A Take of Two CEO's

[nycbusdriver]

I have it on very good authority that Mr Bethune was offered very senior post in the combined USAir/Piedmont, but for reasons that this person could not elaborate on, it was unlikely that a CEO spot was likely. (Bethune was rumored to be the likely successor to Bill Howard at PI). So, Mr Bethune left US and went on to great success at CO.


Too bad.

Hey, "From Worst to First" in available used on Amazon for about three bucks plus shipping. Anyone want to send a copy to Tempe? (I might if I thought they'd actually read it)

In the June CLT Pilot Crew News, Parker says that he read "From Worst to First."

 

[SparrowHawk]

In the June CLT Pilot Crew News, Parker says that he read "From Worst to First."

Isn't that Special! I read Mein Kampf! which doesn't make a follower of Hitler anymore than it gives DP the enlightened Management style of Gordon Bethune.

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

In the June CLT Pilot Crew News, Parker says that he read "From Worst to First."

But did he learn anything?

 

[Black Swan]

But did he learn anything?

Yes, he will be featured in the next edition. Worst to worser. Frank Lorenzo wrote the intro.

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

Mr Bethune on CNBC today:


http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000033105#eyJ2aWQiOiIzMDAwMDMzMTI2IiwiZW5jVmlkIjoiSmUrR0JPWFNXS3VRVURYeXhZanJmZz09IiwidlRhYiI6ImluZm8iLCJ2UGFnZSI6IiIsImdOYXYiOlsiwqBMYXRlc3QgVmlkZW8iXSwiZ1NlY3QiOiJBTEwiLCJnUGFnZSI6IjEiLCJzeW0iOiIiLCJzZWFyY2giOiIifQ==

He didn't a chance to talk as much as the other guests, but made some good points. Among his many FB fans, there a quite a few who want him to run for President. (A nasty person might say: Can you imagine anyone wanting Mr Parker to do it?)

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

Mr Bethune has added another FB page; old one was at FB max.

Gordon Bethune
I have opened a new FB page with the name Gordon Mason Bethune. If you have sent a friend request to this page, I cannot accept as I am over the limit. I have tried to contact many of you but some that have made a request have blocked my ability to reply. I can't accept nor can I reply to send you to the other page....help !!

He is a very popular man. ( I wonder how many people would friend certain other airline execs)

 

[nycbusdriver]

( I wonder how many people would friend certain other airline execs)

How many people work at the Tempe brain trust? That's the number you are looking for.

 

[N965VJ]

Needless to say, Uncle Ed jumped ship right after he put US/PS/PI together and dumped the mess in Seth's lap to handle. While he wasn't a bad guy, he wasn't equipped to deal with the merged airlines and the challenges they brought.

Colodny had reached retirement age, so no matter what happened he would have been gone. Schofield, well one time a FA came up with a gizmo to go on the top of the coffee pots. Nothing ever became of it, but Schofield actually spent the time to meet with this person. This was the kind of stuff he was concerning himself with, all the while being one of the best things to ever happen to WN.

In the June CLT Pilot Crew News, Parker says that he read "From Worst to First."

But did he learn anything?

The book is now shimming up the foosbal table in the executive game room in Tempe.

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

Snopes on Mr Bethune and employees:

http://www.snopes.com/business/consumer/bethune.asp


Check out the third paragraph. (Too bad the rumor checked out by Snopes wasn't true).

I do not know the full story about why Mr Bethune did not stay after the PI/AL* merger, other than what was told to me by someone fairly high up that I trust: He did not see, given the dynamics of the company at the time, that he was likely to become CEO. That was a great loss to US and a great thing for CO. As I've said before, imagine the powerhouse US could have been under his leadership. Yup, this all happened over two decades ago. But the effects are still felt.



* yes, the IATA code for USAir was AL until the merger --- there is a rather long story about how they manage to snag the US code, maybe someone remembers it.

 

[Hope777]

In the June CLT Pilot Crew News, Parker says that he read "From Worst to First."

Guess he needed to read something durring one of his several DUI's in the Holding cell

 

[SparrowHawk]

Guess he needed to read something durring one of his several DUI's

OUCH! That was harsh

 

[BoeingBoy]

As I recall, Gordon was offered a position reporting to US individual who had the equivalent position Gordon had before becoming a caretaker CEO during the merger - VP of Ops I think or maybe just Flt Ops. Seeing that US wanted nothing to do with anything PI (have I got stories about that), he saw the writing on the wall and declined. Several well-liked upper management folks at PI followed the same course, some sooner and some later.

Jim

 

[Hope777]

As I recall, Gordon was offered a position reporting to US individual who had the equivalent position Gordon had before becoming a caretaker CEO during the merger - VP of Ops I think or maybe just Flt Ops. Seeing that US wanted nothing to do with anything PI (have I got stories about that), he saw the writing on the wall and declined. Several well-liked upper management folks at PI followed the same course, some sooner and some later.

Jim

Some of those same PI Folks did try to start an Airline a few years later, called EASTWIND (Stinger call sign) Airlines that did well in the begining and just expanded way too fast and then failed. They did lease their first two a/c N220US and sister ship N221US from USAirways.

 

[whizbang]

Snopes on Mr Bethune and employees:

http://www.snopes.com/business/consumer/bethune.asp


Check out the third paragraph. (Too bad the rumor checked out by Snopes wasn't true).

I do not know the full story about why Mr Bethune did not stay after the PI/AL* merger, other than what was told to me by someone fairly high up that I trust: He did not see, given the dynamics of the company at the time, that he was likely to become CEO. That was a great loss to US and a great thing for CO. As I've said before, imagine the powerhouse US could have been under his leadership. Yup, this all happened over two decades ago. But the effects are still felt.



* yes, the IATA code for USAir was AL until the merger --- there is a rather long story about how they manage to snag the US code, maybe someone remembers it.

 

[whizbang]

We paid for the right to be US instead of AL. They made a big deal of it at the time.