That's just it...Dougie is VERY charming, however a piece of sh!t.
He could very easily bring us back to par, but can't because he is filling the pockets of inept management that keeps on patting themselves on the back telling each other what a great job they are doing.
I agree. I think there's a bit more to it that is running under the surface. Evey once in a while Doogie will make mention of it, or allude to it. It's the crux of the reason that, no matter what the appearances or press spin, Doogie will NEVER be the "new Herb Kelleher."
Doogie was only able to bring the merger to fruition only by getting some really big money sources on board. In the process, he had to "sell his soul," so to speak. He is no longer beholden to his employees, or even the travelling public. Every move he has made was meant to protect those large investors. He's now in the awkward position (i.e. painted himself into the proverbial corner) of doing a fast tap dance (badly) in the face of conflicting loyalties.
He promised those investors that the employee costs would not rise significantly and that he would continue to trim the costs of delivering the service. He continues on this quest with an amazingly nearsighted assiduousness. When confronted at employee meetings, he has mentioned the existence of this "loyalty" to the the big money investors that made the merger possible.
But in continuing on this quest, he is turning his back on his employees and his customers. Ironically, this will flush the investors' money down the tubes very fast. Maybe not in the immediate future, but when the toilet handle is finally pushed (like a big jump in oil prices,) USAirways will will go to red ink in a big hurry and in a big way. By alienating his customer base and employees, Doogie is building this airline as a house of cards. The foundation is crumbling under the "showplace mansion" he thinks he is building.
Herb Kelleher would never let that happen. Herb Kelleher knew that the way to make money by keeping the infrastructure sound first and foremost, and build on that reliable base. David Neeleman took this philosophy to heart and did very well until he lost focus for a while. It appears he learned the lesson and is quickly doing what is necessary to shore up that infrastucture (notice, he never blamed his employees nor asked them to work harder for less.) Paraphrasing Kelleher, he has said that he takes care of his employees first, because he knows they will then gladly take care of the customers. And when the customers are taken care of, the money keeps on coming.
Parker will NEVER be a Kelleher, because he just doesn't get it.