AA Still Short Flight Attendants....

[galleyguy4u2]

Mr. Kirkpatick:

Were you not a YES voter?????? B)

 

[FA Mikey]

No Mark was telling people to vote NO.

 

[galleyguy4u2]

No Mark was telling people to vote NO.

I beg to differ Mike. He stated on a TWA web site that he was voting YES. I guess we should let him answer.

I voted NO and again NO and then two days later...OH NO!

 

[TWAnr]

I beg to differ Mike. He stated on a TWA web site that he was voting YES. I guess we should let him answer.

I voted NO and again NO and then two days later...OH NO!

Early on, Kirkpatrick posted that he intended to vote to approve the restructuring agreement; however, after the details became known, he wrote that he changed his mind and voted against its ratification.

 

[FA Mikey]

Which was exactly the way I was headed. I think Mark changed his mind before I changed mine.

 

[kirkpatrick]

I beg to differ Mike. He stated on a TWA web site that he was voting YES. I guess we should let him answer.

As TWAnr said, I initially voted yes and later, when convinced the company was going to declare BK anyway, I changed to a no.

Here's my take on it from a furloughed position several months later. I felt all along that BK would be much worse for us than avoiding it. There are two major issues here. One, what kind of contract would we have come out of BK with, and two, how many furloughs would result. The agreement we voted on was poorly handled by both the company and the union, but we had no say in that. We had no line item veto on the givebacks; it was take it or leave it. In BK we may or may not have come out with a better contract, may or may not have ended up with some furlough pay. That is an uncertainty.

But without question, I was convinced then and am still convinced now that BK would have resulted in more furloughs; probably 2000-3000 more. Many now think we won't be recalled; try 3000 more furloughs and then wait for your recall letter. I was told by Beth Mack that the first thing AA would have done in BK is dump the LLC fleet. I would rather see natives flying our AC than see the positions lost and gone forever. They probably would have canned the Airbus as well.

If a yes vote meant avoiding instant BK, then as bad as the agreement is, I think it was the way to go. It's looking more and more like BK isn't going to happen.

While it may appear I am waffling on the issue, I really am not. What I want now is what I wanted all along. As few furloughs as possible. A month or two of furlough pay pales in comparison to a year or two more on the street, or no recall at all.

Time will tell which was the right decision.

MK

 

[MiAAmi]

I have to hand it to you Kirkpatrick. You said it! I voted Yes reluctantly and did not change my vote. I have been through BK before and felt that we would not have been better off in BK. I know this thread is not about this, but I wanted to say that I really respect Kirkpatricks honesty. He is absolutely right, time will tell.

 

[TWAnr]

MK is a class act and a great (former) trader to boot.

 

[FWAAA]

Excellent post, MK.

Many employees still believe that bankruptcy is preferrable to the path chosen by AA, but a quick review of UAL's current numbers (compared to AA's) quickly dispels any notion that everyone would be better off had AA filed Ch 11.

UAL's traffic and capacity are both down substantially more than the decline at AA over the last two years. UAL is selling 744s.

For the first 6 months of this year, UAL's yield is down 8% from last year, while AA's yield is off 2%. AA's yield for that period was a 1.5 cents more per pax mile than UAL's.

And even more impressive, AA announced two weeks ago that July RASM was estimated to be up 9%-11% over July, 2002. That is impressive.

Why is all this important? Because if current trends continue, AA might be able to recall furloughed employees and put them back in the air. After all, AA still has orders for 47 737s and 9 777s to be delivered in 2006-2010. Plus the 14 762s and 17 MD-80s in the desert that are set to return in 2005-2006. Everyone can be certain that none of that planned fleet increase happens if AA had filed Ch 11 in March or April. Add to all that the very real possibility that UAL doesn't make it, and AA's prospects look pretty good.

Let's hope that the furloughs can end and all AA employees (native and TWA) can get back to flying.

 

[MiAAmi]

Back to the topic, As you can imagine following the Black Out we now are extremely low on flight attendants. If you don't want to fly on your day off look at your caller ID first.

 

[meechy36]

Double the average number in sick count and with less flight attendants. Now isnt that admirable. I remember the day when you took a job seriously and with respect not like this

Yes, and I remember a time when we were treated like human beings. Did this company really think that they were going to create schedules like we are expected to fly and appear healthy and chirpy? The reserves are flying every single day with short nights and consistantly getting reassigned. I just got reassigned on my last trip because we had to make 2 emergency landings on the way to LA for medical emergencies and went illegal for our trip home. It was a mimimum rest layover during the day. Of course they sent us to JFK on Saturday and we were supposed to deadhead home on Eagle, like that was going to happen. After sitting in the Eagle terminal without airconditioning for 3 hours all flights to Boston were cancelled and they were going to bus everyone to Boston. I drew the line there as I would be out of duty time. I do have to say that everyone I dealt with in Crew Tracking and the Hotel/Limo desk were nice and professional. Hotels had a hard time finding us a room and it turned out to be a real nice hotel for only $179 a night per room for the 10 of us!

The one thing that saved the day was the purser, she was a reserve from LA and she made the trip wonderful for everyone. It's people like this that keep me coming to work, not the company. I am here until my sick time is gone and then so am I. This company does not care if we live or die and that's just how I feel about AA.

I do not appologize to passengers anymore for anything that is out of my control. Pillows and blankets? No. Meals? No. I will not comp anything, I don't care how late we are, you want a cocktail, $5, headphones $2. I took a paycut and am not giving anything away. AA wants to give me a ghost ride, they are going to get their monies worth. For those people that think morale is just great, they have their heads so far up their collective a$$es that they can't see straight. In the last 2 months I have flown with 1 who thought the company was doing right by it's employees.

Mike-BOS

 

[WingNaPrayer]

A guy sitting at an airport bar noticed a very attractive woman sitting
next to him. He thought to himself, "Wow, she's so gorgeous she must be a flight
attendant? But which airline does she work for?"

Hoping to gain her attention, he leaned toward her and uttered the Delta
slogan, "Love to fly and it shows?" She gave him a blank, confused stare
and he immediately thought to himself, "Nope, not Delta."

A moment later, another slogan popped into his head. He leaned toward her
again, "Fly the friendly skies?" She gave him the same confused look. He
mentally kicked himself, and scratched United off the list.

Next he tried the Southwest slogan, "You are now free to move about the
country."

This time the woman turned on him, "What the hell do you want?"

The man smiled, then slumped back in his chair, and said...."Ahhh,
American!"

 

[Garfield1966]

I am here until my sick time is gone and then so am I.

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Seems to me AA fired the wrong people.

 

[meechy36]

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Seems to me AA fired the wrong people.

Don't worry about me Garfield, AMR's door won't have the chance to hit me on the way out, when my sick time is at 35 hours, that's all I need for my 2 week notice, hopefully the 2nd half of December. Happy Holidays.

Seems to me AMR doesn't know what is going on when it comes to people.

Mike-BOS

 

[skyangelnflight]

----------- Even though the boat eventually sank, it wasn't for lack of trying on our part.

Think of how different it could have been at AA. Most of us realize the company really was (and is) in serious trouble and that the concessions were needed. If they had just exhibited a bit of common sense and understanding, they could have had their monetary relief and kept the respect of their employees. But no, they had to play hard@$$ to the bitter end and now the remaining employees are quietly expressing their opinions in a way that will hurt, and there's nothing the company can do about it.

It's so sad, and it didn't have to be.

A bit off thread, but in response to what you said. . .
It breaks my heart to see the worker pay the price for corporate raiders. I saw it at United, (my brother is a pilot there) Saw it at TWA, my cousin is there. . .Ahhh, was there. . .I watched Carty leave with an income of 98K a year for the rest of his life. At United their CEO left with a gold parachute, and my brother lost EVERY penny of his retirment. (And US Air lost theirs) And when you watch the news, you see Enrons and so many others.

Before I worked for AA, I did some factory work, (a short time) but noticed how many employees looked at that job with pride. It was like some people get over their favorite football teams, you know, wear the team colors, etc. Families worked at the same shop, friends worked together and then spent family time with each other on weekends.

To watch people come in and raid the company (rob the till) and get off scott free, leaving behind unemployed, no retirement, wrecked lives, just grates me. There are a lot that will say, a company is about making a profit, but reading about the steel mills, it seems one company figured it out. They all share in the good times, and also in the lean times. And they have been successful.

I am going to finish my college degree while furloughed. I may never get a recall, and the job may not be worth going to back to if I do. I would never want to be so limited that there is no where else to go, if one door closes. I have never been a "my job is my life" type of person. My jobs have always been a means to an end, raise my kids, pay bills, and do the things in life I love, travel, photography, diving, beach-combing, rum and coke with a key-lime twist. . .

Without a job there is only the beach-combing! Maybe I can sell coconuts on the side of the road. . . .

Ok, Ok, don't kick the box, I'm getting off. Just wanted to say I am sorry you lost TWA, and for anyone that lost a favorite job, or place to work.

Anyone want to buy a coconut?

:boring: