Calling ALL Cockroaches - Customers Only

[KCFlyer]

Nope!!! I'd probably transfer into the training group that stays put in our three regional training centers. The only reason I'm not there now is the company knows I like travel. They know that I know how to maximize their travel dollars. I have been asked to write a document on how to maximize productivity and lower travel costs.

I've had our corporate travel folks call me with questions regarding how to get US to do something they didn't want to. I've saved by my estimation roughly $2,800 in airfare this year so far by knowing how to work the system. Think any employee would go to that extreme if the company didn't let them keep the miles? $2,800 buys alot of coke, pretzels, pillows and extra bags. Everytime airlines play the "Gotcha" game they lose. Yet they insist on playing.They'll stop playing when enough people start fighting back and that day is getting closer. There is an undercurrent of unrest that is waiting to boil over. One more piece of bad economic news and I'm fearful of people taking to the streets. Let's see how President Obama handles that.

You still haven't answered me. Why didn't you get 10% of the $2800 from your company as a "thank you" Because that would have meant that THEY would be giving you the perk ...instead your company "let's you keep the perks". Why not - it did not cost them a cent - they were sending you whether you got the perks or not. Again, I ask...why is it the AIRLINES job to provide you the perks and not your company's?

 

[URPIUSHPUS]

:rant:

people this is not about FF anymore----its about SURVIVAL....this is worse than 9-11.......

Absolutely correct! Not that long ago US spent $55/pp for fuel. We are now spending approx $299/pp for fuel.

The added weight of beverages requires additional fuel, thus additional costs. same for checking multiple bags = added weight = added fuel = added costs. US recently tried to increase one fare in the DFW market by $7 and lost 20% of their customer base.

What do you think would happen if the increase was really what was required for a profit? Passengers would not accept a price increase sufficient for the airlines (not just US, but all majors) to make even a slight profit.

If we have to "nickel and dime" in order to maintain our airline and preserve our jobs, let the nickel an diming begin!

 

[N965VJ]

<SNIP> As for selling beverages, they WILL follow suit before to long.

A few weeks, a few months, how long before this blows up in Tempe’s face?

 

[Art at ISP]

OK,

I have been reading this for the past few minutes, and I need to chime in with a couple of comments.

First of all, FFOCUS wishes no harm or bad will toward the fine men and women on the front line of US Airways or any other airline. Most of our members are seasoned business travelers, well aware of the current state of the economy and the need for airlines to raise revenue. We are able to face the facts. Fares have to go up. Business travelers realize that and if it is done rationally most of us have no problem with that.

When the merger was announced we had high hopes....we thought (wrongly it turned out) that Doug Parker and his team were capable of managing a large international airline. Turns out they are way over their heads. They have bungled almost every move made since the merger.

Many of us stayed on much longer than we should have. I remained a loyal US customer until just about a year ago. Even though I do not fly US any more, I have acted behind the scenes to support those who still do, and to help both customers and employees get problems resolved--with US and other airlines as well.

Onto the subject at hand......the revenue model of the current airline business is fundamentally flawed. The yield management algorithms still used today are obsolete, and the pricing methods used still do not consider the COST of providing the service. The airline business is the only one I know of which does not price according to cost plus markup. THAT's the problem.

Fares have to be rationalized. They must go up. It's a simple mathematical fact. HOW they go up and where they go up is subject to debate. But nickel and diming is not the best way. A $10 fare increase across the board would be more revenue positive than the $15 bag fee. Mr. Kirby's statement that they can't raise fare because there is too much competition is ridiculous. Fares need to go up--we ALL realize that.

The problem that FFOCUS has goes beyond nickel and diming. Since the merger management has taken aim at the highest yielding segment of the customer base--the elite flyer, and has slowly chipped away at the benefits which are provided to reward loyalty. From cutting first class service and seats to Doug and Scott both saying to employees that the first group to feel the "pain" of fees will be the Chairmans members, they have been more or less relentless in their attack on their best customers.

Logic would dictate that in a difficult business environment you would provide MORE incentive rather than less to your most frequent and loyal clientele. In this case, US has done the exact opposite. They have actively driven us away. First this year the 500 mile minimum goes away, matched only by UA, the now rejected dance partner (I bet they will rescind that soon). Now the elimination of bonus miles for elites is to many of us the straw that breaks the camel's back. Fact is there is little if any financial benefit to cutting the mileage bonuses, they just appear to want all elites to leave.

So for us, the message is clear. Dear Mr. or Ms. Elite, you are not wanted here, please go elsewhere. We are merely following that advice.

Let me be clear-- our organization and I personally have ALWAYS been in the corner of the rank and file worker. It is with mixed feelings that we call for the action we have, and we sincerely mean you all no harm, but this is the only tangible way we can effect change in our opinion.

Bottom line, I think we all should make a vote of no confidence to the management of this company--they need to be replaced as soon as possible.

For any offended by the wording of the letter issued earlier I sincerely apologize--I didn't write it but as the chair of the organization I accept responsibility. We honestly do wish good things for US, but in order for that to happen there needs to be massive change--and not in the way the inept management has chosen to change.

Anyone wanting further clarification can feel free to PM or email me.

My BEST to you all....

 

[PITbull]

Maybe if everyone cut their consumption of petroleum, the price of oil would drop, resulting in a lower cost to operate an airplane. Why aren't people paying for bread and milk in pennies since the price of these items has risen concurrent to the rise in oil?

That won't work.....the price of oil will stay up or even higher because OPEC will just CUT production to limit supply...whereby causing the price to rise again. OIL is a limited resource; not keeping up with world demands, and OPEC has us by the BALLS.

 

[az_wild727]

Art, how can you (and the organization you represent) state that you "wish good things for US" when in other posts you have members of your organization say the world would be a better place without US? I just don't see how you can explain yourself out of this one. Whats done is done, and right now- if I were you, I would stop where you are and let the rest of this thread wear out, so you(and the people part of your organization) can still have some sense of credibility on these forums, before everyone starts associating FFOCUS member posts with todays' letter. And what an unlucky day you chose, I mean, come on- it's Friday, the 13th!

-Kinglobjaw

 

[TechBoy]

Onto the subject at hand......the revenue model of the current airline business is fundamentally flawed. The yield management algorithms still used today are obsolete, and the pricing methods used still do not consider the COST of providing the service. The airline business is the only one I know of which does not price according to cost plus markup. THAT's the problem.

I'm not sure what business you are in, but this is totally false (except perhaps in government contracting and regulated utilities). Businesses prices goods/services based on prices in a competitive market. That does not mean that all similar products have exactly that same price. If your premise were correct, then all companies would be profitable by the exact same margin.

The Internet has made airline prices extremely transparent to consumers. The airlines have discovered that some, perhaps even most, of their "loyal" customers will stick with them when their prices are 10 or 20% higher than the competition. However, they also know that they will lose enough other customers that the noncompetitive fares cost more money than they produce.

If it were as simple as just raising the fares, don't you think that at least one airline would have done that by now?

 

[KCFlyer]

We're done. I don't owe you or anyone else an explanation on the relationship between my employer and I. It's a multi-billion dollar international company That's a household name. It's consistantly rated in the top 100 in things like 100 Best Places to Work, 100 Most admired Company's and several others.

How I get paid or don't get aid is my business. Do I ask you where you work or what you do? Short Answer is NO, longer answer will get me time in the cornfield.

I explained Loyalty programs to you. You refuse to acknowledge so you can now politely debate yourself as you've shown exactly what this is all about. Now leave me alone as I have no desire to engage in a one sided debate with you or any other flame baiter. Everytime I point something out you reply with a question you say I NEVER answered. Why? Because you lost the debate point and are now trying to deflect.

GAME OVER

Bob...I didn't ask about how you are compensated, how much you made, or even what company you worked for. I honestly don't care if you work for a multibillion dollar company or a mom and pop organization. I don't care if your annual salary is 4 digits or 7 digits. What I asked was this....why is it the airlines responsibility to provide you with perks rather than your employer? The airlines are not sending you away from home...they are only following the wishes of your employer who sent you on the road. Being away from home can suck...I know...I did it for quite a few years - until my daughter was born. Then I decided that even the really good airline perks couldn't compensate me for being away from my kid. But didn't that come with the territory of a job involving travel? That's why I found something else...and I enjoy it.

Your description of what a loyalty program is was great....for 1988. But it's 2008 - and the costs to fly you are considerably more than they were then - but the airfares are about the same. It may be the day that loyalty programs have become too expensive to maintain giving away perks.

 

[KCFlyer]

The airlines have discovered that some, perhaps even most, of their "loyal" customers will stick with them when their prices are 10 or 20% higher than the competition.

Wow...I wish I could have worked for one of those companies that would pay a 10 to 20% premium so that I could fly my airline of choice. One of my early travel jobs was when I lived in Dallas and Delta and AA both had decent sized hubs there. Both offered a lot of nonstops to the same cities. I preferred Delta at the time, but you can bet your bottom dollar that if AA had a fare that was 10 to 20% lower than Delta, I was booked on the silver jet and watched the widgets as I taxied past the Delta terminal.

 

[N965VJ]

It’s not about oil, jet fuel, the cost of a can of soda pop or anything else.

It’s about Tempe shifting the blame to the lowest common denominator.

 

[philly rocks]

Our loyal customers stayed loyal with us through 2 BK's and alot of B.S. along with it. There were no perks. IT IS CALLED BEING NICE TO OUR CUSTOMER AND THE COMPANY SHOULD PUT THAT PRIORITY FIRST. There will always be another airline out there with a perk to win over our customers. That is something we should not take for granted. "Survival of the FITTEST". You must please your customer in order to fill the seats on board. There must be competition to our flying customers and this should be top priority. For evey one happy customer they tell 13 of their friends of their experience..... Putting People First is the PRIORITY HERE.

 

[nostradamus]

Airlines are suffering an unprecedented amount of pressure due to fuel costs. Ffocus extortion lives on.

"As a result of the recent actions announced by the management team at US Airways, it is with great sadness and reluctance that we ask our membership and all who fly US Airways to please direct their business elsewhere."

Talking about the boy who cried wolf (no pun intended) for the last 5 plus years.

"To our friends who are US Airways employees, we encourage you to join together, be active in your unions, and encourage customers to contact the DOT with their grievances. Together, we stand with you in this struggle."

You do not want to help the employees, you want them to take less so you can have more. Your group has been replaced by expedia dot com years ago. Pigs in my opinion. You have threatened to leave for years, you have not. Gutless action on your groups part to target employees.


FFOCUS web page click here

 

[Art at ISP]

Nostradamus,

You are mistaken. We are not targeting the employees. We do NOT want them to take less. We want the management to have the guts to do what really needs to be done--rationalize (higher) fares, not nickel and dime the customers OR the employees. We want them to give you the tools you need to do your jobs-which will reduce costs.

The management of US Airways has made it clear by their actions that they do not value their most loyal (and highest yielding) customers. Their latest move (elimination of mileage bonuses) is a slap in the face to every customer who has been loyal--basically says thanks, now go away. There is little if any financial justification to such a move, and we will bet no other carrier will match.

Our group (and me PERSONALLY) have supported the employees both directly and indirectly for many years. Management is all but telling us to go away, so we are letting them know we got their message.

Read MY post clearly.

While every other airline is trying to keep their loyal customers coming back, US is punishing their elites, and showing them the door.

Maybe you should join us in a call for new management......

 

[nostradamus]

Nostradamus,

You are mistaken. We are not targeting the employees. We do NOT want them to take less. We want the management to have the guts to do what really needs to be done--rationalize (higher) fares, not nickel and dime the customers OR the employees. We want them to give you the tools you need to do your jobs-which will reduce costs.

The management of US Airways has made it clear by their actions that they do not value their most loyal (and highest yielding) customers. Their latest move (elimination of mileage bonuses) is a slap in the face to every customer who has been loyal--basically says thanks, now go away.

Our group (and me PERSONALLY) have supported the employees both directly and indirectly for many years. Management is all but telling us to go away, so we are letting them know we got their message.

Read MY post clearly.

While every other airline is trying to keep their loyal customers coming back, US is punishing their elites, and showing them the door.

Maybe you should join us in a call for new management......

"There is little if any financial justification to such a move, and we will bet no other carrier will match."

Art, do you read newspapers? Do you put gas in your car? Have you noticed that it takes more money to fill up you car, try to fill up an airplane. Your group ffocus has been trying to extort perks from US Airways off the backs of employees for years.

I can not speak for the company or its employees, but in my opinion when you threaten to leave many times and do not, you are an emperor that has no clothes.

When you try to drag innocent (not me pal) employees in on this so you can sit your ample hinder in a first class seat for free, I feel that is waste products from a bull.

 

[Art at ISP]

Nost,

First of all, I left a year ago. One too many lies.

Second, it ain't all about us. We support any CONSTRUCTIVE ideas to save the company. Taking away bonus miles is just plain stupid and will drive business away, not retain or attract more. And watch as no one else cancels bonus miles.

We are not extorting--we are trying to force change. We agree that times are unprecedentedly bad. We have no problem with judicious and proper fare increases. The fees and the nickel and diming will cause MORE stress for the front line, and will cause delays and problems as people carry more on board to dodge the fee for bags.

We may disagree on methods, but we want the same in the end. Sorry to say your management doesn't have a clue....

And by the way other airlines are instituting a balance of fees and fare increases but are also taking steps to incentivize their most loyal customers....the opposite of what US has done.

We are just going to have to agree to disagree here.