Harry Callahan
Veteran
+1000 to what my friend Art so very well stated above.
US Airways profit projected to soar
- Thread starter tadjr
- Start date
SparrowHawk
Veteran
- Nov 30, 2009
- 7,824
- 2,707
Oh I forgot to mention that when we changed our name from the "Cockroaches" to FFOCUS, The acronym stood for:
Frequent Flyers Organized & Committed to US Airways Success.
Our Original goal was to see US Airways SURVIVE & perhaps even THRIVE! We gave out candy as a morale booster EVERY time we traveled. We visited the CP Desk several times with HUNDREDS of dollars of Candy. There is a great deal more we did which is now immaterial.
We did this on our own dime, right up until Art got what he got from the new team post merger. Everyone but me on the Policy Board has turned away from US AIrways. I felt if I were to be a good customer advocate then I needed to fly US in order to fully understand the product and the complaints I receive.
The problems with the relationship between US and its Elites is now so bad that a USA Today Reporter couldn't fine ONE Dividend Miles Member to be interviewed that would say something nice and when the company provided one they thought would say nice things, that person buried US as well.
Sound Operations and Profit are good things to be sure. However they become suspect when you look at the wages/benefits of the average worker, the customer discontent it should give one pause. Is this current streak of profitability built upon a house of cards or shifting sands? Or is it part of the structure of a well managed business enterprise?
Personally I think it a house of cards as sooner or later somebody NOT named Parker/Kirby et al will be getting raises, particularly the pilots. After this whole seniority thing gets squared away you're going to have one onery pissed off pilots group looking to make more than Spirit pays. Same goes for every work group. Could we se a strike? YES, I think the potential is there for multiple strikes.
After all the contracts are settled, US will have higher Labor costs that will impact profits. Couple that with the exodus of high yield Elites and things could get dicey profit wise.
I think the strategy is to look all spiffy so when the merger offer hits, the big boys can cash out and ride off into the sunset. Let's call it the "Thirty Pieces of Silver" business plan.
Frequent Flyers Organized & Committed to US Airways Success.
Our Original goal was to see US Airways SURVIVE & perhaps even THRIVE! We gave out candy as a morale booster EVERY time we traveled. We visited the CP Desk several times with HUNDREDS of dollars of Candy. There is a great deal more we did which is now immaterial.
We did this on our own dime, right up until Art got what he got from the new team post merger. Everyone but me on the Policy Board has turned away from US AIrways. I felt if I were to be a good customer advocate then I needed to fly US in order to fully understand the product and the complaints I receive.
The problems with the relationship between US and its Elites is now so bad that a USA Today Reporter couldn't fine ONE Dividend Miles Member to be interviewed that would say something nice and when the company provided one they thought would say nice things, that person buried US as well.
Sound Operations and Profit are good things to be sure. However they become suspect when you look at the wages/benefits of the average worker, the customer discontent it should give one pause. Is this current streak of profitability built upon a house of cards or shifting sands? Or is it part of the structure of a well managed business enterprise?
Personally I think it a house of cards as sooner or later somebody NOT named Parker/Kirby et al will be getting raises, particularly the pilots. After this whole seniority thing gets squared away you're going to have one onery pissed off pilots group looking to make more than Spirit pays. Same goes for every work group. Could we se a strike? YES, I think the potential is there for multiple strikes.
After all the contracts are settled, US will have higher Labor costs that will impact profits. Couple that with the exodus of high yield Elites and things could get dicey profit wise.
I think the strategy is to look all spiffy so when the merger offer hits, the big boys can cash out and ride off into the sunset. Let's call it the "Thirty Pieces of Silver" business plan.
Dont call me Shirley
Veteran
Art and Sparrow, you are spot on. Again.
Travelpro72
Veteran
- Jan 30, 2005
- 4,964
- 455
Art and Sparrow...THANK YOU! ! ! ! This is exactly the problem with this place. The management team that has treated you and every other elite as they have while employees forget JUST how important you are to the bottom line. Look, we are profitable now and showing great strength. Can the same be said for your working conditions and most importantly your PAYCHECK? I'm guessing no. As mentioned we are basically the lowest paid employees. Look at the F/A pay! OK? Look at the Pilot pay? As mentioned, Spirit pays their pilots more. 
It's all a bunch of BS.
It's all a bunch of BS.
Black Magic
Veteran
- Jan 4, 2008
- 937
- 552
"Thirty Pieces of Silver" plan. I love it! Very true
I still believe to this day that the awa/us merger was only a small piece to the puzzle that DP wanted. They were already and still are looking ahead for a big player like Delta or United to be part of.
I still believe to this day that the awa/us merger was only a small piece to the puzzle that DP wanted. They were already and still are looking ahead for a big player like Delta or United to be part of.
BoeingBoy
Veteran
- Nov 9, 2003
- 16,512
- 5,865
The question is whether someone like DL or UA wants US. Wanting something and getting it are two different things.
Jim
Asked and answered already
galley princess
Senior
- Nov 4, 2007
- 384
- 263
It is rare that I agree with everything an obviously "nonononononon visiting member of a potential merger partner" posts on the US board, but everything aafsc said is true, as is Art's assertion that the "profit" could easily disappear once a business plan that is dependent on the lowest paid employees in the industry is forced to change.
AWA has had five extremely low cost years compared to the rest of the industry. One would think that the profits would be cascading in, but they're basically just keeping up. Lately they've been showing signs of waking up to the need for umm, customer service but US still has leagues to go. Around merger time there were many voices of alarm as corporate contracts walked away, basically told Good riddance, you're too needy by AWA.
Now, in the PHL crew room there's some kind of sign indicating the value and dollars of a corporate Envoy flyer. Really?
Neither pilots nor F/As have a contract five years later. AWA is going to run out of time and F/As will strike, causing yet another confirmation that US is a basket case company who can't manage their people or their airline. The power of "don't you want to keep your job?" has faded from EAST f/as. Too many have sidelines, are bordering retirement and some are just too ticked off to care. I know a few twelve year F/As that are now wrestling with the increasingly obvious reality that they chose the wrong airline and are contemplating employment with DELTA, who apparently is hiring. They'll be off reserve in about two-three years, something that isn't going to happen here.
So yes, it'll be great for management if there's a profit. For the employees? Not so much.
AWA has had five extremely low cost years compared to the rest of the industry. One would think that the profits would be cascading in, but they're basically just keeping up. Lately they've been showing signs of waking up to the need for umm, customer service but US still has leagues to go. Around merger time there were many voices of alarm as corporate contracts walked away, basically told Good riddance, you're too needy by AWA.
Now, in the PHL crew room there's some kind of sign indicating the value and dollars of a corporate Envoy flyer. Really?
Neither pilots nor F/As have a contract five years later. AWA is going to run out of time and F/As will strike, causing yet another confirmation that US is a basket case company who can't manage their people or their airline. The power of "don't you want to keep your job?" has faded from EAST f/as. Too many have sidelines, are bordering retirement and some are just too ticked off to care. I know a few twelve year F/As that are now wrestling with the increasingly obvious reality that they chose the wrong airline and are contemplating employment with DELTA, who apparently is hiring. They'll be off reserve in about two-three years, something that isn't going to happen here.
So yes, it'll be great for management if there's a profit. For the employees? Not so much.
does this plane go to paris
Senior
Meanwhile, US Airways is projecting a pretty high and mighty profit.[b] Charlotte is a very strong candidate for the 2012 DNC, one of the fastest growing economies in the USA with an average of 100,000 new jobs a month,b new terminals at CLT are underway, new check-in's, etc. etc. at CLT. There is that rumor of US getting up to 710 daily flights at CLT.
I have to question the data where CLT is adding 100,00 new jobs a month. Can you post the source please.
I would say it's safe to say that many cities and airports are using Obama's money to upgrade airports. The state of Nevada and in particular city of Las Vegas has a high unemployement rate and home foreclosures. There is a brand new terminal, baggage claim, parking etc about to open. SAN is in the beginning of new construction.
Profits, if they are coming and are able to be sustained, are only giving US breathing room. US has hocked just about every asset they could get their hands on and have debt out their ying yang. The perception in the industry is that HP employee's were advised many times that they should be content with having a job. That worked with the BK in the 90's and near BK post 9/11. When DP went to the bankers on Wall Street to get funding, I'm sure they, the bankers were skeptical. He sold them a new plan. Remember the transcons that failed miserably? In 2004/05 with US in the BK court, I'm sure that DP was able to convince wall street that he needed US to add bulk to his vision. With the artifical low employee wages and benefits, US should have been profitable every year.
I have to question the data where CLT is adding 100,00 new jobs a month. Can you post the source please.
I would say it's safe to say that many cities and airports are using Obama's money to upgrade airports. The state of Nevada and in particular city of Las Vegas has a high unemployement rate and home foreclosures. There is a brand new terminal, baggage claim, parking etc about to open. SAN is in the beginning of new construction.
Profits, if they are coming and are able to be sustained, are only giving US breathing room. US has hocked just about every asset they could get their hands on and have debt out their ying yang. The perception in the industry is that HP employee's were advised many times that they should be content with having a job. That worked with the BK in the 90's and near BK post 9/11. When DP went to the bankers on Wall Street to get funding, I'm sure they, the bankers were skeptical. He sold them a new plan. Remember the transcons that failed miserably? In 2004/05 with US in the BK court, I'm sure that DP was able to convince wall street that he needed US to add bulk to his vision. With the artifical low employee wages and benefits, US should have been profitable every year.
I don't have much of an issue with anything you stated in your post, but I do question your very last statement. US was profitable up until 2008 when oil spiked and the economy went into the tank. The economy is slowly recovering, but oil prices have moderated, and in 2010 US is projected to make a profit. They may be doing so on our backs, but in all fairness the huge of losses of 2008-09 were largely due to macroeconomic issues that were largely--aside from our hedging mistakes--out of management's control.
Phoenix
Veteran
1.2 Million jobs in a year.. in Charlotte alone! Good thing Bush is finally out of the way. He was holding us back more than we knew.
flybynite
Veteran
Oh!! That's a lie.
Dog Wonder
Veteran
1.2 Million jobs in a year.. in Charlotte alone! Good thing Bush is finally out of the way. He was holding us back more than we knew.
They just invented indoor plumbimg in Charlotte, too.
autofixer
Veteran
http://hubpages.com/hub/Charlotte-North-Carolina-the-Queen-City-for-Jobs
