Folks, I want to tell you something.
I am a former U employee. I worked for mainline for 3 years in the mid-90's when I was younger and just out of college, until I was laid off. Since then, I have moved on to much bigger and better things. I am a CP traveling weekly for a company where I make 6 figures/year.
I am unique in that I see things from both sides... as a former employee that worked for this company while it was quite large, and as a customer that has traveled during its 'late 90's heyday' and still uses only U today.
I am here to tell you that US Airways will not liquidate. Not only will U not liquidate, but things will eventually start improving. I worked for this company back in 94, and we were all so prideful when we overcame everything back then. It does make me sad, as a customer, to see what is going on now, but I will tell you something...
This company is the most resilient company I have ever dealt with. The frontline people, my former colleagues, are the best in the industry - there is no denying it. People may post that "the folks in CLT seem so gloomy" or whatnot, but what do you expect? The company is going through a tough time right now. But guess what? We went through tough times when we bought PDT & PSA. We went through tough times in 94' and 00' when we thought UA was going to take us over. And after all of that, we are still here. Sure, LCC competition was not the same back then, but there MUST be ways to overcome that. Does JetBlue fly to FCO, our largest single market revenue maker? NO! We have the upper hand on many destinations!
US airways is a company that is actually many companies that have combinded over the years, and somehow, the folks have managed to bond and create a sense of stability and calm in my mind. There are many folks in PIT that lived in California for years, and were forced to transfer when we cut all out California routes. There are also tons of native PIT's who contribute to this company. Taking just this great airport into consideration, all of these different people create a company whose employees realize they all have a common goal... to survive in today's industry. This mixture of cultures also creates an environment that is exicitng to travel in.
The 'experts' have all predicted at least 10 different times that UAIR would dissappear in the past ten years. Their predictions never came through, even though WOLFGANG tried as hard as they could to get rid of us. I truly believe this means something. I do agree, that the current situation is worse than it has been in the past. But instead of selling assets, I hold faith that this team will once again find ways to utilize the jewels we hold in LGA, DCA, and BOS. If we have been able to hold on this long, I truly believe we will survive. Let's stop with the negativity here, and consider what we can do as both customers and employees to help our own cause. Give the customers an extra smile; tell our business associates to fly US whenever possible, send management even MORE emails; promise ourselves that we will do WHATEVER it takes to save this company! Most importantly, don't buy in to all of the UCT talk that some like to throw out. If we all worked together, an "inevatable merger" wouldn't be necessary. If we had profits again, we could become a domanant carrier, even out west.
Let God be with us all, and best of luck. I have too many friends at this company, and as I say to my many friends at the airports, I don't know how to travel any other way. There are so many of us out here that would feel uncomfortable traveling with DL, AA, or even UA on a regular basis. Let's all work to save ourselves! As a CP, I promise all of the U folks that I will work hard to save you, and I hope you do everything possible to save yourselves!
People say that the company "finds ways" to have fiscal losses. Let me ask you this: as much as some of Dave Siegel's choices have been suspect, don't you think he would love to be in charge of a profitable company? Wouldn't he be happy knowing he led a company back from the brink? Nobody can convince me he is trying to run this company into the ground, because nobody wants to be a failed leader. These "winter storms" aren't excuses for losses, they are a reality. Yes, he makes a crap load of money already... but why don't people realize he would be making a lot more (on stock options, for example) if we were successful.
I am a former U employee. I worked for mainline for 3 years in the mid-90's when I was younger and just out of college, until I was laid off. Since then, I have moved on to much bigger and better things. I am a CP traveling weekly for a company where I make 6 figures/year.
I am unique in that I see things from both sides... as a former employee that worked for this company while it was quite large, and as a customer that has traveled during its 'late 90's heyday' and still uses only U today.
I am here to tell you that US Airways will not liquidate. Not only will U not liquidate, but things will eventually start improving. I worked for this company back in 94, and we were all so prideful when we overcame everything back then. It does make me sad, as a customer, to see what is going on now, but I will tell you something...
This company is the most resilient company I have ever dealt with. The frontline people, my former colleagues, are the best in the industry - there is no denying it. People may post that "the folks in CLT seem so gloomy" or whatnot, but what do you expect? The company is going through a tough time right now. But guess what? We went through tough times when we bought PDT & PSA. We went through tough times in 94' and 00' when we thought UA was going to take us over. And after all of that, we are still here. Sure, LCC competition was not the same back then, but there MUST be ways to overcome that. Does JetBlue fly to FCO, our largest single market revenue maker? NO! We have the upper hand on many destinations!
US airways is a company that is actually many companies that have combinded over the years, and somehow, the folks have managed to bond and create a sense of stability and calm in my mind. There are many folks in PIT that lived in California for years, and were forced to transfer when we cut all out California routes. There are also tons of native PIT's who contribute to this company. Taking just this great airport into consideration, all of these different people create a company whose employees realize they all have a common goal... to survive in today's industry. This mixture of cultures also creates an environment that is exicitng to travel in.
The 'experts' have all predicted at least 10 different times that UAIR would dissappear in the past ten years. Their predictions never came through, even though WOLFGANG tried as hard as they could to get rid of us. I truly believe this means something. I do agree, that the current situation is worse than it has been in the past. But instead of selling assets, I hold faith that this team will once again find ways to utilize the jewels we hold in LGA, DCA, and BOS. If we have been able to hold on this long, I truly believe we will survive. Let's stop with the negativity here, and consider what we can do as both customers and employees to help our own cause. Give the customers an extra smile; tell our business associates to fly US whenever possible, send management even MORE emails; promise ourselves that we will do WHATEVER it takes to save this company! Most importantly, don't buy in to all of the UCT talk that some like to throw out. If we all worked together, an "inevatable merger" wouldn't be necessary. If we had profits again, we could become a domanant carrier, even out west.
Let God be with us all, and best of luck. I have too many friends at this company, and as I say to my many friends at the airports, I don't know how to travel any other way. There are so many of us out here that would feel uncomfortable traveling with DL, AA, or even UA on a regular basis. Let's all work to save ourselves! As a CP, I promise all of the U folks that I will work hard to save you, and I hope you do everything possible to save yourselves!
People say that the company "finds ways" to have fiscal losses. Let me ask you this: as much as some of Dave Siegel's choices have been suspect, don't you think he would love to be in charge of a profitable company? Wouldn't he be happy knowing he led a company back from the brink? Nobody can convince me he is trying to run this company into the ground, because nobody wants to be a failed leader. These "winter storms" aren't excuses for losses, they are a reality. Yes, he makes a crap load of money already... but why don't people realize he would be making a lot more (on stock options, for example) if we were successful.
) I don't want to see it disappear from the skies. Swim from the shaark!
