Us Airways Determines Washington

[Tim Nelson]

Tim,
Your thoughts are interesting but I don't really think the American people think that any handling of the airline industry will be viewed politically. The legacy airlines have had such a bad reputation for so long that the public is more interested in seeing them put out of their misery and off the front page of the Bad News Times. Further, most people recognize that the problems the legacy airlines will face cannot be solved by either party but must be fixed by the industry itself.

It is also a bit foolhardy to think that US will be spared to save UA - again for the same reason as above. The US government and the American people are no more interested in saving an airline than they are in saving the peacock at NBC. Pan Am and Eastern were far more venerable airlines in their days than US and the American people honestly didn't get real worked up when either failed. It really is a bit egotistical to think that any company except for one as big and commerically important to the US such as Boeing is big enough that it will shape national policy.

Finally, how many airline employees do you think are undecided anyway? Labor unions almost exclusively endorse Democrats. If US employees plan to vote for Bush/Cheney, they are doing it for reasons other than the labor-management issues facing US and the rest of the legacy industry. If they aren't decided, they are far more likely to rank other issues as being far more important than USAirways.

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I think the analogy of Pan Am/ Eastern when compared to US AIRWAYS ultimately fails. The context was clearly different. And although I agree that the American people might care less about another fallen airline, I focused my discussion on the people of the commonwealth of PA which will care deeply about losing a carrier that is probably somewhere around the top 15 employers in PA or perhaps top 10.

Pan Am and Eastern liquidations weren't in the context of happening right before a a re-election that can be won or lost by one state. And even though I agree with you that a US AIRWAYS liquidation is something small in the whole, this potential 'small feather' will be magnified enough to tip the 'even teeter' in PA and thereby possibly handing the wavering Kerry the Presidency.
I believe Bush knows this, separate from his feelings regarding US AIRWAYS or the entire airline industry.

Liquidation just doesn't seem possible if politics are at play in the field. Of course, anything after Nov. 2 is unclear.

regards.

 

[luvn737s]

Piney-
Just how has the consumer been screwed? Were they provided with the safest form of transport available? Was this service provided in equipment that has incorporated ever-evolving technology in pursuit of providing safe travel? Have airlines been reaping obscene profits at your expense? What part of the contract between the airline and you did they not fulfill?

I hired a plumber to repair a broken water main at my house. Sure he came on time and did the work great and saved me a bunch in water costs, but the #$%$^ guy couldn't even bring me a Coke for the 4 hours I watched him. $475 I spent and not even a lousy Coke, can you believe that?!!

Screwed indeed!

 

[LGA Fleet Service]

Did you hire a plumber to fix the main or "Bring you a *&%@&^ing Coke"? :blink:

 

[diogenes]

. Most think of it as glorious, sexually, high falootin' job with big buck jobs and all Flight Attendants are members of the MILE HIGH CLUB and we have the best thing since sliced bread.





Sex? @!#$%it, I knew I had missed out on the fun part of this job!!!