here. There are jobs, but not in the numbers of years past. I think your assessment of the "Generation Nintendo" is very correct. I'm a college prof here, and the makeup of the kids we get compared to 15 years ago is like night and day. These kids are so lazy and unprepared, about all they might be able to do is manual labor... that is if they could follow directions from the foreman.

In fact, the company that owned the now famous Sago mine (where all those miners got trapped a little over a year ago) just announced they were putting that mine on "hold". They were going to operate a skeleton crew to keep it ready to mine. The company blamed the low prices for coal and the lack of yields (getting more rock than coal) as their reason for the shutdown. Doesn't this make one think of another industry where moves are dictated by yields?

 

[Travels2mch]

I think Doug Parker is contemplating resigning in the near future and he will dump this afterbirth.....

That's an interesting adjective 🙂

 

[as the prop turns]

That's an interesting adjective 🙂

Remember, if he leaves of his own accord, he walks away with his golden parachute and millions in cash and stock.
Again, rewarded for ineptness! If terminated, he walks away with nothing.

United? Seriously...you pose a great question.

There's been a lot of wailing (rightfully so) but I think the concern is far beyond just our company. What we're seeing today and what we've seen over the past two decades for that matter is a systemic devaluation of our way of life. We're already seeing the bulk of good, solid American jobs being shipped overseas. Likewise, we're witnessing the disintegration of our culture. Schools are failing despite the fact we have talented people able and willing to teach. The backbone of America is working more than ever before yet struggles just to pay basic expenses. On top of all that, our global sovereignty is in steep decline. We depend on oil from Arabia to fuel our economy and we depend on the Chinese government to fund our deficit spending. It's already apparent that the political change last Novemeber will not result in much of a difference. Washington is beholden to special interests and Wall Street. I guess it's fitting that our Treasury Secretary is none other than a Goldman Sachs exec. Goldman makes billions just being a middle man. Their employees reap untold fortunes just swapping paper. Gone are the coal miners, the shipbuilders, the airplane factories, textiles, steel mills, etc. The vision for today extends no further than the day after tomorrow. So in reality, what's going on at the new USAirways is actually consistent with what's going on in America in general. Pretty scary.

http://jameshowardkunstler.typepad.com/clusterfuck_nation/

scroll down to this comment:

"The airlines have pared down their employee ranks about as far as possible. The scene at the Maui airport this Sunday was a cluster -- largely due to the fact that United airlines had only one person manning the ticket counter, and 98 percent of the visitors have to check through luggage. A couple more rounds of oil price spikes and the airlines are going to be lying tits up with glazed eyes. Perhaps aviation will then reorganize itself on a smaller scale serving only the elite, for a while, anyway. In any case, that will be the end of the mass middle class consumer phase of commercial aviation -- and also of mass middle class type tourism."

Twenty years ago we were all warned about the "dumbing down of America". Today, we are living in that culture.

 

[SS255]

Management is doing a "don't worry, be happy" with the SHARES debacle, so I have to believe they are otherwise distracted; the question is

WHAT?

Quarter 1 ends on Saturday.

 

[Fly4Free]

I just heard a major announcement regarding the purchase of both Delta, American Airlines and Southwest will be made tomorrow.

 

[JMM]

My Grandfather was a coal miner in PA and from what I heard, it is very hard work.

Mine too, died a painful death from black lung. Worked the mines from age 12 until 60.....never forgetting where you came from is VERY important and truely humbles most people!

 

[phasersonstun2]

I think Doug Parker is contemplating resigning in the near future and he will dump this afterbirth...

Afterbirth? Then where the baby at?

 

[singh4us]

I just heard a major announcement regarding the purchase of both Delta, American Airlines and Southwest will be made tomorrow.

Fly, wake up!!! You're having another bad dream!!!