Where Are All Of The Defections?

[diogenes]

Amazing how grown adults act like grade school children on a chat board. Your insult and photo that were directed towards Chris are uncalled for in this public forum. :down: He is one of the good guys on our team.

Last time that I checked you didn't work at CCY so wouldn't know our current staffing levels. We have lost many great employees to the outside job markets in DC/VA/MD.

[post="296194"][/post]​

I just saw former President Bush respond to how he felt about the criticism his son is facing regarding the rescue and recovery effort after Katrina.

The gist of his reply was as a father, he didn't like it. But as a former president, he understood it went with the territory.

The Palace has justified their compensation by holding the posistion.

Well, criticism goes with that position, so toughen up, for Pete's sake! I've heard less squealing from a Girl Scout troop at a Halloween haunted house.

And lest we forget, the Palace has hurled their share of darts as well, yes?

FWIW, with your PR acumen, you could have chosen to ignore this forum.

I would argue you would have been better off.

 

[JAXPax]

As I've stated before on FlyerTalk, in many arguments with fellow FFOCUS members:

It's all well and good to sit around and spew "That's just another example of 'Business Acumen' !!!" over and over again. But have you made any actual suggestions as to how things could be different?

I'd love to see some actual WORKABLE suggestions from those who are going to constantly criticize US Airways, both management past/present and employees (to an extent). I've seen sensible things said from the unions and employee groups on some improvements, but I think part of the criticism of some FFOCUS members is that they continually grandstand and continue repeating the same criticisms without saying anything of meaning.

 

[JAXPax]

I see no way for a hub operation to compete with WN other than have the employees or a major international operation (AA) subsidize domestic operations.

The costs of running a major airline with multiple fleet types, hub operations, multiple classes of service, international operations, etc., inherently drive up operating costs.

The only way to be like Southwest is to be exactly like Southwest. A whole lot of US markets would lose service. Southwest operates where they can put enough flights to keep resources used all day (little incremental cost for more flights after the first one of the day) to spread costs over more seats... and only flies places where traffic will fill those seats. US just can't do that.

 

[dc3fanatic]

This clearly isn't enough, but it would have been interesting to see a pay for performance culture. (with acheivable performance objectives . . . ie; pawob = never, not a realistic target)

company, divisional and individual

 

[diogenes]

The costs of running a major airline with multiple fleet types, hub operations, multiple classes of service, international operations, etc., inherently drive up operating costs.

The only way to be like Southwest is to be exactly like Southwest. A whole lot of US markets would lose service. Southwest operates where they can put enough flights to keep resources used all day (little incremental cost for more flights after the first one of the day) to spread costs over more seats... and only flies places where traffic will fill those seats. US just can't do that.

[post="297097"][/post]​

Concur. Hubbing begs different a/c sizes, doesn't it?

Also, a policy question our fearless leaders, D&R's, are ducking. We put a lot of taxpayer $$$ into the DAY's, PNS's and FAY's participating in the global marketplace via air service.

The WN model, as you point out, does not support that policy.

Now the pols want WN pricing, but they want it in FAY, PNS and DAY. Not gonna happen.

So now what? It'd be good to see a nice honest debate. Sooner or later, we're going to write off the mid and small cities (probable) or have some form of regulation (unlikely).

Right now, the PR is to blame the evil unions.

Notwithstanding WN is 90+% union, and better compensated than the legacies, going back to at least 1999. Piney Bob's reference provides a better insight, IMHO.

 

[Art at ISP]

As I've stated before on FlyerTalk, in many arguments with fellow FFOCUS members:

It's all well and good to sit around and spew "That's just another example of 'Business Acumen' !!!" over and over again. But have you made any actual suggestions as to how things could be different?

I'd love to see some actual WORKABLE suggestions from those who are going to constantly criticize US Airways, both management past/present and employees (to an extent). I've seen sensible things said from the unions and employee groups on some improvements, but I think part of the criticism of some FFOCUS members is that they continually grandstand and continue repeating the same criticisms without saying anything of meaning.

[post="297095"][/post]​

Jax,

I have never just sat around and complained without offering suggestions on how to make improvements. And for that matter, most of my FFOCUS colleagues have come up with ideas and suggestions which have fallen on deaf ears at Fort Fumble. Many of our ideas (like RATIONAL fares), have actually been practiced by HP and should spread throughout the system after the merger.

We have made other suggestions or discussed other ideas on this forum, some of which are being implemented (realignment of duty rigs for flight crews on Shuttle for one). I have gone as far as to suggest that crews could stay with aircraft for an entire day, and that a subfleet could be dedicated to hubs like PHL so that when the hub goes down the fallout is limited. AA does this in ORD and it is successful. I think the Shuttle idea is an offshoot of that thinking.

On the other hand, there are certain behaviors and/or comments which come from obvious sources, which are intended to inflame and start "fights". I try to shy away from most of those, but feel obliged to respond to some of the more egregious ones.

None of us at FFOCUS proclaims ourselves to be experts in the airline business. But sitting in a seat many times a week gives us a unique insight which we have offered to share on many occasions with management. Since CCY failed at their attempt to control and manipulate us, they decided that we were the enemy just as their own employees are. I can only hope that when the merger closes, this place will be run by a management who knows what it's doing and who WANTS to run a successful airline, and who WANTS to hear from their most frequent customers.

We have lots to offer each other, and I look forward to a growing, successful and secure NEW US Airways. TOGETHER I think we can make a difference.

Feel free to PM me if you have other ideas or comments.

My best to you all....

 

[JAXPax]

Concur. Hubbing begs different a/c sizes, doesn't it?

Also, a policy question our fearless leaders, D&R's, are ducking. We put a lot of taxpayer $$$ into the DAY's, PNS's and FAY's participating in the global marketplace via air service.

The WN model, as you point out, does not support that policy.

Now the pols want WN pricing, but they want it in FAY, PNS and DAY. Not gonna happen.

So now what? It'd be good to see a nice honest debate. Sooner or later, we're going to write off the mid and small cities (probable) or have some form of regulation (unlikely).

Right now, the PR is to blame the evil unions.

Notwithstanding WN is 90+% union, and better compensated than the legacies, going back to at least 1999. Piney Bob's reference provides a better insight, IMHO.

[post="297105"][/post]​

Southwest has the lower costs otherwise to provide better pay. US doesn't have that benefit and never will, unless revenue rises above Southwest levels. That's not to say labor should keep getting hit, because that's wrong.

However labor is an easy target as one of the largest costs, as they can't do anything about fuel.

Hubbing calls for multiple size aircraft to have a hub the size of, say, Philly or Charlotte. Southwest has huge operations places like PHX, BWI, LAS that have hefty O & D, plus the only connecting points are those that could a.) likely support the non-stop service at some frequency based on O & D alone, and b.) are large enough markets to support the Southwest model.

AirTran has tried going into smaller markets that have been the domain of carriers like US. However, they demand travel banks and subsidies up front. They come and go from Toledo whenever money is established... then leave when it runs out. Wichita... they are getting subsidized air service because AirTran cannot economically sustain ICT service with its low fares by itself. Delta dropped much of its ICT service after they were denied any financial incentives.... Wichita wanted low fares, but was prepared to support AirTran in that, yet Delta would have to compete with higher costs and no subsidy (of course matching AirTran fares). Delta pulled the plug instead of losing money.

The cities you mention all demand frequent air service on JET aircraft. They don't have enough traffic to necessarily support Southwest, but demand Southwest-type fares. They're being unrealistic. If you want WN-style costs at US, drop the smaller and mid-size cities and fly around B737/Airbus size aircraft in the US and keep Intl, as it likely makes money taken in isolation (but the question is: would it still be sustainable without the connecting passengers from places like ITH, ILM, FAY?).

 

[diogenes]

Good points.

What I would have like to have seen.

1. Accept you will not get to the size of AA or UA. So?

2. Why replicate WN?

3. Utilize convenient hubs (CLT, PHX, mini hub PIT, focus LGA, BOS, DCA, PHL and maybe MCO) to bypass ORD, DFW and ATL. Wouldn't you rather JAX CLT NYC than JAX ATL NYC?

4. B737-400 and 500, B757 and B767. A small jet family, maybe EMB 145 and 170. Or instead, maybe Dash 300's and 400's.

5. One airline, one division. Period. When a PI F28 rolled up, PI employees worked it. The unions would need to be flexible for small a/c and stations: what they'd get in return is seamless seniority. Parity pay benchmarked against all competition, plus objective individual bonuses. Cross utilization.

6. International - and when the markets warranted, 777's.

7. One corporate headquarters. At most, 4 layers of bureaucracy. Front line grunt, local manager, veep, exec.

I'm gambling enough business and leisure travel from JAX and ILM would want to bypass ATL and not drive to the nearest WN location (rational fares for business, and fares for vacationeers that would make the expense of driving to WN less appealing) would sustain revenues,and the other measures would contain costs. Plus, retaining travel out of the NE and retaining that revenue stream.