A message for executives of AA

[Hopeful]

Labor relations are a two way street. However, there are those who solely put the blame on labor and vice versa.
But as far as SWA is concerned, management has done more for labor relations than any other airline.

 

[eolesen]

But as far as SWA is concerned, management has done more for labor relations than any other airline.

I disagree. The TWU and SWAPA have had their fair share of battles with management. They just don't go public with it. They don't air their dirty laundry at the drop of a hat, let alone post billboards next to the airport or make claims on an internet forum that they wouldn't allow their own family to fly their own airline for fear of their safety.

I doubt it's all because they love management or get paid more -- it's because they actually see themselves as the company. Certainly, a big part of that is their corporate culture, and I'm sure some of that has to do with pay. But culture is more a byproduct of the company's history. They've had a great history, and it's all been positive. No crashes, no lawsuits, no disenfranchised employees from a merger.... Yet.

SWA's fortunate they've been in growth mode for so long. That's now tapering off. The easy markets are gone. Their costs are going up. God forbid SWA ever gets to the point of having to pull back and lay people off, you'll see the whole world of labor relations change overnight.

By contrast, too many of AA's employees, not just those on this forum, seem to have zero engagement or attachment to the AA brand. You see no difference between the brand, the company, and management.

It's just a job. A place to punch in and punch out. And the only engagement you have is to piss and moan about how horrible of a place it is to go every day.

That's a huge issue, and one you can't lay entirely at managements' doorstep. Respect is a two-way street. So is contempt. That's why I am increasingly of the opinion that AA has become the next Eastern. I'd love for nothing better than to see things turn around. But how you guys view what you do every day is your choice, and yours alone. How you promote the brand is also your choice.

SWA employees get the concept of painting the company in a positive light today, so people will spend money with you tomorrow, and you'll still have a job next week.

Here? You have people who brag about flying Jetblue instead of their own airline, and saying that they wouldn't let their own family step foot on an AA aircraft...

What's sad is that I as a customer probably drive more referral business to AA than ten of you combined. Trying to win customers should be every employees responsibility. Anyone can look at a price on a website, but what are you doing to convince people that price isn't everything?...

 

[FWAAA]

At SWA the unionized workers are paid very well and SWA has high morale and high profits. It would be refreshing to have that kind of relationship at AA.

I'd caution against concluding that there's a causal relationship between paying employees well and thus earning nice profits. Could be that WN employees are still highly paid because WN didn't suffer the massive losses in 2001-03 like every legacy airline and thus, WN never had to resort to demanding massive concessions. Could also be that if WN had been philosophically opposed to fuel hedging, the concession train might have pulled into DAL a few years back. We'll never know.

There are numerous examples of companies that went broke despite paying their employees well. Employees at GM and Chrysler were well-paid, and generally content for many years, but both filed for Ch 11 and slashed employee pay anyway. If your employer makes reliable, predictable profits, odds are you'll never suffer pay concessions.

The WN FAs were sorta public with their grievances during their negotiations a few years ago, complaining about having to straighten up the cabin and other petty complaints, but overall, the WN employees tend to keep the dirty laundry hidden.

 

[jersey777]

I disagree. The TWU and SWAPA have had their fair share of battles with management. They just don't go public with it. They don't air their dirty laundry at the drop of a hat, let alone post billboards next to the airport or make claims on an internet forum that they wouldn't allow their own family to fly their own airline for fear of their safety.

I doubt it's all because they love management or get paid more -- it's because they actually see themselves as the company. Certainly, a big part of that is their corporate culture, and I'm sure some of that has to do with pay. But culture is more a byproduct of the company's history. They've had a great history, and it's all been positive. No crashes, no lawsuits, no disenfranchised employees from a merger.... Yet.

SWA's fortunate they've been in growth mode for so long. That's now tapering off. The easy markets are gone. Their costs are going up. God forbid SWA ever gets to the point of having to pull back and lay people off, you'll see the whole world of labor relations change overnight.

By contrast, too many of AA's employees, not just those on this forum, seem to have zero engagement or attachment to the AA brand. You see no difference between the brand, the company, and management.

It's just a job. A place to punch in and punch out. And the only engagement you have is to piss and moan about how horrible of a place it is to go every day.

That's a huge issue, and one you can't lay entirely at managements' doorstep. Respect is a two-way street. So is contempt. That's why I am increasingly of the opinion that AA has become the next Eastern. I'd love for nothing better than to see things turn around. But how you guys view what you do every day is your choice, and yours alone. How you promote the brand is also your choice.

SWA employees get the concept of painting the company in a positive light today, so people will spend money with you tomorrow, and you'll still have a job next week.

Here? You have people who brag about flying Jetblue instead of their own airline, and saying that they wouldn't let their own family step foot on an AA aircraft...

What's sad is that I as a customer probably drive more referral business to AA than ten of you combined. Trying to win customers should be every employees responsibility. Anyone can look at a price on a website, but what are you doing to convince people that price isn't everything?...

Too many times I have been in a social setting and when people find out that I work for American Airlines the problems start. You see, when you offer a crappy product people tend to complain. And as soon as I tell them I work for American they let me have it. I used to defend American left and right but now it is nearly impossible. Since I live in the New York area, we often get compared to JetBlue. It is very hard to compete with Live TV, spacious seating, and free unlimited snacks. Fly our new cramped 737 from JFK to FLL and then fly back on Jetblue's Airbus. Then you will see that for the most part it is hard to defend our service and be proud. 20 years ago I was damned proud to say I worked for American Airlines. I'm sad to say that now I try not to mention my employer for fear of getting into a nasty discussion.

 

[Mr Red]

Too many times I have been in a social setting and when people find out that I work for American Airlines the problems start. You see, when you offer a crappy product people tend to complain. And as soon as I tell them I work for American they let me have it. I used to defend American left and right but now it is nearly impossible. Since I live in the New York area, we often get compared to JetBlue. It is very hard to compete with Live TV, spacious seating, and free unlimited snacks. Fly our new cramped 737 from JFK to FLL and then fly back on Jetblue's Airbus. Then you will see that for the most part it is hard to defend our service and be proud. 20 years ago I was damned proud to say I worked for American Airlines. I'm sad to say that now I try not to mention my employer for fear of getting into a nasty discussion.

A lot of us feel that way !!