cltrat
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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz there were times you were funny, now you're just jaded and arrogant typical
US Airways to Customers--NO IFE for You!
- Thread starter Art at ISP
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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz there were times you were funny, now you're just jaded and arrogant typical
aredeeyou22
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Is CO enjoying a significant revenue premium in coach class over, say, AA, NW, etc, by having these TV's?
Your old precious USAirways was ran into the ground long before Parker and Bros ever showed up.
CLT-Douglas
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At least this is one thing US Airways can't screw up the rest of the industry for passengers that are currently offered IFE for free.
vantheman63
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If CO's 1st Qtr performance...as well as nearly ever other quarterly performance, is any indication...the answer would be "yes."
US "positioning" or "identity" is "we get you there, on time, with you bags." As I heard it repeated again, "customers chose timing and price 99.9% of the time."
Question for Mr. Kirby: "If customers chose timing of the flight and price, 99.9% of the time, why even have a Frequent Flyer program? Why not squeeze another 2 rows of seats in? Why DID the airline go back to giving drinks away? By your statement and assertion Mr. Kirby, customers only care about 2 things. Guess what? You're WRONG!"
Furthermore, IF customers only chose base on price, Mr. Kirby, you should consider "running the white surrender flag up the pole." Reason being, as any first year business student would tell you, "if you need to compete on price, you damned well better be running THE most efficient operation in the industry you are playing as someone will ALWAYS get their price lower than yours."
Now, to be sure, I can't honestly say I've ever picked a flight because of the meal served or the IFE....but you know what's REALLY right up there with time and price? Comfort. And guess what comfort is? Its a function of a number of things, which include personal space, seating, IFE, etc.
Let me put it another way....as I've been saying for a while now: "Chose US ONLY when there is no other way or when its so insanely cheap, you'd need your head examined for not taking the carrier."
All other things equal, like timing and price, give me nearly every other airline out there.
I feel bad for the employees at US...and I can't believe someone can't offer up friggin WICKED simple challenges to the stupidity tossed at people during a "town hall" meeting.
Does this really surprise anyone? No, this is not a Kirby sucks and Parker blows thing, nor is it a well all was great until the merger thing. Simply you have a VP of operations and VP of inflight who when they last worked together took the IFE out of the entire domestic fleet there as well. Why did anyone expect them to act any different at US than they did at NW. It may suck, it may degrade the product further still, but in the end they sadly were both right, fuel was saved and passengers still bought tickets. If only the very same customers who so vocally rant (justifiably) would just vote with their wallets this crap wouldn't keep happening. Sadly though, while many do just that, the majority will still book the degraded product if it is cheaper, or if the schedule is better, or of course in some cases when it is the only nonstop choice. If all customers would just take the tack that I don't care if I spend 100 times more, make 2 extra connections, and have to fly all night I will only book the best product this crap would go away faster than May bookings to MEX.
I think people have lost sight of what an airline is. In its purest form it is transportation from point A to point B. An airline has to get the basics right first before anything else. If you can get the customer to where they want to go safely, on time with their bags you are doing what you set out to do. Now you have to create additional value to woo customers to choose your airline over another even if your airline charges more. The key is to find something people are willing to pay for. That could be frequency, comfort, FF plan or entertainment. There is also a limit to how much people will pay for these items. Even if you have a "superior" product most people will not pay a $100 premium for some of these value items.
vantheman63
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I think you are exactly right...but here's where the "US Philosophy" breaks down: "Now you have to create additional value to woo customers to choose your airline over another.."
Unless the airline can operate with efficiencies others can't...therefore being able to be profitable at lower prices..the positioning and identity won't work.
In other words, if a traveler is buying "transportation from point A to point B," say, PVD-FLL....one airline stops at EWR, another PHL, still another CLT...prices are the same, times are within 30 minutes of one another....
How does a consumer then chose?
I would argue, and by way of US' actions, they would agree, consumers WILL chose based on value...value added. Put it this way, if people DID NOT really care about "free beverages," WHY are they back???
The fact is, US offers the lowest and worst value, sadly. While Mr. Kriby continues to pontificate that 99.9% of pax will chose "price and time" before everything else, their actions speak otherwise...as do the pocket books of millions of passengers.
It is transportation...ultimately, I do pay to get from point A to point B....but if US offers the same price as, say, CO...and CO has better seating, better service, better overall value....why would I chose US?
Again, the positioning or "identity" of US means this: "Fly the airline ONLY when there is no other way to get from point A to point B or when the price is so insanely low, you'd need your head examined if you chose someone else."
At the end of the day, when Mr. Kirby says, "99.9% of all pax chose their transportation based on time and price," he's essentially bolstering my thoughts of when someone should chose US Airways...and at the same time, his ideas are counter intuitive to even HAVING a FF program....not to mention "free" drinks, etc.
I certainly agree with the notion that US has an identity crisis. Though I do think that was inherent considering the disparity of the two parties involved. I see the problem as an issue that the past management had when transitioning from a west coast airline and an east coast airline to a national airline. From all outward appearances it seems that they focused too much on what worked for them and less on what would work for a national airline as a whole. When you spend most of your career fighting WN tooth and nail I have no doubt it would be difficult to change my thought process on how to run an airline. I will say though that I have seen some promising developments from management. I remain cautiously optimistic about the future of US.
I have been told by some people working with the Lumexis trial that it went over VERY well. They have learned a lot about what the customers are looking for in an IFE system and how much they are willing to pay for it. Unfortunately the current lack of credit available on the open market is forcing them to hold off on a decision. (And I do think that is the truth.) This also might be a good time to get another IFE provider to compete for US's business in order to get the best bargain.
I have been told by some people working with the Lumexis trial that it went over VERY well. They have learned a lot about what the customers are looking for in an IFE system and how much they are willing to pay for it. Unfortunately the current lack of credit available on the open market is forcing them to hold off on a decision. (And I do think that is the truth.) This also might be a good time to get another IFE provider to compete for US's business in order to get the best bargain.
fudgerunyard
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What a crappy airline US Airways is. I've never flown them (thank GOD) but they sound like they're a 3rd rate fly-by-night operation. Cheap is as cheap does.
aredeeyou22
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I know, can you believe that NOBODY will lend money in the current economic environment to install an amenity that the majority of travelers are not willing to pay more for? :blink: Shocking!
aredeeyou22
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Sounds like the majority of travelers that Kirby refers to: IFE does not drive the decision, price does. Meals do not drive the decision, price does. Free drinks do not drive the decision, price does.
Agreed! It's common sense to fly a carrier which includes more amenities in the price of the ticket, even if they are not able to charge a premium for those amenities.
Mixed message in that last quote. Do you really feel badly for us, or do you think we're stupid?
My oh MY aren;t we bitter. Maybe u should fly another ailine and see how MANy folks pay for amenitiies. Best example is Jetblue. FYI, smartmouth DL is re-installing all IFE on NW jets. Face it US cant compete with anyone. They have no clue as to what they are doing. PRAy somebody buys their pieces- thats all they are worth right now.aredeeyou22
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Me? Not bitter at all. Just an opposing opinion.
If you read my posts, I realize that the flying experience is more enhanced on most other airlines. I realize that JetBlue has TV's and Delta is installing them as well. Problem is, the majority of air travelers today are not willing to pay more for those amenities.
Clear now?
