Undercover Boss

[Interested]

Anyone here watch that show on CBS? I wonder what the chances of our CEO or President taking some time and working side by side with some of the mechanics and Fleet Service people at our larger/busier stations? I guess that will never happen.

 

[Heavy C]

Probably not, Arpey did his his time in the Hole as a bag smasher" with CAL I believe". They don't give a rats ASS about the people that actually run this company, and I'm not talking about Management, "which we have too many of". It's the frontline employees that run this company and AA better realize this. We are pissed off and simply we should not take it anymore.

 

[TWU informer]

Years ago Bob Crandall did some time working different jobs including Ramp. The program then was called "Walk a Day in My Shoes". After Mr. Crandall worked the ramp area, there were some now equipment purchases made shorty after. Today's leader just hires a consulting firm, sits on their ass, gets bonus awards, and then complains labor cost are the problem.

 

[1AA]

Ain't that the truth.

 

[Interested]

Sometimes I wonder where AA would be if Bob Crandall were still in charge.

 

[TWU informer]

Sometimes I wonder where AA would be if Bob Crandall were still in charge.

Smaller, More Profitable, and Less Union/Consulting Firm Management. 2003 would not have been a union decision, the airline would have laid-off, shrunk in size, and then a new growth plan would have been implemented by 2007. Quite possibly bankruptcy would have occurred right along with the others. The fleet would have been standardized long ago. Eagle would be gone/sold off and AA would have been purchasiing 100 seat aircrat flown by AA Pilots.

We would have already had early retirements and he would have hired replacements without defined pensions to average down cost. Management would be doing their jobs or shipped out. James C. Little would have probably been fired while working in management and we wouldn't even know his name.

Unions would still be holding protest rallies outside HDQ every now and then, but we would all know where we stand, and AA would have a direction instead of continuous revolving door of consulting firms trying to define our direction. We would all dislike him, but respect him.

IMHO of course

 

[will fix for food]

Eagle would be gone/sold off and AA would have been purchasiing 100 seat aircrat flown by AA Pilots.

I thought Crandalls grand plan was for A/A to fly international and transcon and Eagle to take the domestic network.

 

[Barfbag]

I thought Crandalls grand plan was for A/A to fly international and transcon and Eagle to take the domestic network.

Although Bob, took his first Airlines steps with TWA, I don't think he would have purchased TWA assets years later. He certainly would have lobbied strongly in Washington for the end of bankruptcy protection that ailing airline company hide and then reappear.

Bob, the chain smoker that he was, wouldn't last a minute throwing bags in a 757 belly without the carpet.

Arpey could make it through the day, maybe.

Then again our real boss is Willie Walch the CEO at BA.

I don't think Willie is ready to come out and play on the ramp just yet.

 

[eolesen]

I thought Crandalls grand plan was for A/A to fly international and transcon and Eagle to take the domestic network.

Yes. He also outsourced a guard dog with a tape recorder once to save money.

Ain't revisionist history grand?

You guys crack me up. You couldn't wait for Crandall to sail off and be lost at sea. Now you're pining away for his triumphant return.

 

[Interested]

One thing I can say about Bob is that, I enjoyed his famous but now extinct presidents conference. Right, wrong, truth or lies, at least he came and talked to us.

 

[Barfbag]

One thing I can say about Bob is that, I enjoyed his famous but now extinct presidents conference. Right, wrong, truth or lies, at least he came and talked to us.

Bob was well respected throughout the entire airlines industry as being the Boss, much like Stienbrenner at the NY Yankees.

After almost being in the grasps of Lorenzo, then cannibalised by Ichan, followed by a string of money-grabbing loser CEOs and Presidents at TWA.

Yes; Bob's return to TWA would have been welcomed indeed.

Every airline was pining for Bob at the time.

 

[enough already]

You guys crack me up. You couldn't wait for Crandall to sail off and be lost at sea. Now you're pining away for his triumphant return.

Most any CEO would be a thorn in a union's side. At least with Mr. Crandall you knew that the compAAny would be run well. B)

 

[JFK Fleet Service]

You couldn't wait for Crandall to sail off and be lost at sea. Now you're pining away for his triumphant return.

We're pining away for leadership with some genetic as well as intestinal fortitude,some vision,someone who won't simply retreat in the face of competition or allow the unabated degradation of the product.

Crandall wouldn't stand idly by as Delta flexes its muscles in New York and other markets either.

 

[Barfbag]

We're pining away for leadership with some genetic as well as intestinal fortitude,some vision,someone who won't simply retreat in the face of competition or allow the unabated degradation of the product.

Crandall wouldn't stand idly by as Delta flexes its muscles in New York and other markets either.

It's over Fleet, the white flag was raised a while back.

We were left with our bayonets on, sitting in the trenches.

It's a new world now, or should I say One World.

We will now take our orders now from Berlin, I mean London.

 

[787nightmare]

While in TULE, I heard stories about Crandall that were very interesting.
Large crowded meetings with rank and file. Emp stories told to Bob about equipment needing to be replaced, added or repaired.
Crandall would look over the TULE management and say,"who's in charge of there area"?...."I want them to have a(fill in the blank here)by tomorrow. They need the tools to do there jobs!".
I also heard about his willingness to pay A/Ps a good wage, but had a big problem with paying the entry level positions the money the TWU wanted to get them. Which is only good business sense IMO.
He also was the author of the "B scale". Pilots and mechanics alike. Which I dislike and feel like it's pure BS. But it's how he handled the TWU and ALPA.

Also, tales of Crandall ripping the blinds off the windows at HDQTRs, when it was discovered that AA failed to seize an opportunity or got the short end of the stick. He had a temper! And didn't have much patience with incompetence.

Like him or hate him...there was never any question about Crandalls grit or him playing to win! He took no #### from anyone.
He had an airline to run. And he knew how to do it. You have to respect that...