US Airways' plans shift in travel slump

Unfortunately this is essentially the same article they've been writing for two decades. Costs too high and an identity crisis.
 
My opinion only - US needs to stop trying to compete with WN, and start competing with the likes of CO and UA. Once a legacy, always a legacy. Just be a good legacy airline. Dump the old dirty 737's and be a good airline with a good product.
 
You may be right, but there's a lot of America West in the current US Airways, and the former America West competed extensively with WN, although not always successfully. Could be that's all they know in Tempe.
 
I wish you guys would repaint your planes the dark blue or bare metal and become what you used to be. The business mans airline! I flew Us right before 9/11 to I think FLL or MIA and it was on a new Airbus, I felt so jealous at the time. With the dark uniforms and planes, everyone looked so professional.
 
It's generating an extra $160 million a year by charging fees for services such as checking bags and choosing preferred seats.

What happened to the $400-500 million a year that Parker/Kirby bragged about?

Jim
 
I take back what I said about the 737s. I'm on one right now that has all new seat covers and is pretty clean. So what I should have said is ... Clean the 737s. :)

And bring back the old us airways!!!
 
"US Airway has improved customer service from two years ago, when it ranked at or near the bottom in on-time arrivals, mishandled bags and complaints.

Today, it's at or near the top in all those categories, though research, both internal and external, indicates that most consumers have yet to change their poor opinion of the carrier"

Near the top in all three categories?
 
I take back what I said about the 737s. I'm on one right now that has all new seat covers and is pretty clean. So what I should have said is ... Clean the 737s. :)

And bring back the old us airways!!!
:down: no u were right the first time...DUMP the 737's and bring back the USAirways that Wolfe WAS creating. It was THE only time in memory that US was a real player. Tempe is clueless on how to run any airline.
 
Dayum, this company keeps getting kicked in its teeth over and over....they must look like someone who lives in WV by now, hahahaha.

Its ok U, there are SOME good employees over there, stay strong.
 
In hindsight, HP should have dispensed with the "US Airways" name, and just re-named the entire operation "America West." I think that much of US's current identity crisis can be traced back to retaining the US Airways name......and thus the brand image that went along with it. They set up an expectation level among the former US's client base, and failed to live up to that expectation level.

At least the HP brand was clear, and certainly solid and respectable here on the West Coast. They never, ever should have kept the US Airways name unless they were going to maintain the brand, as well.

And when they promised customers that they would take the best features of both frequent flier programs....and then ended up taking the worst........they just alienated customers from both airlines.

I think management needs a do-over. :rolleyes:
 
Trying to be both a LCC and a World Class carrier is impossible. It's like trying to play Basketball and Ice Hockey at the same time. You won't succeed at either.

AWA did a pretty admirable job against WN compared to many other carriers. It faced them longer and more directly than any other major and still made money doing it. When it combined with US, it was compelled to keep the pipelines of cash flowing (i.e. regional feed from every podunk city, a small international presence, congested hubs) even if all those pipelines weren't profitable. It was the complete opposite of what United did with TED (trying to add LCC to a legacy rather than add a legacy to an LCC) but with the same dismal results.

To be a major international player would require either bootstrap cash (none to be had) or merging with a major international player (who probably already has what US could offer, except cash).

To be a dominant LCC would require much higher utilization, the abandonment of distracting elements such as the small international operation and the immense regional feed and a complete overhaul of the contract and the way crews are paid. Even then, you'd have to prove you can run a reliable operation before the cash runs out.

I would say the best alternative is to split the airline up into two airlines that serve entirely different audiences. Before you say "that's TED all over again" there would be NO overlap. It would be like Southwest operating side by side with Lufthansa. Take the best of the LCC and the best of an International Airline that made no pretense about serving places like Duboise, PA with a one-stop flight. International would operate out of high-yield cities only not hubs (different from LH, I know). The International side would be O&D only and the LCC side would rely very little on hubs, but serve high yield domestic cities with great frequency and go point to point. Regional airlines would be spun off as independents and could time their flights to coincide with LCC or International Arrivals and Departures, but they would assume all the risk.

Bringing back the old USAir is never going to happen. Building a successful airline (or two) out of what's left over from the old one and AWA might be impossible as well, but it might be the only strategy that stands a chance of success.