AMR, others sink to new lows

[WingNaPrayer]

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"Crandal = CRANDALL" (FYI)

Now you're being an asshat!

My point should have probably been better stated. What I meant to say was that right now, it isn't the time to shake up top management. To do so would plunder the stock and send the unions into a tailspin of accusations and inuendo. Everyone knew CrandaLL was cutthroat, and to switch heads of state now would make the unions think they are just bringing in a temporary hatchet man. Plus, I don't think CrandaLL has it in him anymore.

I actually think Arpey can pull this off with the unions if he can just pull his head out of his ass long enough, and put a gag on Horton! (I view Horton as "crandall lite").

Everyone is in it for all they can get, even the retirees. I want to see AA employees get some good wages, benefits and work rules out of good, honest negotiations, the way it should be. If AA wants to survive the coming onslaught of mergers and general transportation industry disarray, being at war with your labor unions is not a good place to start.

AA is going to need it's labor force, and they are going to need it to be happy, cooperative and interested in the future of AA as a legacy carrier. Right now they have people with their unemployment paperwork filled out and ready to go filed away because they just don't give a rat's pooper about AA right now and a lot of people are seriously ready to walk.

There is no consistency at AA between employees. One class of employees in ORD may have the same job as a counterpart in MIA, but for some reason they don't seem to be subject to the same company rules and regs. The consistency is missing and even passengers can see it from one station to the next. Arpey needs to clean that up and he could do it easily by taking away micro-managing once and for all. Toss out the local procedures and make everyone follow the company book. A Dallas agent who might read the local procedures for Miami would most likely flip! It's like two totally different companies flying between those two hubs.

CrandaLL, he thrived on animosity amongst the minions, I think he actually fed off of it. Add to that I think the guy is trying to launch a 4-7 from a runway built for a STOL. He's half nuts!

 

[crusher]

Airlines in Europe seem to have very few actual employees. Most are contacted out and are employees of the airport. They might be working AF today and LH tomorrow.

 

[Barfbag]

I just don't get it. I keep seeing these press releases from Lufthansa,British Airways,Air France, etc and they are all reporting big profits. What are they doing so different from the airlines here in the U.S.? Don't they also have big fuel bills? And, most of the time their employees are paid a decent wage. Why can they make money and we can't? God knows it isn't because of U.S. carriers paying high wages. :angry:

Most institionals invest in airlines as a block, not individual airlines, per se, so when fuel rises the stocks lower. Regarding the above mentioned airlines alot has to do with the price of the Euro vs USD. They ( EC Airlines ) enjoys the fact that they can fly here and spend a few days alot less expensive than staying at home. AMR, enjoys with what little action they can get from Euros coming here. yet don't forget the Euro Airlines are getting revenue in Euros, which rise in value faster than the USD.

 

[FWAAA]

I just don't get it. I keep seeing these press releases from Lufthansa,British Airways,Air France, etc and they are all reporting big profits. What are they doing so different from the airlines here in the U.S.? Don't they also have big fuel bills? And, most of the time their employees are paid a decent wage. Why can they make money and we can't? God knows it isn't because of U.S. carriers paying high wages. :angry:

In addition to the reasons given by JAFA-Just Another F**ked Aviator, here's my take on it.

Lately, conventional wisdom has been that long-haul international routes are the money-makers and so we see many carriers shifting domestic capacity to international routes, like DL moving its widebodies off ATL-Florida and into NYC-European routes.

For many years, however, only TWA and Pan Am were America's long-haul international airlines. Eastern had some Caribbean and NW had China and Japan. Everyone else was primarily relegated to domestic service with a little Canada and Mexico thrown in. Then, slowly, that began to change, as AA and UA bought their way into LHR and, in the case of UA, Japan and then China. But the European airlines you listed have always been in that game.

Another thing: If you live in the UK, and you want to fly an airline you're familiar with to China or Japan or other restricted markets, there's one choice: BA. Same thing if you live in Germany (LH) or France (AF) or The Netherlands (KLM). Those airlines have some domestic and short-haul international routes, but by and large, they aren't competing with five other legacy network carriers the way the legacies do here. With Open Skies in the EU, that's gonna change real soon.

Do we need six different full-size network airlines in the USA? I don't think so. 2002-2004 would have been a great time for some of them to go under and start the consolidation efforts. But that's not how it played out, so maybe 2008 is the time for the consolidation.

Six different management structures? Six airlines with dozens of hubs? Far too much duplication if you ask me. Choice is great - and if those choices are all profitable, more power to them. But when they bleed more than they earn over a long period of time, it's time to trim the choices. Fares will rise when there are fewer seats for sale. Elimination of some choices may be the way there.

 

[eolesen]

How about, their fares are, for the most part, much higher than on comparable stage lengths in the US. LCC's aren't nearly as prevalent over there.

Right on the first point, horribly wrong on the second. There are a lot more LCC's in Europe than in the US... The difference is that they don't try to compete head to head with the majors. Another factor in Europe that works against airlines is high speed rail. A heck of a lot more convenient and a lot more green.

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

WNP,
OK, I apologise for taking you to task, over your spelling(head down/tail between legs) :blush: