The bottom line is that management in Tempe doesn't want to fix the problems of PHL or they would have. There are solutions to every problem. It takes a willingness to want do things better. I've said it before, but Doug Parker doesn't have the sophistication, the vision, nor the class to go about running a world-class airline. I firmly believe that US' problems in PHL are not insurmountable. To date, the senior leadership at HP/US is more concerned with short-term profits rather than long-term solutions (for which there will be consequences). USAirways has become a disgrace both operationally and service wise. Tempe's way of handling PHL is to hire a bunch of thugs from the ghetto who will work for $8.00 an hour and a bunch of operations managers (kids, really) who have just graduated from ASU and then sent off to PHL for their first assignment. PHL could be the crown jewel in USAirways' system, but that would take investment...in facilities, in training, in US' people, and in the product. When employees feel valued, they perform.
The company appears to be set on targeting a lower-caliber demographic to fill its aircraft, and conversely, attracts a lower-quality employee that keeps the revolving door cycle constantly spinning. The seasoned "East" employees and the "Easties" on this board aren't just a bunch whose misery loves company. They have been demoralized by the continued degradation of their company's product by a group of executives who are so clearly out of touch with the Northeast customer base. That customer just wants a website that performs efficiently, kiosks that function, ticket agents that can manage ticketing glitches in a timely manner, airplanes, club rooms, and gate locations that don't look as if a movie theater has just emptied out, and an in-flight service product that is competitive with other international carriers: coat closets, seat pitch, an adequate first class cabin (for U/G's), and IFE that is functional. None of this is new thinking and it certainly isn't rocket science. If Gordon Bethune can take Frank Lorenzo's legacy at CO from worst to first, then it can be done at Airways as well. Unfortunately, the team in charge in Tempe is better suited for MESA, not a major international legacy carrier. That is what USAirways is.
It boggles my mind how some of you can come on here as HP management apologists. The dismal DOT rankings speak for themselves. That dirty, torn club room chair that was posted in these threads several weeks ago was very indicative of the state of affairs at USAirways: Very poor leadership, no quality control, no defined product, and no vision. I am just waiting for the day that the Star Alliance shows the "new" USAirways the door...