The New Buddypass System Sucks!

[tadjr]

This might be an improvement to all US Airways Employees, but it is not an improvement to all America West Employees.

[post="305158"][/post]​

How do you figure its a benefit to ALL US people?
My parents travel free now, no flexis, no paying. Now, they have to pay.
I still have 8 buddy passes, sure they are cheaper, but I'm not paying for them anyway. No bonus for me.
I was looking forward to getting some flexis to use for upgrades and moving up a category, nothing there.
We dont have to pay for cabin pet. Now, no flexis and pay.
Looks like we both didnt make out as well as we could have, but I'll take what they gave me and get my fellow coworkers to email about what we would have liked to have seen. You seem to make it sound like its this bonus windfall for all of us old US people. It's still good, but not near as exciting and wonderful for us as you make it seem to be. We all need to work together on getting middleseat to see what could become one of the best benefits available.

Quit trying to make it us vs them and work on getting US, ALL OF US, the flying benefits we were hoping for.

 

[TheNewLowFare]

It makes me wonder why the change in the buddypass system.

I heard that America West made $12 million alone on buddypass fares and now they are reducing it. To me I feel that this is just extra revenue for America West 'cause they are not taking confirmed seats. They are just standby. It's just weird for some reason! I wonder who made this decision?

 

[tadjr]

I would think that since HP management isnt aware (who knows if they've been given the numbers) on the current US pass system, they might have decided to play it safe and reign in some of the benefits until they can see how things pan out with the combined carrier. Maybe once they see how much they could be making on more buddy passes, they'll add some. Maybe once they see that the employees arent spending the money to upgrade unless they have to, maybe they'll bring back the flexis (at US we also get upgrades for perfect attendance for the year and for getting good letters).
Think about what part of your flying benefits are REALLY important to you and what you could do without. Let middle seat know what you think and maybe the travel committee will make some great changes. Who knows, why do they have to be things the way EITHER of us does it now? We can come up with lots of new ideas to offer to really give them some things to think about.

 

[EricLv2Fish]

I don't know about you guys, but the new buddypass system is not good.

From 40 passes to 8 ? THat's not improvement.

They reduced it.

[post="305134"][/post]​

<<<Knock, Knock.....Who's there? 2.5 billion dollars to help save your airline! Now stop whining! My goodness....how people just look for things to complain about. Complaining about people losing jobs is understandable but buddy passes....please! If your criteria for judging the new pass system strickly is based on going from 40 to 8 passes, then it shows how near sighted you are. I hate to be so critical, but we really don't need someone stirring discontent in what will be some very trying times ahead. If folks aren't ready to get on board, then get out so the rest of us can work on keeping our new airline viable. Don't be an anchor be an oar. 😉

 

[ClearedToPush]

It makes me wonder why the change in the buddypass system.

I heard that America West made $12 million alone on buddypass fares and now they are reducing it. To me I feel that this is just extra revenue for America West 'cause they are not taking confirmed seats. They are just standby. It's just weird for some reason! I wonder who made this decision?

[post="305262"][/post]​

Use this as an example - I am using the max potential impact of the buddy pass.

The old HP way. If each of the 13,000 employees recieved 40 BP a year that would be 520,000 buddy passes out there. That would be potentially 520,000 passengers that are no longer paying full fare for their ticket. We are able to deal with that by raising the fares to offset that cost. It was almost to the point that the buddy passes were not even a great deal since like everyone said you could never non-rev any way because the flights were so full and for $40 more you could just by a full fare ticket.

Now add the US employees into the mix. They have approx 35,000 employees so that would be an additional 1.4 million passes out there (on top of the 520,000 that HP employees get) That is potentially an additional 1.4 million passengers not paying full fare for tickets.

Hmm... so they decided to drop it down to 8. That is now only 384,000 passengers out there not paying full fare. So now they dont have to charge as much to offset the cost of all those lost passengers, thus making the buddy passes that much more valuable. It will also make it easier to non-rev with a buddy pass because there are even less potential passengers than before.

 

[PHX-F/A]

In my 16 years at America West, I have used every single one of my buddypasses.

The passes allows my parents to travel for FREE instead of paying $30 roundtrip.

By exchanging 3 of my passes to a parent pass. It allowed my parents to travel for free which is $60 in savings. This new pass system SUCKS!!!!! It's horrible! Now they have to pay!

The New US Airways screwed the America West employees big time. Email row23middle@usairways.com or whoever made this decision.

This is not an improvement!

:down: :down: :down: :down:
We at America West really got screwed big time. Not only will our seniority suffers with Date of Hire, Our buddypass system got screwed and reduced. :angry:
I urge all America West employees to email this person row23middle@usairways.com. POOR DECISION AND TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE !!!!

[post="305146"][/post]​

DIVA, buddypasses are of load of crap anyway. You can often book a positive space fare on line for just slightly more and get mileage for it too!

 

[PHX-F/A]

Now that the passes will be issued electronically, I guess you can't trade them to friends. No problem here. Once that slip of paper was out of your hands, you never knew who was going to fly on your pass.

 

[SegmentKing]

and with our buddy passes, once you issue it and pay for it, its electronic until they check in (then the agent prints the flight coupons). This makes giving away buddy passes *MUCH* easier.

I used to work for United where we got 24 one way passes and they were *paper*.

USAir, you get 8 ROUNDTRIP buddy passes that are done electronically, first.....

so while you (diva) may think you are getting screwed, also consider the changes are pretty much down the line with standard industry benefits.

Oh, glad to see the cost is changing on buddy passes! Right now they're a lousy ID90.. :/

 

[airlinedivalish]

buddypasses are of load of crap anyway. You can often book a positive space fare on line for just slightly more and get mileage for it too!

[post="305301"][/post]​

They might be crap to you, but not to me. My parents use them for free passes, I use them for first class upgrades , SA1Ps and my friends use them for buddypasses. It might be crap to you, but it's not to some of us.

 

[multitasker]

airlinedivalish, Since you have been with AWA for 16 years which is 1 more than me, you remember when we only receive 2 buddy passes per quarter. No one seemed to complain back then as I remember. Yes, would could use them to pay for F/C upgrades but had more value than the flexi passes. You may use all of your passes, I have stacks of unsed passes that expired. To me the passes were only good for last minute travel. So if you need additional passes just hit up your friends for some. That's what we used to do!

Also, you need to relax. I know that the merger is a stressful time for all of us. Your posts have a lot of frustation and anger in them. Mergers are never a easy task for any company. No matter what policy,benefit or procedure is presented someone is not going to be happy. Just like in life there are things we have to accept wheather we like them or not. If you are all worked up over this, what are you going to do when we start changing inflght procedures? USA procedures are vastly different than ours. You cannot say USA has to accept all our procedures end of story. Just won't work and maybe some of their procedures may work better than our. Have to wait and see.

So, please relax and try and adjust to the challenges ahead. Continue to express you ideas and opinions. Anger will only make you old faster and die sooner.

 

[MOC A320]

airlinedivalish,
This is a merger, and there is going to be give and take from both sides. Some we will like, some we wont. Personally, I think the new system is a good mix, and they are soliciting feedback from employees, which is fantastic.
As far as how the AWA employees are "getting screwed" , we are not. This is business.
There is no nice way to say this, but please, for your own sake, GROW UP!

[post="305168"][/post]​

Good job I agree with you all the way. The cost for your parents to fly does not take money out of your pocket. It's a little give and take across the board.

 

[airlinedivalish]

Since you have been with AWA for 16 years which is 1 more than me, you remember when we only receive 2 buddy passes per quarter.  No one seemed to complain back then as I remember.  Yes, would could use them to pay for F/C upgrades but had more value than the flexi passes.  You may use all of your passes, I have stacks of unsed passes that expired.  To me the passes were only good for last minute travel.  So if you need additional passes just hit up your friends for some.  That's what we used to do!

Also, you need to relax.  I know that the merger is a stressful time for all of us.  Your posts have a lot of frustation and anger in them.  Mergers are never a easy task for any company.  No matter what policy,benefit or procedure is presented someone is not going to be happy.  Just like in life there are things we have to accept wheather we like them or not.  If you are all worked up over this, what are you going to do when we start changing inflght procedures?  USA procedures are vastly different than ours.  You cannot say USA has to accept all our procedures end of story.  Just won't work and maybe some of their procedures may work better than our.  Have to wait and see.

So, please relax and try and adjust to the challenges ahead.  Continue to express you ideas and opinions.  Anger will only make you old faster and die sooner.

[post="305497"][/post]​

I guess I overreacted and I owe everyone an apology, but this merger is indeed a stressful time. It's just that after reading the S.O.S. letter that a US F/A wrote that we saw in Las Vegas and the letter by their LEC Officer Laura. It sounded very vicious and made all of us concerned. I'm pregnant right now and I don't need this, so it is pretty emotional time. I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens.

 

[proudf/a]

I guess I overreacted and I owe everyone an apology, but this merger is indeed a stressful time. It's just that after reading the S.O.S. letter that a US F/A wrote that we saw in Las Vegas and the letter by their LEC Officer Laura. It sounded very vicious and made all of us concerned. I'm pregnant right now and I don't need this, so it is pretty emotional time. I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens.

[post="305530"][/post]​

Congratulations on your pregnancy. I can tell you, from experience. This need not be that stressful. DOH on a system seniority list will not change your bidding status in your respective bases. DOH sounds very scarey, however AFA represents 8000 of US f/a's and what nearly 3000 or so AWA. They have to represent us all fairly. The idea of them taking away any seniority that we have accrued is VERY unlikely, just like the idea of awarding AWA f/a's seniority that you havent accrued is also unlikely. I didnt like it when over 1000 f/a's at PSA were senior to me, nor did I enjoy the over 2000 at Piedmont, but you have to respect the fact that they have worked at this job, many more yrs and deserve to be treated as such. I looked at it this way, yeah they may be 20 yrs senior to me, I will out last them. We just lost over 600 as of Dec 1 due to retirements/buyouts. The most jr seniority on that I believe (dont quote me) is 1996. So you really do need to relax, enjoy your pregnancy. I wish you all the best. 😀

 

[tahitigirl]

I know this is off subject, but what S.O.S. letter?

🙂Congrates on the baby! 🙂

 

[TheNewLowFare]

I think I know what she's talking about. I haven't seen the letter yet, but I have heard about it.

Don't worry airline, it will be okay. You have more seniority than me and I'm not concerned at all.

Stressing about this is not good for you or the baby. I suggest you stay away from the forum for a while and stop listening to rumours.


Cheers! 🙂